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NL Notes: Alvarez, Chisholm, Sánchez

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Mets catching prospect Francisco Álvarez is joining the club in case fellow backstop Omar Narváez has to go on the injured list, per a report from Mike Puma and Ted Holmlund of The New York Post. The latter was removed from yesterday’s game with calf tightness and replaced by Tomás Nido. The Mets will have an extra day to let Narváez rest and assess the situation since their home opener was postponed until tomorrow due to inclement weather, though Andy Martino of SNY adds that the club is not optimistic about Narváez avoiding the IL.

Álvarez, 21, is one of the top prospects in the sport and is generally considered to be ready for the majors when it comes to his offense. He hit 27 home runs in the minors last year and also walked in 14.1% of his plate appearances, leading to a .260/.374/.511 and 136 wRC+. He also got promoted to the big leagues late in the year, getting into five regular season games and one postseason contest. He’s currently ranked among the top 10 prospects in the league by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, and just outside the top 10 at FanGraphs.

However, he’s still quite young and his glove is considered to be a bit behind his bat. He also struggled a bit in spring on the heels of October ankle surgery. All those factors led the club to option him to Triple-A to start the season, relying on the more established players in Narváez and Nido. If the tightness in Narváez’s calf doesn’t clear up and he needs a spell on the injured list, Álvarez might get another crack at the big leagues sooner than expected.

Some more notes from the National League…

  • The Marlins got a bit of a scare yesterday when outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. departed their game against the Twins with an apparent injury. While sliding into second base on an attempted steal, his shoulder collided with the leg of Kyle Farmer. Chisholm was in obvious pain and left the contest after a visit from the trainer. The club later announced Chisholm’s injury as a stinger and listed him as day-to-day, per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald. A “stinger” is a burning or stinging sensation of the nerves in the neck and shoulder area. Though the initial situation may have caused some hearts to skip a few beats, it seems he’s avoided a significant injury, which is great news for the club. Chisholm had a huge breakout last year, hitting .254/.325/.535 for a wRC+ of 139, though he was limited to 60 games by a stress fracture in his back. He’s now attempting to make the challenging transition from second base to center field this year, an experiment that might be put on hold for a few days. Bryan De La Cruz replaced Chisholm in center yesterday and could get more time there, though Jesús Sánchez and Garrett Hampson could also be options.
  • The Giants recently brought Gary Sánchez aboard on a minor league deal to bolster their catching depth and president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi spoke to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle about the move this week. “We’re excited to see how he does,” Zaidi said. “At his best, he’s been one of the handful of best offensive catchers in baseball. If he can show signs of that kind of feeling, I think he can really be an impactful addition.” Sánchez hit .284/.354/.568 in 2016 and 2017 for a wRC+ of 143 but has fallen off from those heights in subsequent years. Since the signing, Joey Bart went on the injured list due to back tightness but isn’t expected to be gone long. In the meantime, Roberto Pérez and Blake Sabol are handling the catching duties, though Sabol is also playing some outfield and Zaidi admits that Pérez is “not an everyday player at this stage of his career, and we have to make sure that whoever we have complementing him can carry a pretty big workload as well.” The club will have to make a decision on Sánchez fairly soon, as he has a May 1 opt-out on his contract, which would come with a $4MM salary if added to the big league club. “We have a few weeks before we have to make a decision. It’s all about: Does he have the chance to bring it all together?” Zaidi said. “And if he does, it’d be pretty good.”

Latest On Justin Verlander

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The Mets provided an update on Justin Verlander this afternoon. Their newly signed ace has been on the 15-day injured list after being diagnosed with a low-grade strain of the teres major muscle in his shoulder at the end of Spring Training.

New York sent Verlander for an MRI this morning, raising some amount of concern amongst the fanbase. Fortunately, imaging revealed diminished inflammation, according to the club. He remains without a firm timetable for a return to MLB action but is going to continue a throwing program.

It’s a solid update, all things considered. While there’s still some issue with Verlander’s shoulder and no specific return date, that imaging didn’t turn up any serious structural issues is a positive. The Mets are already going to be without José Quintana for a few months. That pushed David Peterson into the starting staff and Verlander’s injury led to Tylor Megill claiming a back-end job. Joey Lucchesi and José Butto are at Triple-A Syracuse as the presumed next options if any of the current five suffer an injury.

In other New York news, catcher Omar Narváez left this afternoon’s loss to Milwaukee in the ninth inning. After the game, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Tim Britton of the Athletic) Narváez had some discomfort in his left calf. He’s day-to-day for now and will presumably be further evaluated over the next few days.

Tomás Nido is the other backstop on the active roster. Top prospect Francisco Álvarez opened the year on optional assignment to Syracuse, with the Mets preferring to get him consistent reps in the minors as opposed to more sporadic MLB playing time. If Narváez requires an IL stint, Álvarez would be the most straightforward option to replace him on the active roster. The Mets don’t have any other catchers on the 40-man roster; veteran Michael Pérez is a non-roster option in Syracuse.

Mets Place Tommy Hunter On IL, Select Denyi Reyes

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The Mets have announced that right-hander Tommy Hunter has been placed on the 15-day injured list with back spasms. To replace Hunter on the active roster, the club has selected the contract of right-hander Denyi Reyes. To make room for Reyes on the 40-man roster, right-hander Bryce Montes de Oca has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Montes de Oca’s transfer to the 60-day IL comes as little surprise after the right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery last week. He was already expected to miss the entire 2023 season.

Hunter, 36, pitched a pair of scoreless innings for the Mets against the Marlins before getting lit up by the Brewers Monday for five runs in two innings of work. He now heads to the injured list with an 11.25 ERA during the young 2023 campaign in hopes of getting things back on track. 2023 is Hunter’s third season as a member of the Mets, but the journeyman right-hander has pitched for six other organizations in his career. From 2008-2012, Hunter pitcher primarily as a starter for the Rangers and Orioles, posting a 4.77 ERA (92 ERA+) in 469 1/3 innings of work. Baltimore then transitioned him into a regular bullpen role where Hunter began to flourish.

Since the beginning of the 2013 season, Hunter has posted a 3.21 ERA (129 ERA+) in 428 1/3 innings of work, with all but one of those appearances coming out of the bullpen. Hunter also sports a 20.6% strikeout rate against a minuscule 5.4% walk rate in addition to an above average 45.9% groundball rate during that time. Given his long track record of success out of the bullpen, it’s reasonable to think Hunter may be able to contribute to the relief corps in New York once he’s returned to full health.

In the meantime, the 26 year-old Reyes will take Hunter’s spot in the bullpen. Reyes made his big league debut as a member of the Orioles last year, pitching to a 2.35 ERA in 7 2/3 innings of work across three appearances. Reyes sports a career 3.29 ERA with a 21.3% strikeout rate and a 3.7% walk rate in 596 1/3 innings of work in the minors, with ample experience both starting and out of the rotation. He should give the Mets a solid multi-inning option out of the bullpen, a role Hunter had been filling for the Mets prior to his injury.

Big Hype Prospects: Grissom, Liberatore, Soderstrom, Naylor, Silseth

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It feels good to breathe again – by which I mean identify players to write about based upon who is tearing up minor league ball. While there hasn’t been much action yet, we have many big-name prospects appearing in Triple-A boxscores. Catchers feature prominently this week.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Vaughn Grissom, 22, 2B/SS, ATL (AAA)
16 PA, 1 HR, 2 SB, .417/.563/1.083

One of the top performers of Opening Weekend, Grissom seeks to embarrass the Braves for choosing Orlando Arcia and Ehire Adrianza over him. This is his first exposure to Triple-A after spending most of 2022 in High-A and the Majors. The extra taste of upper-minors action could be designed to avoid a developmental setback related to facing Major League pitching. Grissom appeared overexposed late last season once scouting reports were refined. There are still questions about his shortstop defense – questions that should be answered during the course of 2023.

Matthew Liberatore, 23, SP, STL (AAA)
5 IP, 12.60 K/9, 3.60 BB/9, 0.00 ERA

Of the prospect pitchers in Triple-A, Liberatore posted the best 2023 debut. He allowed six baserunners in five innings of work with seven strikeouts. Liberatore is a complicated player to scout. His individual pitches rate well, especially a visually filthy curve ball. The issue is his curve doesn’t tunnel with any of his other offerings, making it identifiable out of the hand. Last season, Liberatore worked to a 5.17 ERA in Triple-A with a 5.97 ERA in 34.2 Major League innings.

Tyler Soderstrom, 21, C/1B, OAK (AAA)
10 PA, 1 HR, .556/.600/1.222

A first-round pick from the wonky 2020 draft, Soderstrom surged through the minors last season. His bat is his calling card. He’s particularly adept at producing high exit velocities at an ideal launch angle. Defensively, he leaves much to be desired. While he could conceivably stick at catcher with several more years of hard work, his bat is nearly Major League ready and should play at first base. For that reason, as well as the presence of Shea Langeliers, Soderstrom is widely expected to switch to the cold corner on a more permanent basis this season.

Bo Naylor, 23, C, CLE (AAA)
15 PA, 2 HR, .385/.467/.923

Naylor is coming off a huge rebound season in the minors with an aim toward building upon his reputation as a power-hitting backstop. He has above-average speed for a catcher and could potentially move off the position over the long haul. His defensive capability is viewed as below average at this time. For now, the Guardians have rostered a trio of catchers known mainly for their defense. Like Soderstrom, Naylor’s bat is his carrying trait. He is a discipline-forward slugger whose high rate of contact is offset by an unwillingness to swing at pitches he can’t barrel. The result is a high strikeout rate despite a low swinging strike rate.

Chase Silseth, 23, SP, LAA (AAA)
5 IP, 10.80 K/9, 1.80 BB/9, 0.00

Silseth popped up as a standout in Double-A early last season. The pitching-needy Angels brought him directly to the Majors where he posted a 6.59 ERA (4.24 xFIP) in 28.2 innings. Silseth has a five-pitch repertoire. I’ve received mixed notes on his command. While we know he doesn’t issue many free passes, that could be because his stuff plays in the zone against minor league hitters. His best offering is a splitter. Silseth himself blamed the splitter for his poor performance in the Majors, noting that he needed the pitch to be on to succeed. Splitter consistency is a difficult trait to develop, especially for a starting pitcher. Don’t be surprised if he’s inconsistent as he loses and regains feel for his top weapon.

Three More

Matt Mervis, CHC (25): Mervis is an odd prospect in that he continues to torch the ball, yet scouts doubt his ability to hold a regular role in the Majors. He has a 1.167 OPS through 15 plate appearances. We should see him tested against Major League pitching before the calendar flips to summer.

Brett Baty, NYM (24): Baty’s strong spring continued into Triple-A. He has two home runs, a stolen base, and a 1.257 OPS through 15 plate appearances. Mets fans on social media are eager to see Baty oust Eduardo Escobar who is currently 1-for-16 with seven strikeouts.

Connor Norby, BAL (22): The Orioles’ impending glut of middle infielders includes Norby. The second baseman consistently outperforms his modest scouting grades. Bear in mind, the Orioles’ minor league venues are far friendlier to right-handed batters than Camden Yards. Norby strikes me as an obvious trade candidate later this summer.

Mets Release Darin Ruf

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The Mets have released infielder/outfielder Darin Ruf, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment a week ago when the club selected Tommy Hunter to the roster.

Ruf, 36, came over to the Mets in a deadline deal last year. Unfortunately, that deal went south fairly quickly, as he hit just .152/.216/.197 in 29 games with the club down the stretch. He stuck on the roster all winter but then his struggles continued into the spring, as he hit just .167/.265/.233 in Grapefruit League action. The club had added Tommy Pham over the winter to help take over Ruf’s role as a right-handed hitting role player and Ruf was cut from the roster prior to Opening Day.

Ruf will now be free to sign with any of the other 29 clubs around the league. Despite his recent struggles, he should garner some interest based on his past work. After a successful three-year stretch in Korea from 2017 to 2019, Ruf returned to North America and hit very well with the Giants. In 2020 and 2021, he hit .272/.381/.519 for a wRC+ of 142. That latter figure was one of the 15 best in the majors in that time period, among hitters with at least 400 plate appearances.

Based on that excellent showing, the Giants signed him to an extension going into 2022. The two-year deal paid him $3MM in each of 2022 and 2023, with a $3.5MM option for 2024 that comes with a $250K buyout. The club struggled last year and flipped Ruf to the Mets in a deal that now looks awful for the latter club. They sent infielder J.D. Davis, left-hander Thomas Szapucki and a couple of prospects to San Francisco, only to see Ruf slump badly for a few months before now getting sent away for nothing.

The Mets have had the past week to try to work out a trade for Ruf or get him claimed on waivers, but a release always seemed the most likely path forward. He’s still owed the $3MM salary for this year and $250K buyout on next year’s option. Any acquiring team would have been responsible for that money, and it’s unsurprising none of them were willing to do so with Ruf’s recent performance. The Mets will remain on the hook for that, allowing any other club to add Ruf for the prorated league minimum for any time spent on their roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Mets pay.

Ruf’s aforementioned strong run in 2020 and 2021 should intrigue some clubs. He also wasn’t bad prior to the trade last year, hitting .216/.328/.373 for a wRC+ of 104. He also might interest teams that are especially concerned about their production against lefties, as that is Ruf’s specialty. He has a career .272/.367/.523 batting line against southpaws for a wRC+ of 143, compared to a .216/.300/.365 line and 86 wRC+ against righties. Even amid last year’s struggles, he still hit .222/.322/.430 with the platoon advantage for a wRC+ of 116.

Latest On Justin Verlander

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Justin Verlander’s tenure with the Mets got off to an unfortunate start when the veteran righty was placed on the 15-day injured list due to a teres major strain.  The injury was described as “low-grade” in the Mets’ initial release, and a source tells SNY TV’s Andy Martino that Verlander’s strain is “very minor.”  More will officially be known when Verlander undergoes a follow-up MRI next week, but it does seem like the ace might be able to be activated from the IL when first eligible.  That could mean a home start against the Padres on April 11 or 12, or just out of added precaution, the Mets might wait to activate Verlander until April 14 when the team visits Oakland.

Mets Place Justin Verlander On Injured List

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March 31: The Mets have now officially placed Verlander on the IL and recalled Megill, per Tim Healey of Newsday. The move is retroactive to March 28.

March 30: The Mets announced that they will place right-hander Justin Verlander on the 15-day injured list with a “low-grade teres major strain.” According to the team, Verlander “will continue throwing at moderate intensity” and be reevaluated in a week. They’ll provide a further update at that time. Righty Tylor Megill will be recalled from Triple-A and take Verlander’s spot in the rotation for the time being, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com.

The 40-year-old Verlander’s velocity was down in his final outing of spring training, but the team hadn’t hinted at any type of injury until today’s out-of-the-blue announcement. General manager Billy Eppler tells the Mets beat that Verlander first reported discomfort last night and had an MRI this morning (Twitter link via Newsday’s Tim Healey). Verlander himself said he was working through some things that he initially attributed to routine spring discomfort (video link via DiComo). However, when he felt continued discomfort into his final bullpen of spring training and “connected the dots” with his decreased velocity in his most recent spring outing, he decided to get checked out.

Until next week’s follow-up MRI, it’ll be impossible to know just how long Verlander might be sidelined. He’s voiced confidence that it’s minor in nature and said he’d pitch if this occurred during the postseason. That’s encouraging, but even a brief absence is notable.

The Mets are already without one of Verlander’s fellow offseason signees, left-hander Jose Quintana, who will miss upwards of half the season following a bone graft procedure to remove a benign lesion from his ribcage. Quintana’s injury pushed sixth starter David Peterson into the rotation, and they’ll now already be tapping into Megill, their No. 7 option, before a single inning of their season has transpired.

Verlander lost the 2021 season to Tommy John surgery and not only returned in 2022 but improbably stormed back to ace status at age 39, winning the American League Cy Young Award on the heels of a 1.75 ERA over 175 innings. He punched out 27.8% of his opponents against a masterful 4.4% walk rate, averaging 95.1 mph on his heater along the way and generally looking like his typical, dominant self. That brilliant comeback prompted the Mets to make a two-year, $86.66MM offer, matching the annual value on the record-setting contract they’d given to co-ace Max Scherzer.

Assuming Verlander’s absence indeed proves brief, he’ll still be expected to pair with Scherzer and give the Mets two of this generation’s most accomplished arms atop the starting staff. Still, it’s surely a gut-punch to a team that moved on from now-former ace Jacob deGrom largely for durability reasons in recent years. Verlander can be placed on the IL retroactive to March 27 — three days is the largest backdating permissible under MLB rules — so he’ll be shelved for at least the first 12 days of the season.

Pirates Designate Ryan Vilade For Assignment

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The Pirates announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Ryan Vilade for assignment and selected the contracts of left-hander Rob Zastryzny and catcher Jason Delay, both of whom were in spring training as non-roster invitees. Lefty Jarlin Garcia (nerve injury) was placed on the 60-day injured list to open a second spot on the 40-man roster. Righties JT Brubaker (right elbow discomfort) and Robert Stephenson (right elbow inflammation) have both been placed on the 15-day injured list as well.

Vilade, 24, was claimed off waivers from the Rockies back in November. He ranked among Colorado’s best prospects just one year ago but struggled in his second go through the Triple-A level, slashing a tepid .249/.345/.352 with five homers and ten steals through 99 games in that hitter-friendly setting. Originally drafted as a shortstop, Vilade has moved down the defensive spectrum, first shifting to third base before a move to the outfield corners. He went just 3-for-18 without an extra-base hit this spring, finishing with a .167/.211/.167 line in 19 trips to the plate. The Pirates will have a week to trade Vilade, release him or pass him through outright waivers.

Zastryzny, 31, returned to the Majors in 2022 after a three-year layoff and tossed four innings between the Mets and Angels. He’s making the first Opening Day roster of his 10-year professional career, Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic points out (Twitter link). Zastryzny earned it this spring, punching out 10 of his 29 opponents against one walk while firing 7 1/3 innings without allowing an earned run.

In parts of four big league seasons, mostly with the Cubs, Zastryzny has a 4.66 ERA and a 34-to-17 K/BB ratio in 38 2/3 innings of work. His Triple-A numbers across six seasons are generally similar, albeit with slightly better strikeout and walk rates. Zastryzny will give manager Derek Shelton a second lefty in the ’pen, joining Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez.

Delay, 28, made his big league debut with the Bucs in 2022 but was removed from the 40-man roster and re-signed to a minor league deal. He had a rough showing in camp, going just 3-for-20 with three walks, but he’s a strong defensive backstop and likely landed the backup gig by virtue of his glove. Delay posted plus framing marks last season, has a career 31% caught-stealing rate in the minors and was credited with two Defensive Runs Saved in 436 innings behind the dish last year. He beat out fellow non-roster invitees Kevin Plawecki and Tyler Heineman and will open the season as the backup to defensive standout Austin Hedges.

Garcia’s placement on the 60-day IL comes as little surprise. The team announced he’d be shut down midway through camp, and after a ten days of not throwing, they further announced that he was dealing with a nerve injury in his biceps and would continue to be shut down for as many as four to five weeks. He’ll need to completely build back up after that delay. Stephenson pitched just two innings this spring and was slowed by elbow discomfort, and Shelton acknowledged last week that an IL stint was likely.

There’s more concern with regard to Brubaker. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette tweeted this morning that Brubaker’s elbow injury is “not minor” and the Pirates fear there’s a chance he could be lost for the season. The team hasn’t provided a formal diagnosis or update beyond today’s placement on the injured list, but additional news on Brubaker will likely follow in the near future. The 29-year-old Brubaker made 28 starts last season and pitched to a 4.69 ERA but with much more encouraging marks in FIP (3.92) and SIERA (3.97).

Mets’ Bryce Montes de Oca Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

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March 30: During the surgery mentioned below, doctors discovered that Montes De Oca actually required Tommy John surgery, which they then performed, per Michael Mayer of Metsmerized and Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports. He will miss the entire 2023 season while recovering and perhaps some of 2024 as well.

March 28: Mets reliever Bryce Montes de Oca is going to undergo arthroscopic surgery to remove bone chips from his throwing elbow, reports Russell Dorsey of Bally Sports (Twitter link). He’s expected to miss around four months.

Montes de Oca was already known to be starting the season on the injured list after being diagnosed with a stress reaction a few weeks ago. Still, there was some hope he wouldn’t lose too much time after imaging revealed he’d avoided any ligament damage. While that fortunately remains the case, the bone fragments will cost him the bulk of the 2023 season.

A Missouri product, Montes de Oca made his major league debut at the tail end of last season. He got into three games, allowing four runs in 3 1/3 innings. The big righty averaged just shy of 100 MPH on his sinker and sat in the mid-90s with his cutter during that limited look. That power arsenal had resulted in a huge 36.4% strikeout rate over 34 innings with Triple-A Syracuse. Even with significant control concerns, Montes de Oca posted a solid 3.44 ERA at the top minor league level.

While he certainly wasn’t assured of a season-opening bullpen spot, Montes de Oca could have factored in as middle relief depth throughout the year. If that’ll now be the case, it’ll have to be at the tail end of the season. The Mets can place him on the 60-day injured list whenever the need for a 40-man roster spot comes up.

David Peterson Wins Mets’ Final Rotation Spot; Tylor Megill Optioned To Triple-A

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Left-hander David Peterson has won the final spot in the Mets’ rotation over righty Tylor Megill, as first reported Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Megill has been optioned to Triple-A, the team announced this afternoon. He’ll work out of the rotation there (as Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reported earlier in the day).

The 27-year-old Peterson fired a dozen scoreless frames this season and remarkably allowed just one hit, although he also issued a troubling eight free passes. He overcame that shaky command both with the lack of hits and by punching out 13 of the 45 hitters he faced (28.9%). Megill, meanwhile, allowed 10 runs (seven earned) on 14 hits and 13 walks with a dozen strikeouts in 17 innings during Grapefruit League play.

A former first-round pick, Peterson has seen action in parts of three seasons with the Mets and generally fared well, logging a 4.26 ERA while fanning nearly a quarter of his opponents through 222 MLB frames. His career 10.7% walk rate is too high, but Peterson’s slider is a true bat-missing offering (47.9% whiff rate in 2022, per Statcast) and his changeup has been good enough to help keep right-handed opponents off balance. On many teams, he’d be locked into a rotation spot in the first place, but the deep-pocketed Mets spent extensively this offseason to fill out a rotation that saw Jacob deGrom, Chris Bassitt and Taijuan Walker depart as free agents.

Unfortunately, one of the arms signed to replace that outgoing trio was lefty Jose Quintana, who’ll miss upwards of half the season while recovering from a bone graft procedure to address a benign lesion on his ribcage. Peterson is a much better sixth starter option than many teams can afford, and given that he posted a 3.83 ERA in 105 2/3 frames last year, he could well parlay this opportunity into a more permanent rotation spot. Carlos Carrasco is a free agent at season’s end, and Max Scherzer has an opt-out in his contract.

Like Peterson, Megill is 27 years old and is a better depth option than many teams boast. The right-hander made 18 starts in 2021 and posted a 4.52 ERA with more impressive strikeout and walk rates (26.1% and 7.1%, respectively). He made six starts early in the 2022 season as well, logging a pristine 2.43 ERA with a huge 36-to-8 K/BB ratio in 33 1/3 innings of work while flashing an upper-90s heater that had added significant velocity since the 2021 season.

Unfortunately for both Megill and the Mets, a biceps injury shelved him into June, and he quickly returned to the injured list due to a shoulder strain. He wound up finishing the season with an ugly 5.13 ERA, though his early work is a reminder of the raw quality of his arsenal. Megill has stymied right-handed opponents to the tune of a .202/.247/.331 batting line in his career, but lefties have torched him for a .307/.368/.368 clip. He’ll continue working to find some answers against lefties while working out of the rotation in Syracuse. He’s likely the next man up if the Mets need another starter early in the season.

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