Orioles Reinstate James McCann From 10-Day Injured List
James McCann is set to make his Orioles debut, as the catcher has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. The O’s announced that outfielder Kyle Stowers was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
McCann suffered an oblique strain fairly late in Spring Training, as he played his last Grapefruit League game on March 20. Beginning just as soreness in his left side, the issue was announced as a strain when McCann was placed on the 10-day IL just prior to Opening Day. Fortunately for McCann and the Orioles, the injury appears to have been pretty minor in nature, as opposed to a more lingering oblique problem — McCann suffered such an injury himself just last season that kept him out of action for almost a full month of the 2022 campaign.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of McCann’s activation is the player going the other way. Stowers hasn’t seen much playing time in the early going, starting only one of the Orioles’ eight games and making six plate appearances over three total games. While a move to Triple-A seems logical to get Stowers more regular at-bats, Baltimore now has something of a short bench, and three catchers on their active roster.
Adley Rutschman will naturally continue to get the bulk of time behind the plate, with McCann and Anthony Bemboom are splitting backup duties for now. The DH spot is available to give Rutschman a partial rest day while maintaining his everyday spot in the lineup, and McCann has some past experience as a first baseman if the O’s want to get a little creative. Also, Bemboom is out of minor league options and can’t be sent to Triple-A without first being designated for assignment, so the Orioles might not yet want to expose him to the waiver wire. Dan Connolly of The Athletic believes that the Orioles’ decision could be related to a string of left-handed starters coming up on the schedule, since Bemboom can act in a more regular backup catcher role while both Rutschman and the right-handed hitting McCann are in the starting lineup.
The Orioles acquired McCann in a trade with the Mets in December, with Baltimore responsible for just $5MM of the $24MM owed to the veteran catcher over the 2023-24 seasons. McCann signed a four-year, $40.6MM free agent deal with New York during the 2020-21 offseason, but struggled to only a .220/.282/.328 slash line over 603 PA and 182 games over the first two years of that contract. Injuries played a particular role in McCann’s underwhelming 2022 season, as beyond his oblique problem, he also missed time due to hamate bone surgery.
Zach Davies Leaves Diamondbacks Game With Strained Left Oblique
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.
Pitching Notes: Red Sox, Kahnle, Lorenzen
The Red Sox are on the verge of a boost to their rotation, with starters Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock set to return. Whitlock will be the first, with Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe reporting that Whitlock will pitch Tuesday against the Rays.
Whitlock has been taking a little extra time to prepare for the season following hip surgery in September. While he’s excelled mostly as a reliever for Boston, the team came into the year planning to use him as a starter and it appears they’re not deviating from that. Whitlock owns a 2.24 ERA in 112 2/3 relief innings, and a 4.15 ERA in nine starts and 39 innings over his two big league seasons.
It’s unclear yet who will drop out of the rotation, although Kutter Crawford‘s spot would appear most at risk. Boston doesn’t get a day off until April 27, so the boost to their struggling rotation is timely. Whitlock’s return could be closely followed by that of Bello. The youngster is scheduled to make another rehab start on Tuesday, with the hope being he’ll go for six innings. As Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe notes, manager Alex Cora wouldn’t commit to him coming of the IL after that, but if he goes that sort of length without any issues then a return can’t be far away.
Bello, 23, worked to a 4.71 ERA over 57 1/3 innings last year. It was a promising rookie season for Bello, and underlying numbers such as FIP (2.94) looked a lot more favorably on his work. Bello had been dealing with forearm tightness during spring training, forcing his delayed start to the season. Like Whitlock, he figures to be a key part of any success Boston’s rotation might have this year.
Here’s some more from around the game:
- Yankees reliever Tommy Kahnle was transferred to the 60-day IL today, meaning the earliest he’ll return will be the end of May. That’s a significant blow for a banged up Yankees bullpen that also lost Jonathan Loaisiga to the IL today. Per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, manager Aaron Boone did not consider Kahnle to have suffered a setback as a reason for the move to the 60-day, but instead that they just anticipated he’d have a longer buildup. Boone added that he could see Kahnle appearing in minor league rehab games in early May. Kahnle re-joined the Yankees this winter on a two-year, $11.5MM deal.
- The Tiger announced (Twitter) a series of medical updates, including that right-hander Michael Lorenzen is scheduled to make a rehab start Triple-A today. Lorenzen did indeed make that start, going 2 1/3 innings (56 pitches) and giving up four earned runs. Lorenzen is returning from a left groin strain. The team also announced that right-hander Beau Brieske continues to receive further medical evaluation on his right upper arm discomfort. Meanwhile, starter Casey Mize is playing catch three times a week and Tarik Skubal is playing catch six times weekly.
Diamondbacks Place Kyle Lewis On IL, Recall Pavin Smith
The Diamondbacks announced they’ve placed outfielder Kyle Lewis on the 10-day injured list due to an illness. The team added that they’ve recalled Pavin Smith from Triple-A Reno.
Lewis, acquired from the Mariners this winter, had scuffled to start the season, going 3-for-18 with a single home run. That’s been the story of his career since winning AL Rookie of the Year in 2020. Since then, Lewis has hit just .211/.291/.368 across 227 plate appearances, a far cry from the .262/.364/.437 line he put up in 2020 on the way to his Rookie of the Year award.
Arizona acquired the 27-year-old in exchange for Cooper Hummell this winter hoping that a change of scenery would help, and while it’s certainly far too early to write off Lewis yet, it’s hardly the ideal start to his time with the Snakes.
Now, the Diamondbacks will turn to Smith, a 27-year-old first baseman/outfielder who was initially competing with Lewis for a spot on Arizona’s active roster. Smith, the seventh overall pick in 2017, debuted with Arizona in 2020, and has compiled a .253/.320/.392 line with 21 home runs over 866 plate appearances since then. The bulk of that came in 2020-21, as Smith took a step back in 2022 hitting just .220/.300/.367.
It’s unclear how long the Diamondbacks expect to be without Lewis, but Smith will now have a chance to cement a spot on their bench.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
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Injury Notes: Loaisiga, Peraza, Hedges, McCann
The Yankees made a series of roster moves earlier today, one of which involved placing right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga on the 15-day IL due to elbow inflammation. A pitcher going down with any sort of elbow problem is always a concern, and manager Aaron Boone spoke with reporters (including Jack Curry of the YES Network) and said Loaisiga had an MRI that did not show any structural damage.
The Yankees say Loaisiga does have some swelling in the joint though, and he won’t throw for a couple of weeks. With that in mind, even Loaisiga returns to throwing in two weeks he’ll need a bit of time to ramp up before the Yankees can call on him out of their big league bullpen, so while it doesn’t appear that this is an overly serious injury it seems Loaisiga’s stay on the IL will extend a bit beyond the minimum 15 days.
That’s a blow for a Yankees bullpen that is already without Tommy Kahnle, and has seen the usually dominant Michael King dealing with some drops in velocity. Loaisiga has been one of the best relievers in the game, and as Curry notes, owns a 1.56 ERA over his past 37 games.
Here’s some more injury notes from around the game:
- Sticking with the Yankees, and Boone said infield prospect Oswald Peraza is dealing with a hamstring issue which is why he hasn’t played the last few games for Triple-A Scranton (via Curry). While Boone says it’s not a serious injury, it probably ruled the youngster out of being called up to the big leagues when they placed Josh Donaldson on the IL today. The team opted to instead select the contract of Willie Calhoun, but it’s also possible they’d have rather kept Peraza at Triple-A getting everyday at-bats. Peraza’s gone 7-24 with three walks and seven strikeouts over his first six games with Scranton.
- The Pirates provided an update on catcher Austin Hedges today, with manager Derek Shelton telling reporters (including Justice delos Santos of MLB.com) that Hedges is “trending in the right direction.” The veteran catcher caught a bullpen today and will hit in the cage. Hedges was placed on the seven-day concussion list during the week. It’s still unclear if the Pirates will be comfortable activating Hedges immediately after the seven days are up. Hedges has appeared in three games so far, failing to tally a hit in nine plate appearances. In his absence, the Pirates called up Tyler Heineman to catch alongside regular backup Jason Delay.
- Finally, the Orioles should have veteran backstop James McCann back with the team shortly, per Roch Kubatko of MASN. McCann is yet to debut for the Orioles as he works his way back from an oblique strain. McCann has been playing in an rehab assignment at High-A, and will catch there again tonight. Kubatko suggests it’s possible that McCann is activated as early as tomorrow.
Phillies Outright Jhailyn Ortiz
The Phillies announced that outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz cleared waivers and has been outrighted to their Triple-A affiliate Lehigh Valley. Ortiz had been designated for assignment earlier in the week.
Ortiz was added to Philadelphia’s 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 draft at the end of 2021, but is yet to appear in the big leagues. A high-profile international signing with a $4MM bonus in 2015, Ortiz moved up the Phillies’ minor league system as one of their better prospects. His raw power was always his big calling, but that came with a concerning strikeout rate as well.
He slugged 19 home runs in 74 games at High-A in 2021, but took a slight step back last year at Double-A, hitting 17 home runs across 119 games for a .237/.319/.415 line. That line came with 165 strikeouts over his 505 plate appearances. Nonetheless the Phillies started Ortiz in Triple-A this year, and having cleared waivers it appears that’s where he’ll continue.
While the power is intriguing, it’s clear it wasn’t enough to tempt the other 29 clubs to offer him a 40-man roster spot, even though Ortiz has a couple of option years remaining.
Dodgers Sign William Cuevas To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers have signed right-hander William Cuevas to a minor league deal. The signing was announced by the Diablos Rojos, Cuevas’ team in the Mexican league. Cuevas will pitch tonight for the Dodgers’ Triple-A affiliate Oklahoma City.
Cuevas, 32, last appeared in the big leagues in 2018 in a brief stint with the Red Sox. He’s spent the past four seasons in Korea with the KT Wizz, working to a 3.89 ERA over 82 starts and 489 1/3 innings.
Originally signed by the Red Sox out of Venezuela back in 2008, Cuevas worked his way through Boston’s farm system before earning his first big league call up in 2016. While never a top prospect, Cuevas had shown some amount of promise in the minors. His three game stint in the big leagues in 2016 amounted to five innings with three strikeouts, six walks and two earned runs surrendered.
Released at the end of that year by Boston, Cuevas latched on with the Tigers for the 2017 season. He’d only record a single out in his only big league appearance that year, as Cuevas was tagged for four earned runs and found himself released by the Tigers at the end of the year. He played out the rest of the 2017 season with Miami’s Triple-A affiliate.
2018 brought about a return to the Red Sox, and Cuevas’ longest run in the big leagues. The Venezuelan tossed 17 innings of 7.41 ERA ball for Boston, showing off a solid 23.8% strikeout rate alongside a troubling 13.8% walk rate. All told, Cuevas owns an ERA of 8.06 across 22 1/3 big league innings with a career 21.2% strikeout rate and a 15% walk rate.
Tigers Place Austin Meadows On 10-Day Injured List
The Tigers placed outfielder Austin Meadows on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 7) due to anxiety. Akil Baddoo was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
President of baseball operations Scott Harris released a statement in regards to the transaction, saying that “the Tigers fully support Austin’s decision to step away from the team and prioritize his mental health. As an organization, we have taken many steps to provide and destigmatize mental health resources, and we will do more to help our players tackle the mental and physical challenges they face on a daily basis. We commend Austin for confronting these challenges head-on and ask for our fans in supporting him through every step of his journey back to the field.”
Meadows dealt with similar issues at the end of last season, saying in September that “I hope in sharing my experience I can touch at least one person who might be going through their own struggles and encourage them to reach out to someone for help.” Just prior to the start of Spring Training, Meadows gave a positive update about both his mental and physical health, yet that battle is obviously still ongoing. As Harris’ statement indicated, the Tigers will surely give Meadows all the time he needs to get himself to a better place with his anxiety. We at MLB Trade Rumors wish Meadows all the best in his recovery.
The Rays traded Meadows to Detroit for Isaac Paredes just prior to the start of the 2022 season, and Meadows appeared in only 36 games in his first year with the Tigers. Beyond his mental health struggles, Meadows also spent on the injured list with strains in both of his Achilles tendons, vertigo-like symptoms, and a bout of COVID-19. The result was a .250/.347/.328 slash line over 147 plate appearances, but among all Detroit players with at least 140 PA, Meadows’ 101 wRC+ still ranked second on the team in an overall disastrous offensive year for Tigers hitters.
Rays Place Jose Siri On 10-Day Injured List
The Rays have placed outfielder Jose Siri on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain. Utilityman Vidal Brujan has been called up from Triple-A to take Siri’s place on the active roster.
Siri is one of several players off to a great start for the unbeaten Rays. The 24-year-old Siri has blasted out of the gates with a .318/.333/.682 slash line and two home runs in his first 24 plate appearances of the season, while starting six of seven games as Tampa Bay’s apparent top choice in center field. There wasn’t much doubt that Siri’s glovework was worthy of a regular lineup spot, though his breakout (albeit in a small sample size) is extremely promising to his overall ceiling.
Siri had shown some intriguing hitting potential in his minor league days with the Reds and Astros, but after an impressive 49-PA stretch in his 2021 MLB debut season, Siri hit a far more modest .213/.268/.339 over 325 combined PA with Houston and Tampa in 2022. The Rays acquired Siri as part of the three-team swap last trade deadline that saw Trey Mancini head from the Orioles to the Astros.
Not much has gone wrong for the Rays in amassing their 7-0 record, but the club is certainly hope that Siri can be back on the field sooner rather than later. As usual, Tampa Bay has depth options in place to fill in for injured players, as any of Manuel Margot, Josh Lowe, or Brujan are likely to see time in center field until Siri returns. Brujan isn’t far removed from being a regular on top-100 prospect lists, though he has batted only .150/.207/.231 in 188 PA since making his big league debut in 2021.