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Archives for July 2024

Shane Baz To Join Rays’ Rotation

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The Rays opened a rotation spot this morning by trading Aaron Civale to the Brewers. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports on X that Shane Baz will take that rotation spot, likely taking over Civale’s scheduled start on Friday. For now, the Rays have recalled reliever Justin Sterner to give the bullpen an extra arm, as Topkin suggested they would.

The recall of Baz is a fairly logical next step, as it lines up with reporting from last week. Katie Woo, Patrick Mooney and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported that the Rays could make some starting pitching available, not necessarily as deadline “sellers” but simply because of being in a position where they had a relative surplus in the rotation.

At the time of that report, the Rays had a big league rotation of Civale, Zach Eflin, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell and Ryan Pepiot, with Baz and Jeffrey Springs both nearing returns from Tommy John surgeries. The reporting indicated that the Rays could trade one of their veteran starters to bolster their system and/or upgrade another area of their roster, then backfilling the rotation with Baz or Springs while also saving some money. All that is now coming to pass this week. Civale and his $4.9MM salary were traded to the Brewers, with the Rays adding infield prospect Gregory Barrios to their system.

The club is currently 43-42 and only three games out of a playoff spot, but the hope is that subtracting Civale while adding Baz will leave the club’s competitive chances in 2024 relatively unchanged or perhaps even improved.

Baz was acquired as part of the lopsided deal that sent Chris Archer to the Pirates for Tyler Glasnow, Austin Meadows and a player to be named later, which eventually turned out to be Baz. The young righty was already a notable prospect at that time, as the Bucs drafted him 12th overall in 2017.

His first full season in the Rays’ system was very strong, as he made 17 Single-A starts with a 2.99 earned run average. His 10.8% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 25.4% of batters faced. After the minor league were canceled in 2020, Baz was even more impressive in 2021. He had a 2.06 ERA over 78 2/3 innings pitched between Double-A and Triple-A, striking out 37.9% of batters faced while giving out walks at just a 4.4% rate. He also made his major league debut with three starts and a 2.03 ERA.

Going into 2022, Baz was considered the eighth best prospect in the entire league by Baseball America, with other outlets similarly bullish. The Rays were surely hoping for him to establish himself at the big league level that year but his health got in the way. He underwent arthroscopic elbow surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow in March and began the season on the injured list. He was reinstated in June and made six starts before being shut down with an elbow sprain which eventually led to Tommy John surgery in September.

He missed all of 2023 while rehabbing and began this year on the injured list as well. He was reinstated from the injured list in May but optioned to Triple-A to continue building up his workload there. He seemed to show a bit of rust early on, with a 7.71 ERA through his first five minor league starts this year. But he’s been quite dominant in his most recent five, with a 1.57 ERA in those outings.

Since Civale had a 5.07 ERA with the Rays prior to being dealt, it’s entirely possible that Baz will be able to upgrade the current rotation, based on the way he was pitching in 2021 and how he has looked in the past month or so. In total, the moves showcase how a club can walk a tightrope of both buying and selling, as the Rays saved some cash and netted a prospect that could help them down the line while simultaneously keeping their competitive hopes alive here in 2024.

For Baz, by spending more than a month in the minors before being recalled, his path to free agency is going to be pushed back. He came into this season with two years and 14 days of service time, thanks to his call-up late in 2021 and then two years largely spent on the injured list. But by the time he’s recalled to take the ball on Friday, it will have been more than six weeks since he was optioned on May 23, meaning he won’t be able to get to the three-year mark here in 2024.

He’ll be a lock for Super Two status at the end of this year and will therefore get four trips through arbitration instead of three, assuming he stays up with the big league club the rest of the way, but the earliest he can qualify for free agency at this point is after the 2028 campaign.

For the Rays, they could perhaps make another series of moves like this, with Springs nearing a return from his surgery as well. The lefty got up to three innings pitched in his most recent rehab start and could be ready for reinstatement shortly. Even if they trade Eflin or Littell, who can each be controlled through 2025, the long-term rotation picture looks good. Shane McClanahan should be back from his own Tommy John surgery next year and is under club control through 2027. Pepiot is under control through 2028 and Bradley one year beyond that. The Springs extension goes through 2026 with a club option for 2027. Drew Rasmussen, who is currently on the IL after last year’s internal brace surgery, can be controlled via arbitration through 2026. Tyler Alexander is on optional assignment and pitching decently in the minors, with the potential to be retained via arbitration beyond this year as well.

Rockies Will Listen To Offers On Cal Quantrill, Austin Gomber

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The Rockies have a reputation for hanging onto — and at times extending — veterans who would be likely trade candidates with other organizations. In recent years, they’ve declined to trade Trevor Story, Jon Gray, Daniel Bard, C.J. Cron, Brent Suter and others despite sitting near the bottom of the standings in the National League. (Bard and Cron were signed to ill-fated extensions.) Various reports have already indicated that the Rockies have zero inclination to listen to trade scenarios involving third baseman Ryan McMahon, but Will Sammon, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic report that Colorado decision-makers “plan to consider” offers for some players who are controlled beyond the current season.

Right-hander Cal Quantrill and lefty Austin Gomber are the two most obvious trade candidates on the staff, and the team will indeed consider offers on each, per the report. Both are in their second season of arbitration eligibility, with Quantrill earning a $6.55MM salary and Gomber being paid just shy of half that at $3.15MM. Both are controlled through the 2025 season and are slated to become free agents in the 2025-26 offseason.

Of the two, the 29-year-old Quantrill likely has more value despite being the pricier arm. He’s posted a team-high 95 1/3 innings in 2024 and recorded a 3.78 ERA on the back of an 18% strikeout rate, 8.5% walk rate, 46.9% grounder rate and 1.13 HR/9. It’s been a nice rebound effort for Quantrill in a tough setting for any pitcher. The former No. 8 overall draft pick was torched for a 5.24 ERA last season in an injury-shortened year with the Guardians but is now in the midst of his third season of solid results in a big league rotation. Quantrill also pitched to a combined 3.16 ERA in 336 innings with Cleveland in 2021-22, showing the same blend of sub-par strikeout rates with an aversion to hard contact.

Quantrill isn’t without his flaws. His 18% strikeout rate is worse than the league-average, but right in line with his career 17.8% mark. He’s never missed bats at a high level, and his command is more good than great. Similarly, while he uses a sinker as his primary offering, his ground-ball rates are typically a bit above average but far from elite. Quantrill has in the past featured a changeup — he’s largely moved away from the pitch this season — but it hasn’t kept lefties in check as much as hoped when the pitch received plus grades back to his prospect days. Lefties have a career .241/.318/.404 slash against him, while righties are at a comparable .266/.313/.400. He’s been hittable by all opponents but also not overexposed in platoon settings.

Gomber, 30, has pitched 87 2/3 innings this season and turned in a 4.72 ERA. That number has climbed by nearly two runs since the calendar turned to June. At the end of May, Gomber was sporting a tidy 2.76 earned run average, but he’s been blasted for 28 earned runs with an 18-to-7 K/BB ratio over his past 29 frames, dating back to June 2.

Rough patches of this sort are all too familiar for the Rockies and Gomber, who came to Denver as part of the regrettable Nolan Arenado trade with St. Louis. The former fourth-round pick is second (to Kyle Freeland) on the Rockies in innings pitched dating back to his acquisition, having piled up 466 2/3 frames over 99 appearances (83 starts). He’s posted a tepid 5.13 ERA in that time and actually generated slightly better results at Coors Field (4.96 ERA) than on the road (5.31 ERA). Look back through Gomber’s month-to-month splits in any given season, and there’s typically a month or two like his April/May run in 2024, but they’re largely offset by pronounced struggles that mirror his current slump.

Gomber punched out a solid 23.2% of his opponents in his first season with the Rox, but he’s at 16.1% this year and has seen the average velocity on his fastball drop from 91.6 mph in ’21 to 90.3 mph this season, per Statcast. He’s also scaled back the usage of his slider in favor of more curveballs and changeups. Back in 2021, Statcast credited his slider with a hearty 35% whiff rate, but the pitch is down to 17.7% this season and has been hit increasingly hard over the past couple seasons, so it’s not a huge surprise to see him moving away from it.

While neither Quantrill nor Gomber would fetch the type of haul that would seismically improve the Colorado farm system, both should generate interest. That’s true not only due to their relatively affordable salaries and extra year of club control, but also due to the simple lack of alternatives on the market for teams seeking rotation help. Quantrill is a borderline playoff starter at best, and Gomber is likely seen as more of a fifth starter who can help eat innings before sliding into a bullpen role in the playoffs. For some clubs, that type of stability is all they’re seeking.

It’s far from a given that the Rockies will ultimately move either pitcher. Quantrill has spoken positively about the experience of pitching in Colorado and at Coors Field specifically. He’s exceeded expectations since being acquired from Cleveland and, historically speaking, is the type of veteran the Rockies have looked to sign for multiple years rather than trade. Their ostensible willingness to listen to offers on him would be something of a change of pace but arguably a welcome one for a club that has at multiple times passed on trade opportunities that would’ve bolstered their minor league system only to eventually lose said players for no return at all when they become free agents. Whether either pitcher drums up enough interest to warrant an offer that convinces the Rockies to move remains an open question, though.

Colorado does have other arms that are controlled/signed beyond the current season, though most are performing poorly. Dakota Hudson has an ERA just shy of 6.00 with nearly as many walks as strikeouts. He’s arbitration-eligible this winter. Kyle Freeland is signed through 2026 and will earn $16MM in each of the next two seasons. In a healthy season, he might’ve drawn interest, but he only returned from the 60-day IL a couple weeks back after a lengthy stint due to an elbow strain. He’s looked sharp since returning (two runs in 12 2/3 innings) but was clobbered for a 13.21 ERA in four starts prior to his IL trip.

The Athletic also cites righty Ryan Feltner as a name who could draw interest despite an ugly 5.60 ERA of his own. There’s some sense to that as a potential buy-low candidate. Feltner averages 95 mph on his heater and has turned in a career-low 6.2% walk rate in this year’s 91 2/3 innings. His 19.3% strikeout rate is below average by a couple percentage points, but his 10.5% swinging-strike rate isn’t far from par and he has solid spin rates on his breaking pitches.

Feltner, 27, will be arb-eligible as a Super Two player this offseason. He’s controllable for four more seasons and has a pair of minor league options remaining. A contending club might not want to plug him directly into their rotation — particularly if said team is in a tightly contested division/Wild Card race. Other clubs looking to 2025 and beyond — or perhaps those with comfortable division leads but still needing some rotation depth — could view him as a longer-term project with good raw stuff who could benefit from a change of scenery.

Nationals Request Release Waivers On Eddie Rosario

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The Nationals announced Wednesday that they’ve requested unconditional release waivers on outfielder Eddie Rosario, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week when top prospect James Wood was called up to the majors. Once Rosario and the remainder of his $2MM base salary officially clear, he’ll become a free agent who can sign with any team. A new club would only owe Rosario the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the MLB roster or injured list.

Rosario, 32, is a former 30-homer slugger whose bat has declined substantially over the past four seasons. He had a brief and memorable surge with the 2021 Braves after being acquired from Cleveland in a salary-dump trade — .271/.330/.573 down the stretch, plus NLCS MVP honors after going 14-for-25 with three homers — his overall offensive output dating back to 2021 has been sub-par. In 1433 trips to the plate between Cleveland, Atlanta and Washington, he’s batted just .235/.283/.403 (85 wRC+) with increasing strikeout troubles.

The 2024 season has been particularly tough. Rosario posted a strong .253/.319/.530 performance in the month of May, but that’s been bookended by two of the worst months of his career from an offensive standpoint. Overall, he’s hitting just .183/.226/.329 with the Nats, making it a foregone conclusion that he’ll pass through release waivers and become a free agent.

Rosario was a productive everyday outfielder with the Twins from 2017-20, hitting .281/.317/.493 and belting 96 home runs in 2002 plate appearances, but it’s been quite some time since he’s produced near that level over a sample of any meaningful note. Another club will likely take a flier on the veteran’s left-handed bat with another minor league contract, but he’ll probably have to play his way back to the big leagues with a strong showing in Triple-A.

Mets Designate Matt Festa For Assignment

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The Mets announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Matt Festa for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to right-hander Christian Scott, who has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to start today’s game.

Festa, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Mets on May 20 and posted outstanding Triple-A numbers prior to being selected to the MLB roster recently: 15 1/3 innings, 1.76 ERA, 32.2% strikeout rate, 5.1% walk rate. He only got into one game at the big league level with the Mets, however, and the results were nightmarish. In one inning, he was roughed up for five runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk. That lone frame was enough to inflate his career ERA from 4.32 (in 93 2/3 innings) to 4.66.

A former seventh-round pick, Festa has now pitched in parts of five big league seasons, the other four coming as a member of the Mariners. The 6’1″, 195-pound right-hander has seen his career slowed by injuries, most notably including 2020 Tommy John surgery. That wiped out his entire 2020 campaign and the bulk of his 2021 season as well.

Festa saw big league time in the two years prior to that surgery (2018-19) and the two years following the completion of his rehab (2022-23). In addition to the aforementioned 4.66 ERA in the majors, he’s turned in a sharp 25.1% strikeout rate to go along with plus swinging-strike rates. His 10.9% walk rate is also a couple percentage points worse than the league average, however, and his 92.6 mph average fastball velocity is rather pedestrian.

Beyond his strong showing with the Mets’ Triple-A club, Festa pitched decently with the Padres’ top affiliate in El Paso after signing a minor league deal in the offseason. He logged 16 innings and yielded eight runs, though a .360 average on balls in play didn’t do him any favors in that small sample. He fanned 21.6% of his opponents during that brief stay in the Padres organization and turned in a 9.5% walk rate.

In parts of five Triple-A seasons, Festa has a 2.10 ERA, a 27.7% strikeout rate and a 9% walk rate. He’ll be traded or placed on outright waivers within the next five days now that he’s been designated for assignment (and waivers themselves would take another 48 hours). Any team that acquires or claims Festa would need to put him right on the major league roster, as he’s out of minor league options. He’s been outrighted once in the past (2020), so Festa would have the right to reject a Triple-A assignment if he goes unclaimed on waivers.

MLBTR Podcast: The Rays Could Deal Starters, Garrett Crochet, James Wood And Free Agent Power Rankings

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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 Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

* This podcast was recorded on the evening of July 2, before the Rays traded Aaron Civale to the Brewers.

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • What are the Astros going to do at the deadline? (42:15)
  • The Rangers are terrible but are World Series champions for the first time. Can they sell even if it’s the best thing for the team? (46:50)
  • Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris says the club could buy or sell. What do the final months of the season look like in Detroit? (54:30)

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!

The Opener: D-backs, Lewis, Saves Leaderboard

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As the trade deadline inches ever closer — and as the market begins to produce some activity — here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Mena to debut for Arizona?

As noted by Alex Weiner of AZSports last night, Diamondbacks pitching prospect Cristian Mena was in the big league clubhouse prior to last night’s game with the Dodgers. Manager Torey Lovullo simply noted that Mena was on the club’s taxi squad for their road trip to Los Angeles and did not elaborate further on the right-hander’s status, but with no starting pitcher scheduled for tonight’s game and Mena having last pitched on June 26 at the Triple-A level, it seems likely that the 21-year-old could be making his big league debut. Mena is already on the 40-man roster, meaning only an active roster move would be necessary to add him to the club’s mix.

Arizona acquired the youngster from the White Sox over the offseason in the trade that sent outfielder Dominic Fletcher to Chicago. He ranks as the Snakes’ No. 11 prospect per MLB.com and No. 14 prospect per Baseball America. Mena has struggled to a 4.90 ERA and 5.66 FIP with a 10.4% walk rate in a hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. If Mena were to be recalled for a start this evening, it’s unclear whether that would be a spot start or if he would be joining the rotation alongside Zac Gallen, Brandon Pfaadt, Slade Cecconi, and Ryne Nelson on a more permanent basis.

2. Lewis to undergo MRI:

The injury woes never seem to stop for Twins infielder Royce Lewis. The youngster departed Minnesota’s game against the Tigers yesterday due to left groin tightness. Dan Hayes of The Athletic relayed last night that Lewis is set to undergo an MRI and additional testing on the issue. Hayes went on to note that Lewis seemed to expect that he’ll be placed on the injured list, although he added that a team source indicated that the club expects any stay on the IL to be a relatively short one.

Even as time on the shelf becomes increasingly familiar for the 25-year-old, losing him for any amount of time will sting for the Twins. Lewis is slashing a robust .287/.351/.678 in 97 trips to the plate this year, good for a 176 wRC+. While that’s not an especially large sample size, he’s done nothing but hit at a superstar level when healthy enough to take the field ever since his debut back in 2022. In 94 career games in the majors, Lewis has a cumulative slash line of .303/.361/.584 with 27 homers in just 379 trips to the plate. Should Lewis miss time, Jose Miranda would take over at third base.

3. History on the Saves Leaderboard:

Orioles right-hander Craig Kimbrel recorded the 437th save of his career last night, tying him for fourth place on the all-time saves leaderboard with six-time All-Star Francisco Rodriguez. The only players in MLB history with more saves than Kimbrel now are Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, and Lee Smith, all three of whom are in the Hall of Fame. Sitting just one save behind Kimbrel and Rodriguez is Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen, who has been the subject of persistent trade rumors dating back to the offseason but has shut out the noise to dominate this year with a 2.22 ERA, 2.10 FIP, and 16 saves in 28 appearances. Kimbrel has been similarly impressive this year with a 2.37 ERA and 2.70 FIP to go along with 19 saves in 34 appearances.

The pair of 36-year-olds could both continue their ascent up the all-time leaderboard as soon as tonight as Jansen looks to tie Rodriguez himself with his next save while Kimbrel looks to take sole possession of fourth place on the leaderboard. Jansen’s Red Sox are set to face the Marlins in Miami at 6:40pm local time this evening, while the Orioles will face the Mariners in Seattle at 7:10pm local time.

Tigers Skipping Jack Flaherty’s Start Due To Back Discomfort

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The Tigers scratched Jack Flaherty from tomorrow’s scheduled start against the Twins. The right-hander remained in Los Angeles after his start against the Angels last Thursday to receive an injection to treat back soreness, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.

For the moment, it doesn’t seem the situation is concerning. Manager A.J. Hinch told the Detroit beat on Tuesday afternoon that the team remains confident he’ll avoid the injured list (relayed on X by Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic). McCosky reports that the Tigers are targeting next week’s home series against the Guardians for Flaherty to take the ball.

A team skipping a pitcher’s start to treat a minor back issue wouldn’t ordinarily be noteworthy. Yet Flaherty’s health is of utmost importance with less than a month before the trade deadline. Detroit lost on Tuesday to fall nine games below .500. They’re all but assured of going into deadline season as at least soft sellers. It stands to reason they’ll be reluctant to move players whom they have under control for multiple years. They should deal their most appealing impending free agents. Flaherty tops the list.

Detroit’s decision to sign Flaherty to a one-year, $14MM pillow contract was one of the best moves of the 2023-24 offseason. Despite a rocky outing in his most recent appearance, he carries a 3.24 ERA over 15 starts. Flaherty has punched out 33% of batters faced behind an excellent 14.2% swinging strike rate. He has walked a career-low 4% of opposing hitters. He should get his first All-Star nod this summer.

Assuming he’s healthy, Flaherty figures to find himself in plenty of trade rumors coming out of the Midsummer Classic. He’ll almost certainly be the best rental starting pitcher on the market. MLBTR slotted Flaherty as the #3 pitcher on our ranking of the upcoming free agent class last week. The players above him, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried, aren’t getting traded.

Beyond Flaherty, the rental rotation market could include the likes of Yusei Kikuchi, Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana and Frankie Montas. As the best impending free agent starter available, Flaherty could net the Tigers a prospect package headlined by a borderline Top 100 caliber talent. If they don’t trade him, Detroit could make him a qualifying offer at the end of the season. Assuming Flaherty signed elsewhere for at least $50MM, the Tigers would get a pick after the first round in the 2025 draft. Detroit should nevertheless find a prospect package within the next few weeks that they consider more valuable than the draft choice.

Keider Montero will get the ball tomorrow in Flaherty’s absence. As first reported by Jason Beck of MLB.com (on X), Detroit is recalling the rookie righty less than a week after optioning him. That’s only permissible if Montero is replacing a player on the roster who is headed to the injured list. That won’t be Flaherty but right-hander Casey Mize, who is ticketed for the 15-day IL after suffering a left hamstring strain in his start on Sunday. The former first overall pick owns a 4.23 ERA despite a modest 16.8% strikeout rate over 16 starts in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Tyler Mahle Begins Rehab Stint

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Tyler Mahle saw his first official game action as a member of the Ranger organization tonight. Texas assigned the offseason signee to Triple-A Round Rock to begin a rehab assignment. Mahle threw two scoreless innings on 19 pitches in his first appearance since he underwent Tommy John surgery last May.

Texas inked the righty to a two-year, $22MM guarantee in December. Mahle is making $5.5MM this year and is due a $16.5MM salary for next season. The backloaded term reflected the fact that Mahle would miss the first few months of the 2023 season. His recovery process has gone smoothly thus far, opening the possibility he could make it to Globe Life Field not long after the July 30 trade deadline.

Mahle looked to be coming into his own as a mid-rotation starter in Cincinnati a few seasons ago. Between 2021 and the ’22 trade deadline, he turned in a 3.99 ERA over 52 starts. Mahle fanned 27% of opposing hitters against a solid 8.6% walk rate over that stretch. Despite pitching in a difficult home environment, he looked the part of a #3 starter. The Twins bought into that impressive form, sending Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Spencer Steer and Steve Hajjar to the Reds for the final year and a half of Mahle’s arbitration control.

That proved one of the more regrettable deadline deals in recent history. Injuries essentially derailed Mahle’s tenure in Minnesota from the beginning. Shoulder issues limited him to four starts down the stretch in ’22. Mahle looked to be in good form at the start of the next season. He carried a 3.16 ERA with a 27.5% strikeout rate over five starts before his elbow gave out. The surgery marked a sour end to the impending free agent’s time in the Twin Cities.

If Mahle can rediscover the form he showed before the injuries, he’d be a major boost to the Texas rotation. The Rangers had hoped to stay afloat in the first half before welcoming back Max Scherzer, Mahle, and eventually Jacob deGrom from the injured list. They haven’t performed at the level they were expecting. They’re still seven games below .500 after tonight’s shutout victory over the Padres. Texas is seven and a half games back of the division-leading Mariners and for the final Wild Card spot held by the Royals.

While the defending champions have clearly underperformed, that’s not so much about their injury-riddled rotation. The starting pitching has held up about as well as the front office could have anticipated. The far bigger issue has been a lineup where only Josh Smith has played above preseason expectations. Corey Seager and Rookie of the Year favorite Wyatt Langford have picked things up after slow starts, but the overall offense hasn’t been good enough.

The Rangers have a few more weeks to clarify their deadline trajectory. Mahle himself will not be a trade candidate, but Texas has a number of impending free agents they could consider moving if they don’t turn things around quickly. If the Rangers play their way within a few games of a postseason spot, upgrading the bullpen and deepening the outfield could be priorities.

Dodgers Sign Alan Trejo To Minor League Deal

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The Dodgers signed infielder Alan Trejo to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Oklahoma City, tweets Triple-A broadcaster Alex Freedman. Dodgers Daily first reported last night (on X) that the L.A. native had agreed to a minor league contract with Los Angeles.

Trejo, 28, became a free agent after being designated for assignment by the Rockies last week. A former 16th round pick by Colorado out of San Diego State, he changes organizations for the first time in his career. Trejo cracked the MLB roster for the first time early in the 2021 season. He has appeared in each of the last four seasons, working mostly in a utility capacity. He logged his most significant action a year ago, hitting .232/.288/.343 over 82 contests.

A right-handed hitter, Trejo has never been a huge offensive threat. He owns a .228/.276/.334 line in 469 MLB plate appearances. That includes a .143/.182/.143 slash with 15 strikeouts and two walks through 28 games this year. He has slightly above-average grades for his defensive work at second and third base, however. Trejo also has 263 1/3 frames of shortstop experience, where public metrics have rated him a bit below average.

The ability to play competent or better defense throughout the infield appeals to a Dodger team that’s currently without Mookie Betts and Max Muncy. The Dodgers have pushed Miguel Rojas into regular shortstop work. Cavan Biggio, Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernández are multi-positional options who are picking up work at third base. Gavin Lux remains the starter at second base despite a .221/.270/.301 showing on the year. Trejo doesn’t provide much more of an offensive ceiling, but he’s an experienced option who can cover at all three positions.

Diamondbacks Place Jordan Montgomery On Injured List

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The D-Backs shook a few things up in advance of their series with the Dodgers. Arizona reinstated catcher Gabriel Moreno from the 10-day injured list and designated backup Tucker Barnhart for assignment. (Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reported those forthcoming moves over the weekend.)  The Snakes placed starter Jordan Montgomery on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 29, on account of right knee inflammation. Arizona also optioned young infielder Blaze Alexander to Triple-A Reno. Center fielder Alek Thomas is back from the 10-day IL, while the D-Backs recalled righty Gavin Hollowell to take a spot in the bullpen.

Montgomery has had a nightmarish season. The veteran southpaw agreed to terms on a $25MM pillow contract just before Opening Day. As with fellow late signee Blake Snell, he has had significant struggles with that abbreviated ramp-up. Montgomery agreed to head to Reno for a few starts as a tune-up. He was recalled in mid-April but hasn’t found anything close to his typical form.

Over 13 starts, Montgomery carries a 6.03 ERA in 65 2/3 innings. He’s striking out a well below-average 15.1% of opposing hitters. Montgomery had punched out more than 21% of batters faced in each of the previous three seasons. He allowed fewer than four earned runs per nine in each year while combining for a 3.48 ERA over 94 starts. The average velocity on his sinker is down from its customary 93 MPH range to 91.7 MPH.

It’s impossible to know how much of Montgomery’s struggles are attributable to the unconventional start to the season. It seems fair to presume that has played some role. Whatever the primary cause, Montgomery hasn’t provided anything close to the kind of production Arizona envisioned. The D-Backs hoped he’d step in as a mid-rotation replacement after Eduardo Rodriguez suffered a Spring Training lat strain. Instead, he’s been arguably the weakest point in a starting staff that remains the team’s biggest question mark.

Arizona recently welcomed Zac Gallen back from the injured list. They’re still without Rodriguez and Merrill Kelly. Righty Brandon Pfaadt has been solid, but the D-Backs haven’t gotten much out of Slade Cecconi and Ryne Nelson. They’ll need to find a fifth starter this week, as Arizona doesn’t have another off day until the All-Star Break. That might be righty Cristian Mena. Alex Weiner of AZ Sports tweets that Mena is with the big league club in Los Angeles, though he’s not yet on the roster. Acquired from the White Sox for Dominic Fletcher over the winter, the 21-year-old Mena has a 4.90 ERA with a 24.4% strikeout rate in 16 Triple-A starts. Joe Mantiply will kick off a bullpen game tonight; Montgomery had been slated to start tomorrow’s contest.

On the position player side, Moreno and Thomas draw back into the lineup. The former had a minimal IL stay with a thumb sprain. He’ll return to his role as the primary catcher. Barnhart’s DFA means the D-Backs will stick with José Herrera in the #2 catching role. Thomas has missed the bulk of the season because of a hamstring strain. He played in only four games before going down. That pushed Corbin Carroll into center field. Carroll should move back to right field, which could cut into the playing time for Jake McCarthy and Randal Grichuk.

It pushes Alexander off the MLB roster for the time being. The 25-year-old logged a good chunk of playing time at shortstop while Geraldo Perdomo was on the shelf. Upon Perdomo’s return, manager Torey Lovullo suggested he’d get Alexander more playing time at third base while cutting into Eugenio Suárez’s workload. Alexander got regular run for about two weeks but fell into a slump, hitting .138 without an extra-base knock in 33 plate appearances. Suárez has started five of the past six games at the hot corner. With Kevin Newman playing reasonably well as a utility option who cannot be optioned, the D-Backs send Alexander back to Reno for more consistent playing time.

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