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Brad Brach Elects Free Agency

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Veteran reliever Brad Brach has cleared outright waivers and elected free agency, Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star reports. The Royals designated Brach for assignment on Saturday.

Brach had a short stay on the Royals’ roster, as the team designated him just one day after selecting his contract. The 35-year-old right-hander joined the Royals on a minor league contract over the winter, which came after the Mets designated him.

Brach has seen major league action with five teams since he debuted with the Padres in 2011, and he has enjoyed a solid career. Through 522 2/3 innings, Brach has registered a 3.39 ERA/3.78 SIERA with a 25.1 percent strikeout rate and an 11.1 percent walk rate. Unfortunately, though, Brach’s production has gone downhill dating back to 2019. Between the Cubs and Mets over the previous two seasons, he tossed 66 2/3 frames of 5.66 ERA ball (with a more palatable 4.91 SIERA) and logged a 24.7 percent strikeout rate against a 15.0 percent walk rate. While Brach has normally averaged around 94 mph on his fastball, that number dipped to a personal-worst 90.4 last year.

Brewers Select Pablo Reyes

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The Brewers have selected the contract of utility player Pablo Reyes and optioned outfielder Corey Ray, the team announced.

A member of the Pittsburgh organization from 2012-20, Reyes joined the Brewers on a minor league deal this past winter. An 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs wiped out Reyes’ 2020 season, but he did see major league action in each of the previous two campaigns. The 27-year-old made an impressive debut over 63 plate appearances in 2018, but his production plummeted across a much larger sample size (157 PA) the next season. Overall, Reyes has batted .229/.295/.368 with five home runs in 220 trips to the plate at the game’s highest level.

Defensively, Reyes has played both middle infield positions, third base and all three outfield spots in the majors. Even if Reyes doesn’t hit well, he’ll at least give the Brewers a defensively versatile option off their bench.

Cubs Select Trevor Megill

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The Cubs have selected the contract of right-hander Trevor Megill, placed righty Rowan Wick on the 60-day injured list and optioned RHP Jason Adam, Russell Dorsey of the Chicago Sun-Times tweets.

Megill, 27, entered the professional ranks as a seventh-round pick of the Padres in 2015, but they lost him to the Cubs during the 2019 Rule 5 Draft. Thanks in part to the lack of a minor league season, the 6-foor-8 Megill didn’t pitch a year ago, though he did log solid production among High-A, Double-A and Triple-A in 2019. That year, Megill tossed 60 2/3 innings of 3.86 ERA ball and averaged 10 strikeouts against 1.9 walks per nine. Megill added a 4.32 ERA with 12 strikeouts and two walks in 8 1/3 innings this past spring.

Wick was one of the Cubs’ most effective relievers from 2019-20, during which he combined for a 2.66 ERA with a 25.7 percent strikeout rate, a 10.3 percent walk rate and a 48.1 percent groundball rate over 50 1/3 frames. An intercostal strain has prevented Wick from taking the mound this year.

Phillies Activate Jose Alvarado, Matt Moore; Select Odubel Herrera

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The Phillies have activated left-handers Jose Alvarado and Matt Moore from the injured list and selected the contract of center fielder Odubel Herrera, per a club announcement. The team optioned lefty Bailey Falter, righty Spencer Howard and outfielder Mickey Moniak in corresponding moves.

The Phillies went the past week without Alvarado and Moore, whom they placed on the COVID list along with infielder Ronald Torreyes on April 19. None of those players tested positive for the virus.

The most noteworthy move here is the return of Herrera, a 29-year-old who last appeared in the majors in 2019. Herrera was a standout with the Phillies earlier in his career, leading the team to sign him to a five-year, $30.5MM extension heading into the 2017 season. Two years later, though, Major League Baseball issued an 85-game suspension to Herrera for a violation of the MLB-MLBPA joint domestic violence, sexual assault, and child abuse policy. The Phillies outrighted Herrera in January 2020, and he was off their 40-man roster until today.

Philadelphia’s hope is that Herrera will provide a spark in center, which has been a problem position for the club this season. The Phillies have divided playing time among Moniak, Adam Haseley and Roman Quinn, though their production has been horrid. They’ve hit a combined .114/.213/.177, which pales in comparison to Herrera’s lifetime .276/.333/.423 mark through 2,492 plate appearances.

Injury Notes: Lamet, Springer, Archer, Huff

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Padres right-hander Dinelson Lamet left his season debut Wednesday with forearm soreness and quickly went on the 10-day injured list, leading to concerns that he could require a second Tommy John surgery. A couple days later, those worries seem to be fading. Lamet went through his typical post-start routine Friday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes, and manager Jayce Tingler called it “a positive day” for the 2020 Cy Young contender. If all goes according to plan over the next week-plus, Lamet could return from the IL when he’s first eligible on May 2.

Now for a few American League updates…

  • Center fielder George Springer may finally be on the cusp of his Blue Jays debut. Manager Charlie Montoyo told Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet and other reporters on Friday afternoon that there is “a chance” the Blue Jays will activate Springer on Sunday. The three-time All-Star then got through a sim game at the team’s alternate site without any problems, per Montoyo (via Shi Davidi of Sportsnet). An oblique strain and then a quad strain have prevented Springer from suiting up for Toronto, which signed the ex-Astro to a six-year, $150MM contract in free agency.
  • Rays righty Chris Archer has already missed two weeks because of forearm tightness, and a return is not imminent. Archer is likely a couple more weeks from rejoining the Rays’ rotation, manager Kevin Cash revealed (via Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times). Even though he endured a disastrous 2019 with the Pirates and then missed all of last season because of thoracic outlet surgery, Tampa Bay reunited with Archer – previously a Ray from 2012-18 – on a one-year, $6.5MM deal in free agency. The gamble hasn’t paid off so far, as Archer didn’t complete three innings in either of the two starts he made before he hit the IL.
  • Rangers catcher prospect Sam Huff will undergo surgery to remove a “loose body” from his right knee next Wednesday, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News relays. The injury will sideline Huff for eight weeks and could prevent him from catching this season. The 23-year-old – MLB.com’s 68th-ranked prospect – produced eye-popping results during a 10-game, 33-plate appearance major league debut in 2020, when he slashed .355/.394/.742 with three home runs. Huff hadn’t even played above the High-A level when the Rangers promoted him last September.

Padres Select Aaron Northcraft

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The Padres announced that they have selected right-hander Aaron Northcraft from their alternate site, placed injured left-hander Adrian Morejon on the 60-day IL and optioned righty Nabil Crismatt.

This promotion puts Northcraft in position to make his major league debut at the age of 30. Northcraft was a 10th-round pick of the Braves in 2009, but they traded him to the Padres five years later in a December 2014 deal that also sent outfielder Justin Upton to San Diego. The Braves acquired four players in return, including left-hander Max Fried.

Northcraft only lasted in the Padres’ system through 2016, during which he began dealing with elbow problems that sidelined him for a couple of years. He finally returned to pitch professionally with the Mariners in 2019, when he combined for a stingy 2.03 ERA in 40 innings divided among the Low-A, Double-A and Triple-A levels.

Northcraft spent time with the Marlins last year, but the lack of a minor league season stopped him from logging any game action. He returned to the Padres on a minor league deal this past winter.

Dodgers Place Zach McKinstry On 10-Day IL

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The Dodgers have placed outfielder/infielder Zach McKinstry on the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. The team recalled outfielder DJ Peters to take McKinstry’s roster spot.

McKinstry’s injury will temporarily derail what has been an impressive start for the 25-year-old rookie, who has taken on a fairly regular role for the reigning World Series champions. The former 33rd-round pick has appeared in 17 of the Dodgers’ 19 games, primarily lining up in right field, and slashed .296/.328/.556 (140 wRC+) with three home runs in 58 plate appearances. McKinstry is now the third notable member of the Dodgers’ offense on the IL, joining Cody Bellinger and Gavin Lux, while back stiffness has shelved Chris Taylor over the past couple days.

Peters, a 2016 fourth-rounder, may be able to help the Dodgers’ shorthanded lineup if he gets an opportunity. In 2019, the most recent minor league season, Peters combined for a .249/.358/.453 line with 23 homers in 542 trips to the plate between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. The 25-year-old now ranks as the Dodgers’ 15th-best prospect at Baseball America – which notes that he combines “jaw-dropping power” and a keen eye at the plate with decent speed and the ability to play all three outfield positions.

Royals Place Greg Holland On IL, Select Brad Brach

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The Royals have placed right-hander Greg Holland on the injured list and selected the contract of righty Brad Brach, per a team announcement. The club didn’t provide a reason for Holland’s IL placement.

Holland was largely a great reliever with the Royals from 2010-15, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in the last of those seasons and missed the team’s World Series run. The procedure kept Holland out for all of 2016, and he then endured an up-and-down few years divided among the Rockies, Cardinals and Diamondbacks.

Holland returned to Kansas City last year on a minor league deal, which proved to be a steal for the Royals. He reclaimed his old job as the team’s closer, went 6-for-6 in save opportunities and pitched to a 1.91 ERA with a 27.7 percent strikeout rate against a 6.3 percent walk rate over 28 1/3 innings.

Holland’s bounce-back 2020 performance earned him a guaranteed contract this past winter, when he re-signed with the Royals on a one-year, $2.75MM pact. Unfortunately for Holland and KC, he hasn’t been nearly as successful this year. Thanks to a couple of poor outings – including his most recent appearance on Tuesday – the 35-year-old has recorded a 6.43 ERA with three home runs allowed and more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six) in seven frames.

Brach, also 35, joined the Royals on a minors pact shortly after the Mets cut him loose in February. While the well-traveled Brach has enjoyed a quality career (3.39 ERA through 522 2/3 innings), his production and velocity have tailed off of late. Brach amassed a combined 66 2/3 innings with the Cubs and Mets over the previous two seasons and posted a 5.54 ERA with a below-average 9.7 K-BB percentage (24.7 K, 15.0 BB). Worsening matters, Brach’s average fastball velo fell from the 94 mph range to a career-low 90.4 last season.

COVID Notes: 4/23/21

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The latest coronavirus-related updates from around the game:

  • Second baseman Jose Altuve has cleared Major League Baseball’s COVID-19 protocols and will return to the Astros, manager Dusty Baker told Jake Kaplan of The Athletic and other reporters. Baker isn’t sure when Houston will activate Altuve, one of five Astros who went on the COVID list back on April 14. The team has since activated the other four (Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez, Martin Maldonado and Robel Garcia). Altuve had a down 2020 season, but the former AL MVP has gotten off to a fast start this year with a .318/.380/.455 over 50 plate appearances. Houston has started Aledmys Diaz and Alex De Goti at the keystone during Altuve’s absence.
  • Twins shortstop Andrelton Simmons has cleared the testing phase and can return to the team, manager Rocco Baldelli informed reporters (including Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com). Simmons stormed out to a .355/.474/.452 start in 38 PA this year before testing positive for the virus and landing on the IL on April 14. He’ll need time to ramp back up before he can return to the Twins’ lineup, Park notes. Jorge Polanco has received the lion’s share of playing time at short with Simmons out, and he’ll start there again Friday.
  • Blue Jays outfielder Teoscar Hernandez has also gotten through the protocols, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet tweets. Hernandez, who tested positive two weeks ago, has returned to taking batting practice and hitting in the case. Manager Charlie Montoyo said he’s hopeful Hernandez will be back in Toronto’s lineup soon.

Latest On Mike Trout

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APRIL 23, 3:47pm: Trout was in the Angels’ initial lineup for Friday, but the team announced that it has scratched him. He’s day-to-day.

7:15am: Trout was diagnosed with a left elbow contusion, the team announced. After the game, Trout told reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of the Athletic) he hopes to be back in the lineup for Friday’s matchup with Houston.

APRIL 22: Angels center fielder Mike Trout exited their game against the Astros on Thursday in the fifth inning. Trout left shortly after the Astros’ Cristian Javier struck him in the left elbow with a 93 mph fastball in the fourth inning. The Angels replaced Trout with Scott Schebler.

There is no word on whether Trout departed because of an injury or if the Angels simply took him out as a precautionary measure. The Angels were trailing 7-0 when they lifted Trout, so the team may have just been playing it safe when it removed him. Considering Trout’s importance to the Angels and the baseball world as a whole, the hope is that he didn’t suffer a serious injury on the hit by pitch.

Even though Trout is only 29 years old, he has already cemented himself as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport. If healthy, the three-time American League Most Valuable Player looks as if he’ll find himself in the MVP race yet again this season. Seventy plate appearances into his year, Trout has batted an incredible .393/.514/.804 (258 wRC+) with six home runs and a major league-best 1.6 fWAR.

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