Rays Notes: Ballpark, Eflin, Siri, Thompson, Glasnow
The Rays “seem to be making progress” on a new ballpark, principal owner Stuart Sternberg told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While the organization has still been talking with Tampa officials about the possibility of building a long-awaited new stadium in that city, Sternberg said “we’ve been focused on” remaining in St. Petersburg, and a proposed plan that would see the Rays’ new home built near the current site of Tropicana Field.
The stadium would be the centerpiece of a major redevelopment project similar to other recent “ballpark villages” in Atlanta and St. Louis, as the Rays’ new yard would be surrounded by new housing, shopping centers, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Nothing has been finalized about either the ballpark project or the larger revitalization project, as Sternberg said “We’re working at both and neither one is easy….The county and the city are really working beautifully together, so that’s part of the reason why we’re all optimistic.”
While the Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field runs through the 2027 season, there has long been a push from ownership to figure out a new ballpark situation sooner rather than later, with the Rays at one point even exploring an idea to split their home schedule between Tampa and Montreal (in new ballparks in both cities). However, it does now appear that at least some momentum seems to be building towards the Rays staying in St. Pete, which must count as some relief to fans after years of speculation about a possible move.
With the Athletics now on the verge of officially moving from Oakland to Las Vegas, Sternberg commented on the situation, saying that “It’s in all of baseball’s interests to have the A’s and any baseball team on the firmest footing possible.” By this same logic, Sternberg supported commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to waive a relocation fee, noting that to help a team regain stability, it doesn’t fit for the league “to say ‘Look, we’re going to let you move and your revenues are going to go up but we’re going to take them all from you.’ ”
In some Rays news on the field, the team will get some reinforcements back from the injured list starting tomorrow, when Zach Eflin will activated to start Sunday’s game against the White Sox. Eflin’s placement on the 15-day IL was retroactive to April 8, but since his bout of back tightness proved to be minor, he’ll be able to return on the first day of eligibility. After signing a three-year, $40MM free agent deal with Tampa Bay during the offseason, Eflin looked sharp in his first two starts with his new club, posting a 3.27 ERA with 12 strikeouts and one walk over 11 innings.
Jose Siri was also off to an impressive start before beginning an IL stint on April 8, as a hamstring strain put the center fielder on the sidelines. Manager Kevin Cash told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the Tampa Bay Times) that Siri will be re-evaluated following a two-game minor league rehab assignment. Siri played the first of those two games yesterday as a DH with Triple-A Durham, and he’ll take today off before playing center field for Durham in Sunday’s contest.
If all goes well, Siri might be activated as early as Monday, when the Rays begin a series against Houston. By coincidence, the Astros were also the team who dealt Siri to Tampa last year at the trade deadline, and after showing his mettle as a defender, Siri has now started to break out at the plate. He hit .318/.333/.682 with two home runs in his first 24 plate appearances before suffering his hamstring strain.
Ryan Thompson also looks to be facing a “very minimal” IL stint, Cash said, which could mean the reliever might return from the 15-day injured list on April 28, when first eligible. Thompson suffered a right lat strain after posting a 3.18 ERA over his first 5 2/3 innings of work out of Tampa’s bullpen.
The timeline isn’t as clear for Tyler Glasnow, who was given an initial window of 6-to-8 weeks when he first suffered his Grade 2 oblique strain at the end of February. Cash said Glasnow was slated for two innings of live batting practice in extended Spring Training work on Monday, which comes on the heels of a pair of bullpen sessions earlier this month. The Rays are aiming for Glasnow to be ready by around the middle of May, once he is fully ramped up after missing such a big chunk of Spring Training work.
Kris Bryant Leaves Game Due To SI Joint/Glute Injury
5:34PM: Rockies manager Bud Black told reporters (including ESPN) that Bryant is day-to-day. The injury isn’t specifically to Bryant’s back, but rather to the sacroiliac joint and glute on the left side of Bryant’s body. “When he put his foot down and landed, there was a little bit of pain,” Black said.
3:21PM: Bryant left the game due to tightness in his lower back, according to Danielle Allentuck of the Denver Post (Twitter link).
2:49PM: The Rockies have removed Kris Bryant in the third inning of their match against the Phillies. Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post reports that “it appeared” Bryant rolled his ankle on a first inning strikeout.
Although it’s not yet known the severity of any injury here, Bryant has struggled in that department since joining the Rockies on a seven-year, $182MM deal last year, landing on the IL on three separate occasions in 2022 and appearing in just 42 games.
The 42 games he did play were hugely valuable to the Rockies, as Bryant slashed .306/.376/.475 with five home runs. He’s off to a similarly strong start to the year in 2023, putting up a .291/.364/.456 line with three home runs through his first 88 plate appearances entering play today.
The Rockies are off to a disappointing start, sitting at 6-15 in the NL West, and any missed time for Bryant would be a significant blow to the team moving forward.
Padres Reinstate Joe Musgrove From 15-Day Injured List
The Padres reinstated right-hander Joe Musgrove from the 15-day injured list, as Musgrove is slated to make his season debut in a start against the Diamondbacks tonight. In the corresponding move, San Diego optioned righty Reiss Knehr to Triple-A.
Musgrove fractured the big toe on his left foot after an accident in the weight room in late February, and then suffered a minor shoulder injury during a rehab start that further delayed his return. However, Musgrove only ended up missing roughly an extra week, and he now looks ready to go in his customary spot atop San Diego’s rotation.
Naturally, getting Musgrove back only further strengthens a Padres team that also got Fernando Tatis Jr. back the lineup after his PED suspension expired earlier this week. Between these absences and several other injuries, it perhaps isn’t surprising that the Padres have gotten off a lackluster start, with only a 10-12 record heading into today’s action.
Musgrove will rejoin the rotation just as the Padres are about to enter a relatively light portion of their schedule, as from April 24 to May 29, the Padres have seven off-days. As a result, San Diego will move to a five-man rotation of Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, and Michael Wacha, with Nick Martinez joining Ryan Weathers as bullpen reinforcement. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Padres’ plan is to try and keep Martinez somewhat stretched out in long relief roles, so make it easier for Martinez to step back into the rotation in the event of an injury or a rest day for one of the starters (possibly Lugo, who is still being re-acclimated to starting work after pitching as a reliever for the last few years). Weathers could also be a multi-inning weapon out of the pen.
It’s probably unlikely that the projected starting five will last the rest of the season without another IL stint, so Martinez or Weathers are surely going to get more starts before 2023 is over. At least in the short term, however, their usage in the bullpen will greatly help a relief corps that has been shorthanded by injuries.
Marlins Select Jeff Lindgren
The Marlins selected the contract of right-hander Jeff Lindgren from Triple-A today, with Lindgren set to act as the 27th player for Miami’s scheduled double-header with the Guardians. Right-hander Tommy Nance was moved to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot.
Lindgren was designated for assignment and then outrighted off Miami’s 40-man roster earlier this month, after he’d made his MLB debut. That first game came in somewhat unexpected fashion, as an early injury to starter Johnny Cueto meant that Lindgren was called upon to pitch five innings of relief work (allowing four ER on four hits and three walks) in the Marlins’ 11-1 loss to the Twins on April 3.
It’s possible that Lindgren’s latest trip to the Show might only last through the doubleheader, but the 26-year-old might get another chance to show Miami’s coaching staff what he can do against big league hitters. Lindgren was a 24th-round pick for the Marlins in 2019 draft, and has worked almost exclusively as a starter since the beginning of the 2021 season. His work at Triple-A Jacksonville (both last season and this season) has been shaky, with only a 5.26 ERA over 78 2/3 innings for the Marlins’ top affiliate.
Nance has yet to pitch this season due to a strain in his throwing shoulder, and his move to the 60-day IL is backdated from his initial placement on the 15-day IL. As such, Nance won’t be eligible for activation until the end of May, which might represent something of a setback considering that he seemed to be making decent progress. Just yesterday, the Marlins told reporters that Nance had thrown a 30-pitch bullpen session. It could be that Nance emerged from that session with some shoulder soreness, or the 60-day IL placement could simply indicate that Nance might need more build-up time considering that he missed most of Spring Training.
White Sox, Nash Walters Agree To Minor League Deal
The White Sox have brought in right-hander Nash Walters on a minor league deal, per Baseball America’s transactions page.
Walters has one of the smaller major league careers you’ll see, having recorded a solitary out in his solitary big league appearance last year for the Angels. That’s too small of a sample size to draw any meaningful judgement, so it’s easier to look to minor leagues where Walters posted a 4.60 ERA over 47 innings at Double-A last year in the Brewers’ system.
A third round pick by Milwaukee in 2015, Walters worked his way up through their system but was purchased by the Angels at the backend of last season, which also brought about his big league debut.
He’s still only seen a handful of innings at the highest level of the minors, with the bulk of his work coming at Double-A. He’ll spend time at Triple-A Charlotte for the White Sox though, where he’ll provide the team with some relief pitching depth.
Santiago Espinal Exits Game With Right Wrist Contusion
Blue Jays infielder Santiago Espinal exited Saturday’s game against the Yankees with what the team called a right wrist contusion, according to Sportsnet’s Ben Nicholson-Smith. Espinal was hit by a Gerrit Cole pitch.
Next steps for Espinal aren’t known at this stage, although more should be known after today’s match is completed.
Espinal is off to a slow start to the year, hitting just .114/.162/.200 through his first 37 plate appearances (entering play today). The hit by pitch occurred in his first at bat of the day.
The 28-year-old has been a solid enough contributor for the Blue Jays over the past few seasons, putting up good defensive numbers and providing some value with the bat. He debuted in 2020, and posted a .280/.338/.378 line with nine home runs between 2020-22.
Defensively, Espinal has primarily been handling second base this season, but has also filled in at third and shortstop. At second, Espinal was worth ten Outs Above Average in 2022.
While it’s not yet known if Espinal will be forced to miss any time, the Blue Jays are fairly well stocked at second with Whit Merrifield and Cavan Biggio the internal options to handle the bulk of Espinal’s playing time.
Phillies Place Andrew Bellatti On 15-Day IL
The Phillies announced they’ve placed pitcher Andrew Bellatti on the 15-day IL with right triceps tendinitis. The move is retroactive to yesterday. Christopher Sanchez has been activated off the IL to take Bellatti’s spot on the active roster.
Bellatti has struggled to a 6.23 ERA so far this season through 8 2/3 innings. That’s a noticeable step back from 2022, when Bellatti threw 54 1/3 innings of 3.31 ERA ball out of the Phillies’ bullpen. While Bellatti’s velocity has remained intact so far this season, he has seen an uptick in walks and a drop in strikeouts.
It’s not known yet how severe Bellatti’s injury is, although a bit of clarity on the matter may come after today’s match against the Rockies.
Sanchez was hurt in spring training when he went down with a left triceps strain. He’s made two rehab starts since, working to a 1.04 ERA with 11 strikeouts in 8 2/3 innings pitched. The Dominican Republic native has been in the big leagues for the past two seasons, working to a 5.47 ERA across 52 2/3 combined innings. He has one minor league option remaining.
Dodgers DFA Jake Reed, Recall Victor Gonzalez
The Dodgers announced they’ve designated right-hander Jake Reed for assignment, and called up left-hander Victor Gonzalez.
Reed made just one ugly outing for the Dodgers this season, giving up six earned runs and making just two outs. The 30-year-old posted a 7.02 ERA in 16 2/3 innings between the Orioles, Mets and Dodgers last season.
The former fifth round pick for the Twins was more reliable in another sample of work in 2021, when he put up a 3.60 ERA in 10 innings of work between the Dodgers and Mets. While the big league numbers aren’t overly encouraging, there’s been enough interest in Reed on the waiver wire (six claims since 2021) that it’s conceivable that another team in need of some bullpen depth puts in a claim for him this time round.
As for Gonzalez, he’s set for his first appearance in the big leagues since 2021. The former international signing out of Mexico has a combined 2.75 ERA in 55 2/3 innings over two seasons of work with the Dodgers in 2020-21. That mark comes with a combined 23.8% strikeout and 8.9% walk rate, both of which are almost identical to the big league average.
Arthroscopic debridement surgery on his pitching elbow wiped out the bulk of the 2022 season for the southpaw, but he’s returned to post a 1.29 ERA in seven innings at Triple-A this season.
Sandy Alcantara Skipping Start Due To Right Biceps Tendinitis
The Marlins have been dealt an injury blow with the news starter Sandy Alcantara will miss today’s start against Cleveland due to right biceps tendinitis, per Craig Mish of the Miami Herald. Mish adds that the team doesn’t believe it to be serious, and Alcantara should be ready to go for Miami’s series in Atlanta starting Monday.
Alcantara is off to a disappointing start to the season, working to a 5.47 ERA through his first four starts. Though it’s an ugly ERA, it’s worth noting that the bulk of the damage was done in an ugly nine earned run outing in Philadelphia, with his other starts giving up just three earned runs or less, including one three-hit complete game shutout against the Twins.
While the news appears to be positive at the moment, there is always a bit of concern when the ace of the staff has any sort of injury concern. Alcantara has been one of the best pitchers in baseball in recent years, winning the NL Cy Young award last year on the back of a 228 2/3 inning season of 2.28 ERA ball.
Devin Smeltzer will get the ball in place of Alcantara for the first game of today’s double-header, with Braxton Garrett and Jesus Luzardo to handle the other two starts of the series.
White Sox Sign Stephen Piscotty To Minor League Deal
Veteran outfielder Stephen Piscotty has joined the White Sox on a minor league deal and been assigned to their Triple-A team in Charlotte, per a release from the Knights. Piscotty was a free agent after the Giants released him at the end of spring training.
An eight year MLB veteran, Piscotty has appeared for the Cardinals and Athletics during his career, slashing a combined .255/.324/.430 over 726 big league games.
He last appeared for Oakland last season, putting up a .190/.252/.341 with five home runs over 139 plate appearances. That was another season of generally declining offensive output for Piscotty, who was considered an above average hitter by wRC+ for most of the early parts of his career.
A first round pick by the Cardinals back in 2012, Piscotty burst onto the scene with a .305/.359/.494 rookie year in 2015 which saw him finish sixth in NL Rookie of the Year voting. He’d continue to put up good numbers for St Louis, posting a .268/.346/.438 line with 38 home runs between 2015-17, and they’d extend him on a six-year, $33.5MM deal in April of 2017.
The majority of that contract was played out elsewhere though, as Piscotty was traded to Oakland ahead of the 2018 season. It started brightly, as Piscotty posted the best full season of his career in 2018, hitting 27 home runs and getting a 126 wRC+. Things tailed off after that though, and Piscotty has been below average since 2019.
The White Sox are fairly well stocked in the outfield, with Andrew Benintendi, Luis Robert and rookie Oscar Colas manning the positions, but the bench picture is not quite as clear and if Piscotty can find his hitting touch at Triple-A it stands to reason he could factor in off the bench for the big league club at some point.