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Dodgers Place Clayton Kershaw On Injured List, Reinstate Chris Taylor

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TODAY: Kershaw’s MRI didn’t reveal any serious damage, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya (Twitter links) and other reporters.  As Roberts put it, this is the “best-case scenario” for Kershaw’s injury, though the southpaw also received an epidural injection in his back.  A timetable still isn’t known for Kershaw’s return.

AUGUST 5: The Dodgers announced they’ve placed Clayton Kershaw on the 15-day injured list, citing low back pain. Utilityman Chris Taylor is back from his own IL stint to take the vacated active roster spot. Los Angeles also recalled reliever Reyes Moronta from Triple-A Oklahoma City and optioned outfielder James Outman.

Kershaw lands on the IL for the second time this season. He lost around a month between early May and June with inflammation in his right hip area. The future Hall of Famer returned and went on to make ten more starts before yesterday’s outing. After throwing four innings of two-run ball in an eventual win over the Giants, Kershaw went out to the mound for his warm-up tosses to start the fifth. He pulled himself from the game after experiencing some pain in his lower back, and that issue will apparently keep him out of action for at least the next few weeks.

The team hasn’t provided a timetable on Kershaw’s return, and the announced diagnosis of “low back pain” remains nebulous. They’ll surely be cautious with the 34-year-old, particularly since he’s landed on the injured list at least once in each season since 2016. That included stints for back issues every year between 2016-18. With a 12 1/2 game lead over the Padres in the NL West, the Dodgers can feel comfortable playing things slowly with key players for the final couple months.

While Kershaw no longer takes on the kind of workloads he did during his prime, he’s still among the sport’s best pitchers on a rate basis. Through 85 1/3 innings this season, the three-time Cy Young winner carries a 2.64 ERA with an above-average 26.2% strikeout rate and 48.5% ground-ball percentage. Kershaw’s fastball is sitting in the 90 MPH range, but he owns arguably the game’s best command and hasn’t walked more than 6% of batters faced in a season for a decade.

Kershaw’s trip to the IL leaves Julio Urías, Tony Gonsolin, Tyler Anderson and Andrew Heaney as the rotation’s top four for the time being. Ryan Pepiot and Michael Grove are depth options at Triple-A, and the club seems likely to welcome hard-throwing righty Dustin May back in the not too distant future. Manager Dave Roberts told MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM this afternoon that May is likely to return by the club’s August 19-21 series against the Marlins (Twitter link). The 24-year-old has been out all season recovering from May 2021 Tommy John surgery, but he’s been on a rehab stint since mid-July. Roberts indicated he’s likely to make two more starts in Oklahoma City before returning to the big league club, although he left open the possibility May rejoins the MLB team after just one more Triple-A appearance.

Taylor makes his return to the starting lineup, exactly a month after fracturing his left foot. It’s a quick bounceback for an injury of that magnitude, and Roberts suggested he’ll get the nod at second base tonight. It’ll be Taylor’s first infield appearance of the season, as he’s worked exclusively on the grass this year. Taylor has logged 502 innings in left field, along with 57 and 56 frames in center and right, respectively.

Of course, Taylor made a name for himself with his defensive flexibility in previous seasons. He’s capable of playing virtually everywhere on the diamond other than catcher, and it seems the club is content to get him back onto the infield on occasion. Gavin Lux and Trea Turner make for an excellent middle infield duo, with Max Muncy playing primarily third base as Justin Turner landed on the IL on Tuesday. Taylor will presumably spend the bulk of his time in the outfield still, but the ability to log some action on the dirt will allow Roberts more flexibility in managing infield reps. The 31-year-old will try to get going offensively after his month away, as he carries a .238/.319/.409 line with a huge 35.4% strikeout rate across 285 plate appearances on the year.

Phillies Release Odubel Herrera, Jeurys Familia

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The Phillies have released outfielder Odubel Herrera and right-hander Jeurys Familia.  Righty Ryan Sherriff has also been outrighted to Triple-A.  All three players were designated for assignment earlier this week.

This is the second time within the last year that the Phils have officially parted ways with Herrera, as they declined their $11.5MM club option last fall and then re-signed him for only $1.75MM in March.  It would seem like today’s release will bring an end to Herrera’s run in the organization after seven-plus years, as Philadelphia is certainly hoping that trade deadline acquisition Brandon Marsh can be a long-term answer in center field.

Herrera hit .238/.279/.378 over 197 PA this season, seeing time in center field and left field.  Familia was also struggling, with a 6.09 ERA in 34 innings after signing a one-year, $6MM free agent deal with the Phillies during the offseason.

Familia is still owed around $2MM of that salary, though a new team will have to cover just the prorated MLB minimum salary, while the Phillies absorb the rest.  The same is true of the roughly $580K owed to Herrera on the remainder of his deal.  Claiming either player off DFA waivers would have put the new team on the hook for the rest of the remaining salary, so while neither Herrera or Familia represents a huge financial outlay, it is still understandable why other teams would prefer to stick the Phillies with much of the bill.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see either player catch on elsewhere, though Familia is seemingly the likelier of the two to land with a new club.  Herrera hasn’t been a terribly effective player since 2017, while Familia still had solid bottom-line numbers with the Mets as recently as 2021.  With pretty much all of Familia’s secondary metrics trending downward, however, clubs must have concerns over what the 32-year-old still has in the tank.

Braves Claim Daniel Young, Outright Jesus Cruz

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The Braves claimed left-hander Daniel Young off waivers from the Mariners and outrighted right-hander Jesus Cruz to Triple-A Gwinnett, the team announced today.  The Mariners had designated Young for assignment earlier this week.

Young had a 7.36 ERA over 2 2/3 innings with Seattle this season, marking his first appearance in the big leagues.  Originally an eight-round pick for the Blue Jays in the 2015 draft, Young is now reunited with Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos, who was Toronto’s general manager when Young’s pro career got underway.

The left-hander has a 3.79 ERA over 299 1/3 career innings in the minors, working as a reliever in all but one of his 230 games.  A grounder specialist for much of his career, Young’s strikeout rate shot up to 33.9% over his 28 innings with the Mariners’ Triple-A affiliate this year, while still inducing grounders at a 55.7% rate.  This improvement in his age-28 season earned Young his first cup of coffee in the majors, and now another fresh start in a new organization.

Cruz’s big league resume consists of a single inning with the Cardinals in 2020 and 8 2/3 frames with Atlanta this season, with a 7.45 ERA to show for that brief sample size.  The righty has missed plenty of bats over five pro seasons, but he has had some problems with his control and (this season especially at Triple-A) keeping the ball in the park.

Giants Reinstate Brandon Crawford, Joc Pederson; Designate Dixon Machado

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The Giants announced that shortstop Brandon Crawford has been activated from the 10-day injured list, while outfielder Joc Pederson is also back after being activated from the seven-day concussion IL.  To create roster space, San Francisco optioned infielder David Villar to Triple-A and designated infielder Dixon Machado for assignment.

Crawford has been battling soreness in his left knee for most of the season, and the injury has resulted in two trips to the IL for the veteran shortstop within the last six weeks.  This latest IL stint sidelined Crawford for a little over three weeks, and it is possible that the lingering nature of this problem could lead to Crawford getting a few more days off than usual over the final two months of the regular season.

Coming off a career year in 2021, Crawford’s knee issues could be partially to blame for his dropoff this season, as the shortstop is hitting only .215/.297/.332 over 279 plate appearances.  There’s still time for Crawford to get on track and finish the year in more respectable fashion, even if it might be too late for the Giants to get back into the wild card race.

With the Giants moving some veteran players at the trade deadline, it is quite possible he might’ve been moved had it not been for his concussion symptoms.  The good news, however, is that Pederson is able to make a quick return after hitting the concussion-IL on July 29, so he doesn’t appear to be dealing with any lingering after-effects.  The slugger is hitting .242/.319/.492 with 17 home runs over 285 PA, and his first-half performance earned a slot on the NL All-Star roster.

It could be a very short stay in the Giants organization for Machado, who was just acquired in a trade with the Cubs on July 31.  San Francisco was in a crunch for shortstop depth with Crawford and Thairo Estrada both on the IL, and thus Machado provided some short-term help.  Machado’s five games with the Giants represented his first MLB playing time since 2018, as he has since been playing in the KBO League and with the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate.

Tigers Select Luis Castillo

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The Tigers selected the contract of right-hander Luis Castillo, the team announced today. Not to be confused with the longtime Red (and new Mariner), the 27-year-old Castillo will be making his big-league debut whenever he enters a game. He’ll take the roster spot opened when the club optioned fellow righty Bryan Garcia to Triple-A Toledo following last night’s game against the Rays.

It’s been a long road to the big leagues for Castillo, who spent a full five seasons in rookie ball after signing with the Diamondbacks out of the Dominican Republic. He made it to Triple-A Reno in 2021 before joining the Tigers in the offseason and has put together an excellent 2022 campaign. Across 38 innings between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo, he’s logged a 1.42 ERA while striking out 23.2% of the batters he’s faced.

Garcia, who’s appeared for the Tigers in each of the past four seasons, struggled with control in his recent stint with the big club, walking a full 24.2% of batters faced, including six in yesterday’s start against the Rays. While he managed to limit the damage — he has a 2.35 ERA in 7 2/3 innings this year — his 6.37 FIP tells a different story. For his career, Garcia owns a 5.73 ERA (5.76 FIP) in 75 1/3 big-league innings.

Angels Select Mike Mayers

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The Angels selected the contract of right-hander Mike Mayers, the team announced today. To make room for Mayers on their 40-man roster, the club transferred right-hander Michael Lorenzen to the 60-day IL. A spot on the active roster had been cleared last night, when the team optioned righty Janson Junk to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Though he’s had some success in an Angels uniform, 2022 has been a struggle for Mayers. The 30-year-old logged a 5.40 ERA (5.81 FIP) in 16 2/3 innings before accepting an assignment to Triple-A Salt Lake after he went unclaimed following a late-May designation. Things didn’t go much better for him in the minors, though he was stretched out as a starter. The righty notched a 6.27 ERA in 33 innings across 8 Triple-A appearances (all starts).

While he’ll be given another chance to establish himself in the majors, Mayers remains a strong non-tender candidate in the offseason, as he’d be in line for a raise from this year’s $2.15MM salary. Regardless, he should get an opportunity to latch on somewhere, as he’s pitched quite effectively in the fairly recent past, including a combined 105 innings of 3.34 ERA ball between 2020 and 2021. Across parts of seven seasons between the Cardinals and Angels, Mayers has struck out 24.5%  and walked 8.4% of the batters he’s faced (both a tick better than league average) and owns a 4.98 ERA (4.30 FIP) in 202 1/3 innings.

Marlins Activate Elieser Hernandez, Designate Aneurys Zabala For Assignment

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The Marlins have activated right-hander Elieser Hernandez from the injured list and designated Aneurys Zabala for assignment, per Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (via Twitter).

Hernandez has long been thought of as a potential rotation stalwart for the Marlins, but the 27-year-old struggled mightily to start the year. After nine starts and five relief appearances, Hernandez holds a 6.11 ERA (6.81 FIP) across 53 frames on the year.

It isn’t clear what Hernandez’s role will be upon his return. He could be asked to step into a rotation currently missing both Trevor Rogers and recent debutant Max Meyer. Should manager Don Mattingly prefer to move forward with Jesus Lazardo, Braxton Garrett, and Edward Cabrera behind Pablo Lopez and Cy Young contender Sandy Alcantara, though, he may instead slot into a bullpen that recently lost both Zach Pop and Anthony Bass in a deadline trade with the Blue Jays.

Something of a minor-league journeyman, the 25-year-old Zabala made his big-league debut this season and allowed no earned runs in 2 2/3 innings of action. He’s logged a 5.58 ERA in parts of eight seasons in the minors between the Mariners’, Dodgers’, Reds’, Phillies’, and Marlins’ systems. Should he clear waivers, he’ll likely head back to Triple-A Jacksonville, where he pitched 11 2/3 innings 10.03 ERA ball early in the season.

Tyler Stephenson Likely To Miss Rest Of Season

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Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson will likely miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery to stabilize a fractured clavicle, writes Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Stephenson was previously expected to be out at last until September, but it’s now clear that his 2022 season is probably over.

In the short term, this does little to impact Cincinnati’s stature, as the last-place Reds have little hope to enter the postseason picture this season. It does, however, cement some playing time for Stephenson’s understudies, Michael Papierski, Austin Romine, and Mark Kolozsvary, the latter of which is currently in Triple-A.

The Reds know what they have in Stephenson, and Romine, for that matter, an established veteran backup. But they can use the rest of this season to evaluate Papierski and Kolozsvary in their capacities as a future partner for Stephenson behind the plate. Aramis Garcia, who is second on the team after Stevenson in plate appearances on the year, is also on the injured list.

For now, Papierski, 26, looks like the most likely to see significant playing time in Stephenson’s stead. Papierski was acquired from the Giants earlier this season after appearing in just five games for San Francisco, with whom he made his Major League debut. With Cincinnati, Papierski has appeared in 24 games, slashing .158/.250/.158 across 65 plate appearances so far this season.

Mets Place Tommy Hunter On 15-Day Injured List

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The Mets have placed right-hander Tommy Hunter on the 15-day injured list with lower back tightness, per Tim Healey of Newsday Sports (via Twitter). In his place, David Peterson has been added to the active roster. Peterson will start the first game of today’s doubleheader, while reliever Yoan Lopez was added to serve as the 27th man for today’s twin bill.

The veteran Hunter has appeared in the bigs in every season since making his debut with the Rangers in the 2008 season. Hunter, now 36, has gone on to suit up for the Orioles, Cubs, Guardians, Rays, Phillies, and Mets. He made four appearances last year for New York, all scoreless. This year, he has made 11 appearances with a 2.51 ERA/4.02 FIP across 14 1/3 innings of work.

With the Mets rotation now intact, it’s likely this is a spot start for Peterson, though that could certainly change. The towering southpaw has been a solid rotation option for manager Buck Showalter this season, making 13 starts and another four appearances out of the bullpen. In total, Peterson has a 3.54 ERA/4.04 FIP across 73 2/3 innings with a strong 27.5 percent strikeout rate, 11.2 percent walk rate, and career-best 53.2 percent groundball percentage.

Lopez’s previous time in the Majors with the Mets was marked by a suspension he picked up for throwing for his perceived targeting of Kyle Schwarber on May 1st. He made just seven appearances with the team, giving up four earned runs across 10 2/3 innings on 10 hits and five walks while striking out 10 batters.

NL Notes: Diamondbacks, Nationals, Reds

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The Diamondbacks have removed Mark Melancon from the closer’s role, writes Theo Mackie of the Arizona Republic. Melancon was signed in the offseason to a two-year, $14MM deal, and there’s still value to be extracted from that deal, even if Melancon doesn’t return to the ninth inning. After all, Melancon may still receive some save opportunities, but the Diamondbacks will explore a situation-based approach for the rest of the season. Let’s check around the league for other roster updates…

  • The Nationals have released southpaw Josh Rogers, who elected free agency after clearing outright waivers. Infielder/outfielder Dee Strange-Gordon has also been granted his release. Strange-Gordon was in his second stint with the Nationals this season, but he requested a release after not being called up to the Major League club, per Bobby Blanco of MASNsports.com. As for Rogers, the 28-year-old began the year in the Nats’ rotation, making three starts before a move to the bullpen. In all, Rogers posted a 5.13 ERA/6.42 FIP over 26 1/3 innings.
  • Kyle Farmer’s run of 192 consecutive starts at shortstop will end with a move to the hot corner, writes Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. Youngster Jose Barrero is getting the call-up from Triple-A, and he’ll be given the rest of this season to showcase his ability to be a regular at the position. Farmer, meanwhile, will move to third base and, in the long term, probably back into more of the utility role that he played for most of his career before taking over as the Reds regular shortstop in 2021. Farmer was a substantial defensive upgrade over Eugenio Suarez at the time, but his defensive metrics (-4 OAA, -1 DRS) at shortstop suggest there’s still room to improve for the Reds as a franchise.

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