Yankees Place Ryan Weber, Greg Allen On Injured List
The Yankees placed two players on the injured list, with right-hander Ryan Weber heading to the 15-day IL due to a right forearm strain, and outfielder Greg Allen going to the 10-day IL due to a right hip flexor strain. Utility man Oswaldo Cabrera and left-hander Nick Ramirez were called up from Triple-A to fill the spots on the active roster.
Weber told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce that he other reporters that he felt soreness last night during his two innings of work in the Yankees’ 8-4 loss to the Dodgers. An MRI will reveal what exactly could be wrong with Weber’s forearm and elbow area, and he and the Yankees can only hope that the worst-case scenario of a Tommy John surgery isn’t the outcome.
Now in his ninth MLB season, Weber has spent the last two seasons in the Bronx on minor league deals. The 2022 season saw Weber constantly sent up and down to Triple-A in a flurry of DFAs and outrights, though 2023 has at least seen a bit more stability, as the Yankees didn’t select him to the big league roster until May 11, and Weber has remained on the 26-man until today.
Though Weber has tossed only 25 MLB innings between all of his moves on and off the roster, he has performed well when wearing the pinstripes, delivering a 2.16 ERA over those 25 relief frames. Never a big strikeout pitcher, Weber has only a 10.3% K% as a Yankee, but also a 51.8% grounder rate and a tiny 2.1% walk rate. While a small sample size, it does represent a nice big step up from Weber’s 5.28 ERA over 167 innings in his first seven seasons, and why Weber has continued to get looks from the Yankees despite the lack of missed bats.
Allen previously played for the Yankees in 2021, and he only made his return two weeks ago after a trade from the Red Sox. Allen’s encore in the Bronx has thus far seen him hit .214/.313/.571 over 17 plate appearances, as his three hits have included a home run and a triple.
It’s a nice start for a player acquired as outfield depth, but with Allen now on the IL, the Yankees will again turn to Cabrera to help out in their troubled left field position. While Aaron Judge is having his typically excellent season and Harrison Bader has been very good when healthy, left field has been a revolving door for New York, with seven different players already seeing at least some time in left this season. With Bader now on the injured list due to a hamstring strain, the Yankees’ outfield depth is further tested.
Bartolo Colon Is Not Retiring
4:17PM: Colon isn’t retiring, MLB Trade Rumors has learned from the pitcher’s agents at Wasserman.
12:33PM: 2005 AL Cy Young award winner and four-time All Star Bartolo Colon is officially hanging up his glove, reports MLB Insider Hector Gomez. Now age 50, “Big Sexy” hasn’t pitched in the majors since the end of the 2018 season, though he pitched in the independent Mexican League as recently as the 2021 season.
Colon’s MLB career began in Cleveland in 1997. Though he struggled to a 5.65 ERA in 94 innings as a rookie, he would quickly become the club’s reliable workhorse, pitching to a 3.91 ERA (122 ERA+) with a 4.00 FIP over 819 innings during the 1998-2001 campaigns. He got off to a phenomenal start in 2002, with a 2.55 ERA that was 72% better than league average, before being shipped to Montreal in a deal that spawned a trade tree in Cleveland that includes players like Cliff Lee, Carlos Carrasco, and Andres Gimenez. Colon pitched well with the Expos, posting a 3.31 ERA in 117 innings before the club dealt him to the White Sox.
Colon pitched a career-high 242 innings during his 2003 season on the South Side, posting 3.87 ERA (120 ERA+) before departing for free agency the following offseason. He landed a four-year deal with the Angels in free agency, and after struggling to a 5.01 ERA in his first season with the club delivered a phenomenal 2005 season that earned him his second career All Star appearance and a Cy Young award. During the campaign, Colon racked up a league-leading 21 wins in 33 starts as he posted a strong 3.48 ERA in 222 2/3 innings of work.
Unfortunately, Colon’s final two seasons in Anaheim would be tainted by injury, as he struggled to a 5.90 ERA in just 155 2/3 innings across the two campaigns. After departing Anaheim, Colon would pitch just 101 1/3 innings over the next three years, suiting up for the Red Sox in 2008 and returning to the White Sox in 2009 before missing the entire 2010 season due to shoulder injuries.
His return to a major league mound came in 2011 after he signed a minor league deal with the Yankees. In the Bronx, Colon posted a solid 4.00 ERA in 164 1/3 innings of work with a FIP of 3.71. The 2011 season represented a new beginning for Colon, now 38, as he would go on to pitch more than 150 innings in each of the following five seasons for the A’s and the Mets. This stretch included Colon’s third All Star appearance, which came in Oakland as he posted a phenomenal 2.65 ERA in 190 1/3 innings of work en route to a sixth-place finish in AL Cy Young award voting.
It also included his fourth and final All Star appearance, which came at the age of 43 with the Mets in 2016. After making it to the World Series with the Mets in 2015, Colon posted a 3.43 ERA that was 17% better than league average by measure of ERA+ in 191 2/3 innings of work as the Mets returned to the playoffs, though Colon ultimately did not pitch for the club in the postseason as New York lost the NL Wild Card game to the Giants. Colon pitched in the majors for two more seasons after leaving the Mets, posting a 6.13 ERA in 289 1/3 innings split between the Braves, Twins, and Rangers before making his final MLB appearance at the age of 45.
In all, Colon pitched 3,461 2/3 innings across 565 appearances in his career, which spanned more than twenty seasons. The big right-hander finishes his career with an above-average 4.12 ERA and 4.15 FIP for his career with 2,535 strikeouts. MLBTR wishes Colon all the best as he officially moves into his post-playing career.
Orioles Select Josh Lester
The Orioles announced that they have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Josh Lester from Triple-A. In corresponding moves, righty Dillon Tate was moved to the 60-day injured list, and left-hander Danny Coulombe was placed on the bereavement list.
Lester was a 13th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2015 draft, and he spent his entire career in Detroit’s organization until this past offseason, when he elected to become a minor league free agent rather than an accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Toledo. Lester’s stint in Motown at least culminated in his Major League debut, as he appeared in two games for the Tigers last season.
After catching on with Baltimore on a minor league deal, Lester has been crushing Triple-A pitching, hitting .282/.339/.549 with 14 homers over 231 plate appearances at Norfolk. Even with all of the star prospects in the Orioles’ farm system, it could be that the O’s prefer giving what might be a brief stint in the majors to a more experienced player, rather than interrupt the development of a more long-term asset. It’s hard to argue that Lester’s slash line wasn’t worth at least another cup of coffee in the Show, and he’ll provide some depth as a corner infielder and corner outfielder.
Tate suffered a flexor strain back in November and hasn’t yet pitched in the majors in 2023, but he has logged 10 appearances in the minors as he works his way back. The move to the 60-day IL doesn’t impact Tate’s timetable, as the 60-day placement retroactively applies to his initial 15-day placement on Opening Day.
Rays Activate Shawn Armstrong, Designate Joe La Sorsa
The Rays have made some moves in between games of their double-header with the Red Sox today, as reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Left-hander Joe La Sorsa was designated for assignment and righty Trevor Kelley was optioned to Triple-A. Taking their places in the bullpen are the newly-acquired Robert Stephenson, as well as another right-hander in Shawn Armstrong. For Armstrong, he is set to make his 2023 debut after being activated from the 60-day injured list, as he has been sidelined due to a neck injury.
Armstrong’s neck problem surfaced in early March, so he missed quite a bit of Spring Training and thus needed a good amount of ramp-up time once he was healthy enough to pitch. The veteran reliever made seven appearances with Triple-A Durham and performed well, with a 2.00 ERA over his even nine innings of work.
Tampa Bay’s bullpen has always been something of a revolving door due to the team’s penchant for shuttling fresh arms up and down from Triple-A, but injuries and an overall so-so performance from the relief corps (who rank 22nd in bullpen ERA) has led to a bit more shuffling than usual. The Rays hope that Armstrong and Stephenson can help provide some stability, as the bullpen has been basically the only relative weak link on a team that otherwise looks like a World Series contender.
That said, injuries within the rotation are also a major concern, with Drew Rasmussen out until around August and Jeffrey Springs done for the season due to Tommy John surgery. In addition to those sidelined pitchers, Josh Fleming is now also set to miss “at least several weeks,” Topkin writes, due to an elbow problem. Fleming said he felt “discomfort on the outside of the elbow and near his triceps,” and is undergoing an MRI and CT scan today to determine the nature of the injury.
Fleming has a 4.62 ERA over 48 2/3 innings this season, starting three of his 11 games. While the results have been inconsistent for the groundball specialist, Fleming’s ability to work as a swingman has been helpful to the Rays as they navigate these injuries, though now Fleming himself is looking at a lengthy absence. Topkin suggests that Tampa might call up Yonny Chirinos to work as a regular starter, and of course Tampa Bay could conceivably turn to their past strategy of openers and bulk pitchers rather than a traditional starter.
La Sorsa’s contract was selected last week, and the southpaw’s brief stint in the big leagues resulted in his MLB debut — two scoreless innings in the Rays’ 1-0 loss to the Cubs on May 29. The 25-year-old La Sorsa also pitched at the Triple-A level for the first time in 2023, posting a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings in Durham. La Sorsa has some decent but not standout numbers over his four career minor league seasons, so it’s possible the Rays might be able to sneak him through the waiver wire before outrighting him back to Triple-A.
Twins Place Joey Gallo On 10-Day Injured List
The Twins have placed Joey Gallo on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to June 2) due to a left hamstring strain. Outfielder Kyle Garlick was called up from Triple-A to take Gallo’s spot on the active roster, with the Athletic’s Dan Hayes noting that the Twins’ upcoming schedule seemed to factor into the decision to take the righty-swinging Garlick over the left-handed hitting Matt Wallner — Minnesota is facing several left-handed pitchers in the coming days.
Gallo’s own left-handed bat has been revived in the Twin Cities this season, as his .188/.321/.478 slash line translates to a 121 wRC+. Despite the low batting average, Gallo is providing a lot of pop, with 11 homers over 165 plate appearances. The bulk of Gallo’s playing time has come at first base, but he has also seen a lot of action in left field and some work in the other outfield spots. After a tough 2022 campaign, this season has represented something of a return to form for Gallo, which could pay off nicely when he re-enters the free agent market this winter.
Unfortunately, this is the second time injuries have stalled Gallo’s bounce-back season. He spent a minimal 10-day stint on the IL in April due to a minor intercostal strain, and he’ll now be sidelined again in order to heal up this nagging hamstring issue. Gallo first hurt his hamstring almost two weeks ago and has been trying to play through the discomfort, with the Twins also giving him a couple of off-days and using him as a designated hitter. An IL trip was deemed necessary for Gallo to get fully fit, and since Gallo was somewhat able to play with the strain, he again might not be out of action for too long.
Guardians Select Michael Kelly
The Guardians have selected the contract of right-hander Michael Kelly, as noted by MLB.com’s Mandy Bell. In corresponding moves, the club optioned right-hander Hunter Gaddis to Triple-A while transferring right-hander Peyton Battenfield to the 60-day injured list.
A former first round pick by the Padres in the 2011 draft, Kelly, 30, made his MLB debut with the Phillies last season, allowing a run on three hits (one home run) and one walk while striking out four in four innings of work across four appearances. Prior to reaching the majors, Kelly spent six seasons in the Padres minor league system, also spending time with the Orioles and Astros before joining the Phillies in 2022. After his cup of coffee in Philadelphia last year, Kelly joined the Guardians on a minor league deal back in January.
In six seasons at the Triple-A level, Kelly has pitched to mostly mixed results with a 4.57 ERA in 202 2/3 innings of work. That being said, he’s posted impressive numbers at Triple-A Columbus with the organization so far this season, with a 1.61 ERA with a 36% strikeout rate in 22 1/3 innings of work. Those strong numbers have been paired with a worrisome 13.6% walk rate, though the Guardians are surely hoping the right-hander can harness his stuff enough to contribute to a bullpen that currently has Nick Sandlin and Enyel De Los Santos covering the middle innings.
To make room for Kelly on the active roster, the club optioned Gaddis to Columbus. After making a pair of starts for the club in 2022, Gaddis has recorded 31 1/3 innings of work in the majors so far this season, with a 5.17 ERA and 4.84 FIP while swinging in and out of the rotation for the Guardians. In returning to Triple-A, Gaddis figures to provide valuable depth for Cleveland going forward as he waits for his next opportunity at the big league level.
As for Battenfield, the right-hander has been on the injured list for the past few weeks with shoulder inflammation. Battenfield made his MLB debut earlier this season, pitching 34 1/3 innings primarily out of Cleveland’s rotation, though he struggled to a 5.19 ERA with a 5.39 FIP during that time. Battenfield’s timeline for return is unclear as things stand, though he won’t be eligible to be activated from the 60-day IL until after the All Star break.
Tigers Notes: Faedo, Skubal, Greene
The Tigers placed right-hander Alex Faedo on the 15-day injured list this afternoon (retroactive to May 31) with right middle finger discomfort, the club announced. No corresponding move to replace Faedo on the roster has been announced. Earlier today, the club described the issue as tenderness in his right middle fingernail, noting that the young righty was receiving daily treatment for the issue. The move will keep Faedo out of the rotation for at least two weeks, though no timetable for his return has been announced.
The club’s first round pick in the 2018 draft, Faedo made his MLB debut last season, posting a 5.53 ERA and 4.62 FIP over twelve starts. With a strikeout rate of just 18% against a 10.2% walk rate, Faedo’s first foray into the big leagues left much to be desired, leaving him to start the 2023 campaign in Triple-A. Over five starts at the level, he impressed with a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings of work with a 27.9% strikeout rate and a 5.9% walk rate, earning himself a promotion back into the big league rotation at the beginning of May.
Through five starts in 2023, the results appeared to be more of the same on a surface level, with a 5.52 ERA and a 4.51 FIP in 26 innings of work. With that being said, underlying metrics indicate that Faedo may have taken a step forward prior to his injury. While his .232 BABIP this season is surely due for regression, the massive 17.6% rate at which Faedo’s fly balls leave the yard for home runs is likely due for regression of its own, as is his unbelievably low 44.9% strand rate. What’s more, Faedo’s strikeout and walk issues from 2022 seem to have been corrected so far in 2023, as Faedo has struck out a respectable 25.2% of batters faced while allowing just two walks total in his 26 innings of work.
Given the signs that better days may be ahead for Faedo, the Tigers are sure to miss his presence in a rotation that currently sports Matthew Boyd, Michael Lorenzen, Joey Wentz, and Reese Olson. Faedo joins Eduardo Rodriguez and Spencer Turnbull as starts who have gone on the IL in the past month for Detroit, leaving the club in need of another starter before Tuesday’s game against the Phillies. Garrett Hill is an option on the 40-man roster, but the 27-year-old righty has been used mostly out of the bullpen in 2023, having pitched more than three innings just once all season.
While both left-hander Tarik Skubal and right-hander Matt Manning are making progress rehabbing from their own injuries, neither seems particularly close to a return. Skubal is set to begin a rehab assignment with High-A West Michigan tomorrow, as noted by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, but after undergoing surgery last August that has kept him from pitching competitively to this point, figures to need a relatively lengthy rehab start in order to prepare for his return to the major league mound. Manning, meanwhile, is not yet scheduled for a rehab assignment, indicating he could be behind Skubal in his rehab process.
One positive piece of injury news for Tigers fans comes from Riley Greene, who Chris McCosky of The Detroit News notes had his left fibula injury downgraded from a stress fracture to a stress reaction in Detroit’s recent medical report. While the news doesn’t change Greene’s expected timetable for return, it’s nonetheless a reassuring sign that his injury is less severe than originally thought.
A former consensus top-5 prospect in the entire sport, Greene has broken out in his sophomore campaign with a .296/.362/.443 slash line, excellent center field defense, and a perfect six-for-six record in stolen base attempts. The Tigers are relying on the recently-acquired Jake Marisnick in center field while Greene is on the shelf.
Reds Select T.J. Hopkins
The Reds announced this afternoon that they have selected the contract of outfielder T.J. Hopkins. In corresponding moves, outfielder TJ Friedl was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain, while left-hander Nick Lodolo was transferred to the 60-day IL.
Hopkins, 26, was a ninth round pick by the Reds in the 2019 draft. Hopkins has largely hit well since getting his start in full-season ball at Double-A in 2021, with a .264/.339/.452 slash line in 717 plate appearances at the level. That production earned him a promotion to Triple-A late last season, where he posted a .255/.320/.436 slash line good for a league-average wRC+ of exactly 100 in 25 games, with a somewhat concerning 28.2% strikeout rate, the highest of his career at any level.
Returning to the Triple-A level this season, Hopkins has broken out in a big way as the outfielder has obliterated Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .341/.437/.540 slash line in 50 games, good for a wRC+ of 150 while his strikeout rate has dropped to a more palatable 24.6%. That fantastic performance has earned Hopkins his first chance in the big leagues, where he’s the next youngster promoted in a Reds youth movement that already included the likes of Matt McLain and Spencer Steer.
While most of his experience is in the outfield corners, Hopkins figures to replace the club’s center fielder in the lineup as Friedl heads to the IL with a hamstring strain. After two partial seasons as a roughly league average bat with the Reds in 2021 and 2022, Friedl has broken out in a big way so far this year, with a .246/.320/.434 slash line and strong defense in center field. That breakout will be put on hold now, however, at least for the time being. In the meantime, Hopkins figures to mix and match in the outfield alongside Jake Fraley, Stuart Fairchild, Jose Barrero, and Will Benson.
Lodolo’s placement on the 60-day IL hardly comes as a surprise after an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his left tibia last month. While Lodolo’s initial timetable for return was around a month after his mid-May injury, the stress reaction seemed likely to extend his timeline fro return, and his placement on the 60-day IL confirms that much, as he will now be out through the All Star break at minimum. After a fantastic rookie season where he posted a 3.66 ERA in 103 1/3 innings, Lodolo struggled early in his sophomore campaign, with a 6.29 ERA across seven starts prior to his placement on the injured list.
Pirates Designate Chris Owings For Assignment, Select Angel Perdomo
The Pirates announced a series of roster moves this morning as the club selected the contract of left-hander Angel Perdomo and recalled right-hander Yerry De Los Santos to the big league club. In corresponding moves, infielder Chris Owings was designated for assignment while right-hander Cody Bolton was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Perdomo, 29, has not pitched in the majors since 2021 after making a 2 2/3 inning MLB debut for the Brewers in 2020. In 19 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, Perdomo sports a 8.24 ERA and 6.43 FIP. While he’s struck out a strong 33.7% of batters faced over that time, his massive 23.5% walk rate has held him back from being a quality big league reliever to this point. While Perdomo has posted a strong 2.47 ERA at the Triple-A level since the start of the 2022 season, it’s been accompanied by continued control issues, as evidenced by his 15.3% walk rate in that timeframe. The Pirates are clearly hoping Perdomo can harness his excellent stuff to contribute to the bullpen alongside fellow lefties Rob Zastrynzy and Jose Hernandez.
De Los Santos, on the other hand, made his big league debut for the Pirates last season, posting a 4.91 ERA and 4.01 FIP in 26 appearances. Now 25, he figures to help the likes of Perdomo and Yohan Ramirez cover the middle innings for the Pirates bullpen.
On the other end of things, the moves likely bring Owings’s time with the Pirates to an end. A former first round pick by the Diamondbacks in the 2009 draft, Owings signed with the Pirates this past offseason on a minor league deal, eventually being selected to the roster in early May after initially being re-assigned to the minor leagues after failing to make the roster out of spring training. Owings appeared in ten games for the Pirates, with 12 strikeouts, no walks, and four hits (all singles) in 25 trips to the plate.
Though Owings has not managed to find regular playing time at the big league level since leaving the Diamondbacks in 2019, he’s appeared in parts of 11 big league seasons thanks in large part to his versatility, which has allowed him to appear in every defensive position throughout his big league career except for first base and catcher.
Meanwhile, Bolton heads to Indianapolis less than two weeks before his 25th birthday. A sixth-round pick by the Pirates in the 2017 draft, Bolton saw considerable success in the lower levels of the minors and was considered one of the better prospects in the Pirates organization early in his professional career. Unfortunately, he struggled with his command in 2022 at the Triple-A level, with a 12.4% walk rate in 75 2/3 innings split between the rotation and the bullpen. Nonetheless, he made his big league debut earlier this season, but in five appearances in the majors, Bolton has struggled to a 12.83 ERA in just eight innings of work. He figures to act as depth in Triple-A going forward as he tries to get things back on track.
Mariners To Promote Bryan Woo
TODAY: The Mariners made the move official, selecting Woo’s contract and placing Gonzales on the 15-day IL with a forearm strain. To clear room for Woo on the 40-man roster, right-hander Easton McGee was transferred to the 60-day IL.
June 2: The Mariners are calling up pitching prospect Bryan Woo to start tomorrow’s game against the Rangers, tweets Corey Brock of the Athletic. Left-hander Marco Gonzales was slated to start but has been scratched with a forearm issue. It seems likely he’ll hit the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move, though that hasn’t yet been announced.
Woo, 23, is in the majors for the first time. A sixth round pick in 2021 out of Cal Poly, Woo has significantly elevated his stock in pro ball. He posted huge strikeout numbers in the low minors last season, cementing himself as one of the better prospects in the Seattle farm system. Baseball America slotted Woo seventh among M’s prospects over the offseason, praising his three-pitch arsenal and athleticism.
BA suggests Woo could settle in as a back-of-the-rotation starter at his peak. Keith Law of the Athletic credited Woo with mid-rotation upside but suggested spotty command could eventually push him towards a relief role. He’ll break into the big leagues as a starter, making the jump directly past Triple-A in the process.
The right-hander has made nine starts for Double-A Arkansas on the season. He’s posted a brilliant 2.05 ERA through 44 innings with an excellent 34% strikeout rate. Woo has kept his free passes to a 7% clip, a particularly promising development considering the strike-throwing questions some evaluators expressed over the winter.
Seattle has already gotten strong results from one rookie righty this season. Bryce Miller has excelled through six starts, adding an exciting complement to their already fantastic trio of Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Logan Gilbert. Gonzales has had a tougher go as the fifth starter, posting a 5.22 ERA over 50 innings.
While Gonzales has never missed many bats, he’s posted solid back-of-the-rotation numbers for the bulk of his Seattle tenure. He’s an excellent strike-thrower and has typically been durable. He missed around a month during the 2021 season with a forearm strain, however, and he’s again battling forearm issues. The extent of the injury is to be determined, as Brock notes he’s headed for further evaluation.
Chris Flexen filled in the rotation earlier this season. He struggled and was moved to the bullpen and fared much better in long relief. Flexen hasn’t pitched in four days and could’ve been an option to take a spot start in Gonzales’ stead, but the M’s have elected to dip into their farm system for one of their most talented young arms.
Woo won’t reach a full year of service time even if he’s up for good. He’ll be controllable through at least 2029 and wouldn’t qualify for arbitration until after the 2025 season at the earliest. Additional minor league assignments could push that timeline back.
The Mariners will need to formally add him to the 40-man roster tomorrow. Seattle is technically at capacity but could move either of Dylan Moore or Robbie Ray to the 60-day injured list without issue. Moore has already spent more than two months on the shelf; Ray is out for the season.