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Michael Pineda Receives 60-Game PED Suspension

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Minnesota Twins right-handed pitcher Michael Pineda has been suspended for 60 games for violating MLB’s drug policy, reports Jon Heyman of MLB Network. He’ll miss the remainder of the season and is not eligible for postseason play.

Per Do-Hyoung Park of MLB.com, the 30-year-old Pineda tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic on MLB’s list of banned substances. Though that diuretic itself is not a performance-enhancing drug, it is often used in conjunction with PEDs for a masking effect. ESPN’s Jeff Passan adds that Pineda was initially tagged with an 80-game ban—standard procedure for first-time offenders—but an appeal brought that number down to 60 after providing evidence that the substance in Pineda’s system was not used as a masking agent for PEDs.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in July 2017, Pineda caught on with the Twins on a two-year deal worth $10MM. Forced to sit out the entire 2018 season, Minnesota knew that it was only paying for one healthy season of Pineda, and his rebound has certainly been a respectable one. Though by no means a top-tier starter, he’s added depth to a Twins rotation that desperately needed it. He’s slotted in as the Twins third-best starter, posting a 4.01 ERA while racking up 146 innings for a playoff team. This year, he’s struck out 140 batters compared to just 28 walks, good for a clean 5.00 K:BB ratio.

His numbers have been even better over the last three-plus months, though, as it presumably took some time for the ex-Yankee to regain his feel for pitching after a lost season. Since the calendar turned to June, Pineda is sporting a sterling 3.10 ERA while striking out more than a batter per inning. During that stretch, he has indeed been the most reliable Minnesota starter.

However, that production will now be absent from any October games, with the suspension rendering Pineda ineligible for postseason play. That represents a considerable blow for the Twins, whose rotation has greatly benefited from the solid second-half presence of Pineda. Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi are an All-Star pairing, and Pineda would have given the Twins the makings of a respectable playoff rotation.

Instead, Kyle Gibson and Martin Perez will be relied upon to comprise half of that unit. Though Gibson and Perez have been valuable to the Twins in their own right, both have graded out a notch below Pineda, a disparity that could be magnified in a short series where pitching is often king. Gibson, currently on the injured list, is the more reliable of that duo: his 4.04 FIP compares favorably to Pineda’s and he owns a better track record of solid production. Perez, meanwhile, has made considerable adjustments to increase his staying power, though he still struggles with command and inconsistency. He is sporting just a 1.98 K:BB ratio to go with a 4.75 ERA.

Pineda issued a statement regarding his suspension through the MLB Players Association.

Giants Claim Wandy Peralta

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The Giants have claimed left-handed pitcher Wandy Peralta off waivers from the Reds, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic. He’ll report to his new club on Monday, tweets Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic, adding that the Giants have placed infielder Zach Green on the 60-day injured list thanks to a hip impingement.

Peralta has thrown 34 innings for the Reds this year, striking out 27 batters and walking 15 en route to a 6.09 ERA. He hasn’t been able to duplicate the success he generated in 2017, but he’ll have a chance for a change of scenery as he joins the stable of Giants relievers for a September tryout.

Phillies Announce Roster Moves

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5:26PM: In other roster moves, the Phillies activated Jay Bruce from the 10-day injured list and called up left-hander Cole Irvin from Triple-A.  The club also selected the contracts of infielder Phil Gosselin, righty Nick Vincent, and catcher Deivy Grullon from Triple-A.  This will mark the 23-year-old Grullon’s first taste of MLB action, after a seven-year stint in Philadelphia’s minor league system that includes an impressive .283/.354/.496 slash line over 457 Triple-A plate appearances this season.

3:38PM: The Phillies have designated right-handed pitcher Drew Anderson for assignment, according to an official team announcement. He’ll be dropped from the team’s 40-man roster, along with Adam Morgan and Jerad Eickhoff, who were transferred to the 60-day injured list.

The 25-year-old Anderson has only managed to get into two games for the Phillies this year, tossing six innings in his third big-league season. It hasn’t been a promising showing for Anderson, who surrendered five runs in those six innings, walking as many batters as he struck out. Unfortunately, those numbers represented a continuation of his struggles in his first two trials in Philadelphia. For his career, Anderson is sporting an unsightly 7.71 ERA over 21 innings of work.

What’s more, the minor-league numbers for Anderson haven’t been much more encouraging. While he’s excelled at Double-A, it seems that Triple-A has represented a significant barrier; across three seasons at the level, Anderson owns a 4.34 ERA while striking out only 7.4 batters per nine innings. If he clears waivers, he could accept an outright assignment and remain within the Philly organization — if he isn’t released. Otherwise, another team could take a chance on him and hope to turn him into a viable reliever.

Dodgers’ Scott Alexander, Tyler White Won’t Return This Year

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A pair of injured Dodgers have been ruled out to return this season, manager Dave Roberts told reporters including Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times, who reports that neither Tyler White nor Scott Alexander will suit up for the Dodgers in September.

White landed on the injured list more than two weeks ago owing to a right trapezius strain. The 28-year-old joined the Dodgers in a late-July trade when the Astros could no longer justify holding onto him and his .612 OPS. Unfortunately, his performance was even worse in the brief showing he got as a Dodger. By Fangraphs’ WAR, White has been one of the least valuable hitters in baseball this year, though he won’t have a chance to reverse his fortune over the last month of the season.

Alexander, meanwhile, has tallied only 17 1/3 innings pitched this year thanks to injuries and his deployment largely as a lefty-specialist. He excelled in that role last season—his first with the Dodgers—though his performance has taken a hit in 2019. He’s managed to strike out just 4.9 batters per nine innings, which is made that much worse when compared to the 3.6 walks he concedes per nine innings. He has been on the injured list since mid-June while dealing with forearm inflammation. He’s already spent 60 days on the shelf, so he is eligible to be activated, though evidently he isn’t ready to return to game action.

Neither White nor Alexander seemed likely to crack the Dodgers postseason roster, and either could be a candidate to be designated for assignment. Alexander will be eligible for arbitration for the first time this offseason, while White remains in his pre-arb years. Even with years of team control, neither has made an especially strong case to remain on the team beyond this season, though it wouldn’t be costly to keep the duo around in hopes that they can return to form. Alexander, in particular, has a strong track record as a groundball-inducing lefty, though the Dodgers’ need in that department has been filled by Adam Kolarek.

Mets Activate Brandon Nimmo, Designate Donnie Hart

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The Mets have returned one of last year’s top contributors ahead of Sunday’s game, activating outfielder Brandon Nimmo from the injured list, according to Tim Britton of The Athletic. He’ll be joined by a number of other roster additions, which necessitate the removal of Donnie Hart, who has been designated for assignment and is no longer on the 40-man roster.

One of last year’s top performers, Nimmo entered the year looking like an integral piece of the Mets’ future. Thus far, things haven’t gone according to plan in 2019 for the 26-year-old. Though he’s been troubled by the effects of a bulging cervical disk, Nimmo failed to duplicate last year’s breakout performance in his first 161 plate appearances. He landed on the injured list in late May after slashing an underwhelming .200/.344/.323 through 43 games.

Without last year’s breakout star, there’s been a revolving door in center field for the Mets. Holdover Juan Lagares has received the lion’s share of the playing time, though his untenable .560 season OPS has forced the front office to look elsewhere for options. Keon Broxton, Carlos Gomez, and Rajai Davis have all gotten looks in center, though none has offered a significant upgrade over Lagares. With Nimmo back in the mix, the team should gain some much-needed stability at the position, including a considerable boost in offensive production, assuming Nimmo can regain the form that made him a 2018 fan favorite.

Hart, meanwhile, only managed to contribute one inning of work to the Mets, his second team this year. Since breaking in with the Orioles in 2016, Hart has tossed 89 Major League innings and has posted a 3.13 ERA. A combination of low strikeout numbers and subpar control doesn’t make Hart a sexy reliever, but he’s a southpaw who owns a career 54.1% groundball rate, meaning that there may be a spot for him on some team’s 40-man roster.

Rays, Blue Jays Complete Eric Sogard Trade

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The Rays and Blue Jays have completed the July 28 trade that sent infielder Eric Sogard to Tampa Bay. Juan Toribio of MLB.com reports that the two players to be named later are minor-league pitchers Curtis Taylor and Edisson Gonzalez, who will both join the Toronto organization and finalize the deal.

Taylor, 24, is a former fourth-round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2016 draft. He was sent to the Rays in the trade that brought Brad Boxberger to Arizona. In 15 games with the Rays’ Double-A affiliate, he has posted a 3.06 ERA over 17 2/3 innings of work. Across two seasons at Double-A, he has struck out 90 batters in 78 1/3 innings, good for a 2.53 ERA. However, Taylor has not pitched since May after he was shut down with elbow pain. As Scott Mitchell of TSN notes, there’s a possibility that Taylor could undergo Tommy John surgery if he suffers a setback, though there is no indication that’s the case. Otherwise, the right-hander should be available to pitch for the Blue Jays in the spring.

Notably, Taylor is eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 draft this winter, meaning that he will need to be added to Toronto’s 40-man roster if he is to remain in the organization. It’s likely part of the motivation for the Rays, who have considerable depth and little room to add to the roster, parting ways with Taylor.

Gonzalez, meanwhile, was signed as an international amateur from Panama in 2016. Now 19 years old, Gonzalez has spent his first three professional seasons between rookie ball and Low-A ball toggling between starting and relieving. In 158 2/3 innings as a professional, he’s struck out 187 batters to go with a posted a 2.72 ERA.

Giants Activate Pablo Sandoval From 10-Day IL

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The Giants have activated third baseman Pablo Sandoval from the 10-day injured list, according to Kerry Crowley of the Bay Area News Group. While the fan favorite will still undergo Tommy John surgery per doctors’ recommendation, activating Sandoval should offer him a final chance to end his Giants tenure (and his time under manager Bruce Bochy) by his own accord, likely receiving a final at-bat as a left-handed pinch-hitter.

While the move is essentially symbolic, it’s nonetheless surprising given that many had written off a potential swan song for the long-time Giants third baseman. Don’t expect Sandoval to contribute in a meaningful way, though Giants fans certainly won’t be opposed to giving him a proper send-off.

Sandoval ingratiated himself to the San Francisco faithful during the organization’s dynamic run of success from 2008-2014, a luxury that he didn’t share during his time in Boston, after a big-money contract backfired on the team. That culminated in his release in 2017, at which point he rejoined the club with which he signed as an amateur more than a decade ago. While there was no doubt that Sandoval was not the same in his second Giants tenure, he’s reversed his fortunes this year to regain the admiration of Giants fans. On a minimum salary for San Francisco, he’s posted a .823 OPS, his highest mark since 2012.

If the Kung Fu Panda does make his way into a September game at Oracle Park, it may be the last time he does so in his career. The 33-year-old is slated to reach free agency following the season, though the veteran may be resistant to a departure from San Francisco after his last attempt. Given that loyalty to the Giants and the immense pain that Sandoval has described, it would seem that retirement is not out of the question for Sandoval, though there has been no indication that he’s leaning that way.

Dilson Herrera Opts Out Of Mets Contract

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Infielder Dilson Herrera has exercised a release clause in his minor-league deal with the Mets and will now enter free agency, reports MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

If you’re feeling a bit of déjà vu, that’s because Herrera has already opted for free agency once this year. The last time he tested the free agent waters, he wound up rejoining the Mets on a minor-league pact when no other favorable opportunities emerged.

The 25-year-old Herrera, who hasn’t appeared in the Majors this season, will seek out an agreement with a club that may offer a better chance at returning to the big leagues. It’s certainly fair for Herrera to want to reevaluate his worth after a 2019 season in which he has put up career-best power numbers, having slugged 24 home runs in 460 Triple-A plate appearances. An interested team may be willing to use one of its expanded roster spots on a player like Herrera, who seems to have reimagined himself after a lackluster opening to his Major League career.

Red Sox Announce Series Of 40-Man Moves

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According to an official team release, the Red Sox are tinkering with the 40-man roster to make room for a number of September call-ups. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com has the rundown on all the moves, which include the activation of left-hander David Price from the injured list. Newly-signed righty Jhoulys Chacin, catcher Juan Centeno, and outfielder Gorkys Hernandez have all been added to the 40-man roster. To make space for the above trio, injured pitchers Chris Sale and Steven Wright have been transferred to the 60-day injured list, while first baseman Joey Curletta was outrighted to Double-A.

Price last pitched for Boston in early August before a wrist issue forced him to the injured list—his second stint this season. As for much of his Red Sox tenure, it’s been a rocky year for Price, whose hefty contract looms in the face of good—not great—numbers.

Chacin, who yesterday inked a minor-league deal with Boston, will have a crack at the rotation as he seeks to redeem himself from a disappointing season in Milwaukee, which released him just a year removed from a stellar year. With the injury to Sale and many other options underperforming on the mound, Chacin represents a low-risk signee for a September audition.

Curletta has yet to make his big-league debut, and that milestone will have to wait a bit longer for the 25-year-old, a 2012 draftee of the Dodgers. He’ll remain with Double-A Portland though no longer on the Boston 40-man roster. He’s spent this season between the two levels of the upper minors, posting a combined .678 OPS with 14 home runs.

Centeno, 29, and Hernandez, 31, will each make their Red Sox debuts. Neither has appeared in the Major Leagues this season after inking minor-league contracts last winter. Centeno, who will offer depth beyond Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon, is the owner of a career .227/.278/.331 batting line, playing parts of six Major League seasons with the Mets, Brewers, Twins, Astros, and Rangers. Hernandez made a name for himself with the Giants, where he played the previous three seasons. In 2018, he enjoyed a career year as he was given regular playing time, posting a .676 OPS to go with 15 home runs.

Athletics Select Sean Murphy

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Sunday: The A’s have confirmed Murphy’s promotion.

Saturday: With the end of August ushering in the expansion of MLB rosters, the Athletics are set to promote catcher Sean Murphy to make his Major League debut when the calendar turns to September, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com.

Murphy, 24, is regarded as the Athletics’ best position-player prospect and is ranked by MLB Pipeline as the No. 44 overall prospect in baseball. A 2016 third-round draft selection, Murphy has caught scouts’ attention with his refined defensive game behind the plate, drawing rave reviews for his arm strength to go along with developing game-calling, blocking, and receiving. His defensive-minded profile means that he has all the makings of a solid MLB regular, even if he never actualizes his full offensive potential.

That’s not to say that there isn’t some offensive talent here, though. Spending the 2019 season at Triple-A, Murphy has enjoyed the best offensive season of his career. With a .293/.384/.580 batting line, Murphy has posted a 135 wRC+ this season—meaning that he grades out 35% better than average—an impressive mark even when considering the boosted offensive environment in Triple-A. Eric Longenhagen and Kiley McDaniel of Fangraphs project Murphy to be “a high-contact bat with doubles power” as a Major Leaguer, no doubt an acceptable profile by catcher standards.

In Oakland, Murphy will join the current combination of Josh Phegley and Chris Herrmann behind the plate, the only other catchers on the 40-man roster. On the whole, that duo has provided lackluster offensive production from the catcher position, so Murphy could step into semi-regular playing time in his first taste of the big leagues. With the A’s promoting another highly-regarded prospect, Murphy could represent a sort of late-season reinforcement for a team in position to return to the postseason. Having recently promoted top prospect A.J. Puk and in position to welcome back Sean Manaea, Oakland looks to have strengthened its roster for the season’s final month without having to make any transactions.

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