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Mets Designate Dennis Santana For Assignment, Place Stephen Nogosek On IL

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The Mets have made a series of roster moves today, announcing they’ve designated right-hander Dennis Santana for assignment, and placed Stephen Nogosek on the IL. Jose Butto and Jimmy Yacobonis are on the way up from Triple-A.

Santana had struggled to a 7.04 ERA 7 2/3 innings for the Mets this season, striking out an impressive 28.6% of batters but walking 14.3% after being claimed off waivers from the Twins in March. Once a top prospect in the Dodgers system, Santana has bounced around the league via the waiver wire since his debut 2018, suiting up for three teams (and being claimed by two more but never appearing for them) and compiling a 5.22 ERA through 146 2/3 innings. He’d lost a couple of mph on his fastball this season too, as he saw that sit around 94mph having touched 96-97 as recently as last season.

Nogosek goes on the IL after suffering a bone bruise on his right elbow. He exited the Mets’ game against Oakland on Friday after being hit by a comebacker. Nogosek had looked solid through 6 1/3 innings of relief for New York this year, striking out eight batters, walking three and giving up two earned runs. He’s operated as depth bullpen piece for the Mets since making his debut in 2019, pitching 38 innings over four seasons and working to a 4.26 ERA. He his walk and strikeout rates have been a tick better than the league average, but he’s also been a little prone to the long ball.

With two vacant spots on the active roster, the Mets first recalled Butto from Triple-A. His only taste of the big leagues was a spot start for the team last year in which he was tagged for seven earned runs on four innings of work. The 25-year-old has put up strong numbers at the highest level of the minors though, working to a 2.33 ERA over 46 1/3 innings at that level over the past two seasons.

Yacabonis has bounced around the league since making his debut for Orioles back in 2017. The 31-year-old has suited up for Baltimore, the Rays, Mariners and Marlins, working to a 6.03 ERA in 118 big league innings. He’s never had much success in the majors, but has put up nice numbers in Triple-A. At that level in 2022 he worked to a much more palatable 3.21 ERA for multiple teams.

Pirates Place Ji-Man Choi On IL, Recall Tucupita Marcano

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The Pirates announced they have placed first-baseman/designated hitter Ji-Man Choi on the 10-day injured list retroactive to yesterday with a strained left achilles. Infielder Tucupita Marcano has been recalled from Triple-A.

Choi, 31, was off to a slow start with the Pirates, hitting just .125/.125/.344 with a pair of home runs through his first 32 plate appearances of the year.  He was scratched from yesterday’s match with the Cardinals and evidently the Pirates have determined his injury bad enough that it’ll require a stint on the IL. It remains unclear how severe the strain is, and so it’s unknown if Choi is expected to return after the mandatory time away or the achilles might take a little longer to heal.

It’ll give the Pirates another chance to take a look at Marcano. The 23-year-old was acquired from the Padres in the Adam Frazier deal last year and hit .206/.256/.306 in 177 plate appearances for the Bucs last year. He’s fared much better in Triple-A, slashing a solid .291/.388/.443 last season and tearing the cover off the ball to start 2023, hitting .422/.458/.689 over 48 plate appearances. To date that level of hitting hasn’t translated to the big leagues, but it’s clear Marcano is deserving of another look in the big leagues.

Choi’s absence will mean Carlos Santana gets the bulk of the reps at first base, with the team likely to cycle players through the DH spot. Marcano bounced around the diamond last season, but spent most of his time at second and in left field.

Giants Place Joc Pederson On IL With Right Wrist Inflammation

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The Giants have placed outfielder Joc Pederson on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation. They’ve recalled Matt Beaty to take his place on the active roster.

Pederson was off to a solid start for the Giants this year, slashing .242/.350/.545 with a pair of home runs through his first 40 plate appearances of the season. Losing him is a sizeable blow to the middle of the Giants lineup which is already depleted, with Mitch Haniger, Austin Slater and Roberto Perez all out, while Michael Conforto is also currently out of the lineup with a calf problem.

Giants manager Gabe Kapler told reporters, including Evan Webeck of the Mercury News, that the hope is Pederson’s stay on the IL will be a short one. The Giants certainly need him back, going into Saturday’s games they sit 5-8 in the NL West and are a looking up at the Dodgers, Padres and Diamondbacks all above them.

In Pederson’s place the team will turn to Beaty, an infielder/outfielder who signed with the team on a minor league deal this winter. Beaty has appeared for three teams in his career, both in the NL West, as he suited up for the Dodgers and then Padres. He holds a solid enough career .250/.321/.405 line in the big leagues, but struggled to a .093/.170/.163 line over 47 plate appearances for the Padres last season.

Pitching Notes: Woodruff, Verlander, Wainwright

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Brewers starter Brandon Woodruff had an MRI on his right shoulder and remains shut down until doctors map out a path forward, manager Craig Counsell relayed to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The team has already placed Woodruff on the IL.

There was initial hope that it’d just be a short stint on the IL, and that hasn’t been ruled out yet, but obviously the uncertainty over how best to proceed is a little concerning. Woodruff made another strong start to the season, giving up just one earned run across two starts and 11 1/3 innings. An injury for any length of time would be a significant blow to the Brewers, who have made a strong start to the season.

Woodruff has blossomed into one of the game’s better starting pitchers in recent years, compiling a 2.97 ERA across 94 starts since the 2019 season. While he did miss some time for a high ankle sprain last year, he’s never missed time in the big leagues with an arm-related injury.

Here’s a few more notes:

  • Sonja Chen of MLB.com relays an update from Mets manager Buck Showalter on injured starter Justin Verlander. The veteran is scheduled for a bullpen in Florida, and then if that goes well he’ll throw another side before facing live batters. Once he’s ticked off those, he could be ready for a Mets debut. Verlander hit the shelf after suffering a low-grade strain of the teres major muscle towards the end of spring training. While there’s no firm timetable for his return just yet, it does appear that Mets fans won’t have to wait too much longer to see their star off-season recruit make his debut. The 40-year old Verlander signed with the Mets on a two-year, $86.67MM deal this winter after making 28 starts of 1.75 ERA ball for the Astros last year.
  • John Denton of MLB.com tweets that Cardinals veteran Adam Wainwright threw a 50-pitch simulated game prior to last night’s game against the Pirates at Busch Stadium. Wainwright is working his way back from a groin injury suffered in spring training. It’s not entirely clear what the next step for Wainwright is, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go and make a rehab start at some point. The 41-year old has remained a steady presence in the Cardinals’ rotation, making 32 starts in each of the past two seasons and working to a combined 3.37 ERA. Jake Woodward made a strong start against the Pirates last night, but he would appear the likeliest to drop out of the rotation once Wainwright returns.

Red Sox Notes: Duvall, Bello, Paxton

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Adam Duvall’s hot start to the season was cruelly halted when he sustained a distal radius fracture in his left wrist. There was relief initially that Duvall wouldn’t require surgery, but it still appears it’ll be a lengthy recovery time, with Duvall telling Alex Speier of the Boston Globe that he won’t be able to swing the bat for six weeks.

“[It’s] maybe six weeks before I can swing again. I’m going to keep running and keep throwing to stay in shape,” Duvall said.

It’s still hard to pinpoint exactly when Duvall might be ready to return to action, but certainly six weeks plus time to build back up again would suggest a return well into the summer. Duvall, a lifetime .233/.292/.472 hitter, went 15-for-33 over his first eight games of the season, slugging four home runs while manning center field for the Red Sox.

It’s a much shorter timeline for starter Brayan Bello to return to the team. The youngster is slated to return on Monday against Shohei Ohtani and the Angels on Boston Marathon day, per Speier. Bello was slowed this spring discomfort in his elbow. Such discomfort is usually hugely alarming in a young pitcher, but it seems it was in fact minor and Bello will only miss the first few weeks of the season.

Bello worked to a 4.71 ERA over 57 1/3 innings last year with a 20.5% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. Bello was tagged for a .404 opponent BABIP, which suggests he might expect to be a little more fortunate in that department over a larger sample size, and indeed his FIP sat at 2.94.

It’ll be intriguing to see how Boston’s rotation shapes up over the next few weeks. Bello’s return will likely be followed by veteran James Paxton, who made another minor league rehab start as he works his way back from a hamstring injury. According to Speier, manager Alex Cora expects Paxton to make at least one more rehab start, but it seemingly won’t be long before he too can be activated from the IL.

Since 2020, Paxton has made just six starts for the Yankees and Mariners, getting tagged for a 6.65 ERA in that small number as he battled injury. He signed with the Red Sox last season, but Tommy John recovery and a lat strain prevented him from ever taking to the mound. He exercised a $4MM player option ahead of the 2023 campaign, but the hamstring injury sustained in spring training delayed his debut.

When he does return the Red Sox will have some decisions to make in their rotation. Chris Sale and Corey Kluber likely aren’t going anywhere, which would leave Tanner Houck, Nick Pivetta and Garrett Whitlock as the options to be forced out. The Sox seemed determined to give Whitlock a shot at becoming a starter, but if he struggles he might be an easy option to return to a relief role where he found tremendous success. Of course, given the injury history of a number of Boston’s starters, it’s possible all of this just figures itself out or they opt to go with a larger rotation to reduce the workload on their arms.

MLB Trade Rumors Podcast: Rays, Angels, Prospect Promotions

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The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast has relaunched!  Simon Hampton is now your host, and we’re very excited to bring the new show to you every week.

Episode 2 is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well; use this link to find the show on Spotify and this one for Apple.  You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Simon Hampton is joined by Steve Adams to discuss a wide range of topics around the baseball world:

  • A look at the Rays hot start to the season, and why they’re impressing (1:03)
  • As Grayson Rodriguez debuts for the Orioles, Taj Bradley is called up to the Rays, and a raft of other highly touted young players make their mark on the season, we take a look at whether the new top prospect service time rules are working (7:47)
  • The Angels have made a solid start to the season, and with a deeper lineup and a promising rotation is this finally the year they get back to the playoffs? Or will their bullpen hold them back? (13:21)

Plus, we answer your questions, including:

  • Who will be a surprise seller at the deadline, and who’s a surprise player that could be made available? (18:33)
  • Is Gary Sanchez the answer to providing a bit more thump in the Giants’ lineup? (23:08)
  • How will Francisco Alvarez do with the Mets? Will he force his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis, or will the Mets wind up sending him back to Triple-A and bringing in an external catcher? (25:55)

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Submit Your Questions For The MLB Trade Rumors Podcast

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The MLB Trade Rumors podcast is back, and we’re looking for MLBTR readers to submit questions to be answered in the next episode due out Wednesday morning.

This week, I’ll be joined by MLBTR’s Steve Adams. If there’s anything you’d like to get myself and Steve’s thoughts on then please submit your questions to mlbtrpod@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you!

In the meantime, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

You can also listen to Episode 1 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you get your podcasts! On that episode, Anthony Franco and I discussed Shohei Ohtani’s future in LA, took a look at the Cardinals’ and Marlins’ rotation pictures and wondered what Jake Cronenworth’s extension in San Diego means for other Padres players.

Braves Place Travis D’Arnaud On Seven-Day Concussion IL

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TODAY: The Braves officially announced d’Arnaud’s IL placement.  Tromp was called up from Triple-A.

APRIL 8: Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud will go on the seven-day concussion IL, manager Brian Snitker told reporters including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. D’Arnaud was involved in a collision at home plate during the Braves match with the Padres tonight. He was removed from the game.

D’Arnaud has made a hot start to the season, slashing .355/.355/.452 with eleven hits over 31 plate appearances. Despite a putting up his best campaign to date last year and earning a trip to the All Star game, there was some speculation that the Braves may move on from D’Arnaud after they acquired Sean Murphy from Oakland. The team opted to hang on to d’Arnaud and his $8MM salary, instead preferring to slip catching duties between the pair and rotate them through the DH spot. So far, d’Arnaud has made three appearances at catcher and four at designated hitter.

Presumably Murphy will now handle an even greater majority of the catching duties while d’Arnaud is sidelined. The team hasn’t announced who it’ll likely turn to as a back up for Murphy, but they have Joe Hudson and Chadwick Tromp at Triple-A.

Zach Davies Leaves Diamondbacks Game With Strained Left Oblique

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Zach Davies left the Diamondbacks game against the Dodgers with a strained left oblique, the team announced. Davies pitched 4 1/3 innings (86 pitches), giving up four earned runs on five hits and four walks. While it’s too early to know the severity of the strain, obliques are always reason for concern and often require multiple weeks, and even months, on the sideline.

This was Davies’ second start of the year after re-signing on a one-year, $5MM deal with the Diamondbacks. In his first, he threw five innings of one run ball, giving up four hits and recording four strikeouts. Last year, Davies tossed 134 1/3 innings of 4.09 ERA ball over 27 starts for the Snakes.

The former Brewer, Padres and Cub has had a solid career in the bigs, providing useful back-of-the-rotation innings. All told, he owns a 4.12 ERA over 183 big league starts. His best year came in the shortened 2020 season with San Diego, when Davies worked to a 2.73 ERA across 12 starts.

This could open the door for the Diamondbacks to hand top pitching prospect Brandon Pfaadt a big league debut. Pfaadt is off to a rough start at Triple-A, giving up five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings in his only start, but he worked to a 2.63 ERA in ten starts there last year. The 24-year-old ranked fourth on Keith Law’s prospect rankings in The Athletic (38th in all of baseball), with Law describing him as “at least a mid-rotation starter”.

Tommy Henry is also at Triple-A and made nine starts for the Diamondbacks last season, and despite those starts going for a 5.36 ERA he could be an option if the team thinks Pfaadt needs more time to develop. They could also turn to former first round picks Blake Walston and Slade Cecconi as options to get their first taste of the big leagues.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

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