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AL Central Notes: Guardians, Plesac, Quantrill, Tully, White Sox, Anderson

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White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson has been served a one-game suspension for making an obscene gesture towards the fans at Progressive Field, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Anderson apologized for the gesture. He’s appealing as well, so the suspension will not occur right away. Let’s stay in Cleveland for a few other updates…

  • The Athletic’s Zack Meisel thinks the Guardians are probably done handing out extensions for now. Shane Bieber is the big name remaining without an extension, with Franmil Reyes often mentioned as another player on that hypothetical list, despite his slow start to the season. Both Bieber and Reyes are set to enter free agency following the 2024 season.
  • On another payroll note, starter Zach Plesac is making $2MM this season, despite still being a year shy of arbitration. The contract is the result of a league and union decision stemming from the Guardians’ treatment of Plesac after he violated the team’s COVID protocols in 2020. The Guardians can certainly afford the small bump in payroll, as they’re still well under $80MM in terms of total contributions for the season.
  • Cal Quantrill has been cleared to return from the COVID-19 list and he will start today’s ballgame, per Joe Trezza of MLB.com (via Twitter). Tanner Tully will head back to Triple-A to make room on the active roster, notes Meisel (via Twitter). Tully tossed two innings in last night’s loss, serving up one earned run on two hits and a walk.

Hinch: No Structural Damage In Matt Manning’s Shoulder

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April 19: Manager AJ Hinch said in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM this morning that Manning’s initial diagnosis is “as positive as it could be” (Twitter link via Jason Beck of MLB.com). Imaging revealed that Manning is dealing with inflammation and some tendinitis, but the shoulder appears to be structurally sound. The Tigers have not determined whether Manning will make his next start but surely breathed a sigh relief nevertheless upon learning that there’s no major damage.

April 16: The Tigers have dealt with more than their share of injuries in this young season, and they may have suffered another today. Matt Manning was pulled early from his start with right shoulder discomfort, the team announced. This comes just a day after fellow young starter Casey Mize was placed on the injured list with a sprained MCL.

Beyond their young starters, the Tigers already began the season without Riley Greene, one of the top prospects in the game. Only recently, offseason acquisition Javier Baez was also placed on the injured list.

Manning and Mize together represent one of the primary reasons the Tigers are viewed by many as a team to watch this season. Losing both this early in the season would be a gut punch. Not to mention, they are already without Spencer Turnbull, whose career was on the upswing before Tommy John surgery knocked him out of commission.

As for Manning himself, the 24-year-old former ninth overall pick made 18 starts last season, putting down a a 5.80 ERA/4.62 FIP over 85 1/3 innings. Today was just his second start of the young season, having tossed six innings of one-run baseball in his season debut against the Red Sox.

For today at least, Drew Hutchison stepped in for Manning, tossing three scoreless innings of one-hit relief. Hutchison could be a candidate to stay in the rotation, should Manning require a stint on the injured list. Michael Pineda is already expected to join the rotation in Mize’s place. The 31-year-old Hutchison is in his second season with the Tigers. He notched a 2.11 ERA over 21 1/3 innings last season in what was his first big league action since 2018.

AL Notes: Red Sox, Houck, Angels, Rendon, White Sox, Kelly

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Tanner Houck indicated that he is not vaccinated against COVID-19, and therefore, he will be unable to travel to Toronto to make his scheduled start later this month, per Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe. Players do not have to be vaccinated, but any traveler heading into Canada does. Houck is scheduled to pitch against the Blue Jays in Boston on Thursday, putting him in line to start in Toronto the following Tuesday (April 26). The Red Sox will have to shift their rotation around, potentially pushing Houck’s next start to the following series in Baltimore. This shouldn’t be a big issue for Boston, as the club won’t play in Toronto again until a 3-game set at the end of June. They also play in Toronto for three of the season’s final six games. So at the end of the year this could be something that Boston has to think about, but that’s a problem for another day.

  • Anthony Rendon took his day of rest today, sitting out the Sunday game for the second consecutive week. This could be a pattern for Rendon, at least early in the season, per The Athletic’s Sam Blum (via Twitter). Manager Joe Maddon is cognizant of the fact that, despite it being a new season, Rendon is still coming off surgery. Given the money that Rendon is owed over the next five seasons, it certainly makes sense to value Rendon’s long-term health. The All-Star third baseman turns 32 in June.
  • Joe Kelly is probably looking at an early May return to the active roster, if all goes well. He threw bullpen sessions today and looked good, but the club is still likely targeting late April for a rehab assignment to Charlotte, per The Athletic’s James Fegan (via Twitter). Kelly has yet to make his Southside debut, having begun the season on the injured list.

Phillies Notes: Herrera, Girardi, Schwarber

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Odubel Herrera is on his way to a rehab assignment with Lehigh Valley, which could mean a return to the active roster by next Friday when the club returns home, per Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer (via Twitter). Without Herrera, 25-year-old Matt Vierling has been starting most games in center, but he’s struggled to the tune of a 14 wRC+ (though the sample size is a mere 24 plate appearances).

23-year-old Simon Muzziotti was called up, but Muzziotti has yet to garner regular playing time. Herrera figures to step in as the regular starter when he returns, while Vierling will shift mostly to a short-side platoon. It would not be surprising to see Muzziotti optioned back to Triple-A at that time so that he can get more regular playing time.  The Phils have largely been functioning with a four-man bench.

On the whole, the Phillies haven’t gotten off to the kind of start that they expected after a winter that included a couple big-name additions. It’s incredibly early, of course, but today’s loss dropped Philly to 4-6 in their first ten. After noticing some trends he doesn’t like, manager Joe Girardi has started tinkering with his lineups to find better balance, writes The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. Namely, Kyle Schwarber has been bumped from the leadoff spot down to fifth. J.T. Realmuto will move from the two hole down to one. Girardi didn’t like how easy it was for teams to bring in a southpaw to face both Schwarber and Bryce Harper with only Realmuto in between, so Girardi will now use both Nick Castellanos and Rhys Hoskins to separate his lefties.

Buck Martinez Stepping Away From Broadcast Booth

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Blue Jays broadcaster Buck Martinez is unfortunately stepping away from the booth after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Martinez announced the decision himself with a press release, presented here by Sportsnet. The Blue Jays responded with a show of support. Martinez will undergo treatment, after which he hopes to be able to return to the booth.

Martinez has long been an ambassador for the Blue Jays, going all the way back to his playing days. Martinez spent the final six seasons of his 17-year playing career with Toronto. He would even go on to manage the club from 2000-01. He’s now been part of the Toronto organization for four decades.

But the 73-year-old has become closely aligned with the Blue Jays from his work in the booth. While he has some experience as a national broadcaster, he is now in his 12th year with Sportsnet announcing Blue Jays’ games, notes MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. Blue Jays games certainly won’t be the same without Buck’s familiar commentary over the next couple of months. We here at MLBTR wish Martinez a speedy recovery as he, in his words, fights the good fight.

Rays Option Tommy Romero

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The Rays sent righty Tommy Romero to Triple-A after today’s game, opening a roster spot for the recently-acquired Javy Guerra to be added to the active roster tomorrow, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). The Rays have also announced the roster moves.

Romero tossed two innings to close out today’s 9-3 win over the White Sox. He allowed on earned run on a solo home run to Gavin Sheets while striking out three. It was his second appearance since joining the active roster last week. In his Major League debut, Romero got the start against the A’s, but managed to record just five outs (one strikeout) while walking five, serving up two hits, and three earned runs. Romero has risen the ranks of the Rays system somewhat surprisingly, and he will no doubt find his way back to the bigs this season as a multi-inning swingman.

Guerra was acquired from the Padres for cash considerations yesterday. The hard-throwing righty was a fairly well-regarded prospect before seeing his career consistently derailed by injures. He even briefly held the top spot in the Padres system back in 2016 per Baseball America, but that was back when he was a shortstop. He was converted to a pitcher during Spring Training in 2019. As a recent convert who can light up the radar gun, the 26-year-old is a perfect project for Tampa’s brain trust.

It will certainly be interesting to track Guerra’s progress in Tampa. Since he’s out of options, he cannot be sent back to Triple-A without being exposed to waives – which is precisely how they’ve acquired him in the first place. The Rays, as we know, love to shuttle pitchers back-and-forth between the bigs and Triple-A. He joins Chris Mazza, Matt Wisler, and Brooks Raley as members of the bullpen who cannot be optioned without being exposed to waivers.

Ronald Acuna Jr. To Begin Rehab Assignment On Tuesday

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Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett on Tuesday, weather permitting, per the Athletic’s David O’Brien (via Twitter).

That’s obviously great news for the Braves, who have been without their star outfielder since July 10th of last season. Acuna Jr. played in 82 games in 2021, almost exactly half the season, slashing .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs and 17 stolen bases across 360 plate appearances. When healthy, there’s little doubt that he is one of the most electrifying talents in the game.

A healthy Acuna Jr. could potentially take over in center, though the Braves preferred to use him in right field in 2021. Adam Duvall has been Atlanta’s primary centerfielder this season, and he’s held his own defensively. Eddie Rosario and Marcell Ozuna have primarily been in the corners with Alex Dickerson, another corner outfielder, getting at-bats as the designated hitter. Someone from that group is going to lose at-bats when Acuna returns, with Dickerson the likeliest to find himself on the bench.

Mike Trout Leaves Game After Hit-By-Pitch

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4:48 PM: The Angels are breathing a sigh of relief as X-rays on Trout’s hand have come back negative, per the team. He is being considered day-to-day for now.

3:15 PM: Mike Trout was removed from the Angels game today after being hit on the left hand by an 81 mph slider, per Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com (via Twitter). Jeff Fletcher of the SoCal News Group provides video of the hit-by-pitch here.

It’s too early to speculate about the severity of the injury, but it does not bode well that Trout had to come out of the game. Needless to say, it would be a devastating blow for the Angels to lose Trout for any significant amount of time this early in the season.

Trout, long considered the best player in baseball, missed most of last season with a calf strain that seemed to worsen the longer he was out. He ultimately played just 36 games, slashing .333/.466/.624 over 146 plate appearances, good for a robust 190 wRC+.

There’s fear enough that Trout might be slowing down now that he’s entered his thirties, and another extended absence would only exacerbate the concern. When healthy, the bottom-line numbers certainly haven’t suffered.  The Angels, for their part, would have a difficult time making up for the loss of Trout, even with Brandon Marsh on the roster and capable of stepping in defensively. Offensively, there’s simply no replacing a talent like Trout. Hopefully, the injury turns out to be minor.

Twins Notes: Gray, Rodriguez, Buxton

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Sonny Gray left today’s start because of right hamstring tightness after facing just seven batters, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne (via Twitter). Gray is day-to-day, and they won’t move him to the injured list as of right now, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). They should have a better idea tomorrow if they’re going to need to skip him in the rotation. Josh Winder pitched well in relief, and he could be an option for a spot start or two if Gray can’t go. With a six-man rotation, however, the Twins could also make do simply by skipping Gray’s spot. He’s not scheduled for another start until next Friday against the White Sox. In other Twins news…

  • Right-hander Dereck Rodriguez has cleared waivers and been assigned to Triple-A St. Paul, per MLB.com’s Do-Hyoung Park (via Twitter). Rodriguez made one appearance, giving up three earned runs over four innings before being designated for assignment. He spent last season in Triple-A with the Rockies, but did not make it to the Show. He posted a 6.72 ERA over 85 2/3 innings for Albuquerque.
  • Byron Buxton’s MRI came back clean, and like Gray, the Twins are leaning towards leaving him on the active roster as he heals, per The Athletic’s Dan Hayes. Buxton had his knee drained of fluid from inflammation, but with no structural damage, the hope is that Buxton can be back on the diamond in a couple of days. Buxton’s health is obviously a significant variable for the Twins this season, and they’ll want to be prudent before sending him back onto the grass.

Quick Hits: Pitch Clocks, Mariners, Brash, Cubs, Baez

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After one day of enforcing new pitch clock rules in the minor leagues, supporters of faster action and shorter games will be encouraged. Per J.J. Cooper of Baseball America, yesterday’s games were more than 25 minutes shorter on average. The pitch clock is set to 14 seconds with the bases empty and 18 seconds with men on base, but equally important is the fact that batters are expected to remain in the box. The experiment will last all season long, and enforcement is expected to be stricter this year than with smaller-scale experiments of past seasons. If yesterday’s sample is any indication, these changes could very well be on their way to the Majors. With all this extra time, let’s check in elsewhere around the game…

  • When the Mariners traded for right-hander Matt Brash at the 2020 trade deadline, their interest was based on a 71-pitch sample from the 5 1/3 innings in High-A that, at that point, made up the entirety of Brash’s professional career. Because of the pandemic, he wasn’t pitching in the minor leagues where the Mariners (or Padres, for that matter) could gather more data. He was at home in Canada lifting weights, per The Athletic’s Corey Brock, who charts the path Brash took from Niagara University to the big leagues. Brash was a surprise addition to the Major League roster this season, making his theoretical breakout an inflection point that could impact the American League West. It’s too early to tell, but Brash is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
  • Javier Baez and the Cubs were on the verge of an extension when the pandemic hit in 2020, per Gordon Wittenmyer of NBC Sports Chicago. Timing is everything, however. It was timing that allowed those young Cubs stars to converge for a 2016 title, and it was the timing of their free agencies that ultimately pushed Cubs leadership to ship them out.

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