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Cardinals Place Harrison Bader On IL With Fractured Rib

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The Cardinals announced Tuesday that center fielder Harrison Bader is headed to the 10-day injured list after being diagnosed with a hairline fracture on one of his ribs. Bader exited last night’s game in the third inning after very nearly making an outstanding diving catch on a sinking liner off the bat of Nick Madrigal (video link). However, he ultimately landed with his ribcage on the baseball after it kicked off the heel of his glove. The Cardinals have recalled first baseman/outfielder John Nogowski to take his spot on the active roster.

Bader’s placement on the IL comes at a time when the Cardinals’ outfield depth is already compromised. Tyler O’Neill is on the shelf with a fractured finger at the moment, while Triple-A outfielders Austin Dean and Scott Hurst were both recently placed on the injured list. That slate of injuries likely shifts Dylan Carlson over to center field, with a combination of Justin Williams, Lane Thomas and Nogowski seeing action in the corners.

This is the second IL stint already on the young season for Bader, who opened the season on the shelf due to a forearm injury. He’s gotten out to a .219/.301/.411 start to his season through 83 plate appearances. It’s the same blend of low batting average and decent power we’ve seen from Hader in recent years, but with a greatly reduced strikeout rate standing out as a key difference. Bader entered the 2021 season with a career 29.1 percent punchout rate, but he’s fanned just 13 times in his 83 trips (15.7 percent).

Bader’s contact rate has also improved in 2021, while both his swinging-strike rate and called-strike rate have declined. At least through his first 22 games, he’s looked to have a better recognition of the strike zone and given some inklings that the drop in strikeouts is legitimate. Should that prove to be the case, it’s quite likely his overall batting line will tick up. He’s currently being plagued by a .211 average on balls in play that is nearly 100 points lower than his career mark. He’s also making less hard contact than in recent seasons, so it’s not all good news, but the generally improved approach is certainly still of note.

Red Sox Outright Austin Brice

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The Red Sox announced Tuesday that right-hander Austin Brice has been outrighted to Triple-A Worcester after he went unclaimed on waivers. He was designated for assignment last week when Boston selected Danny Santana’s contract. While Brice has the requisite service time to reject the assignment and elect free agency, doing so would mean walking away from the remainder of this season’s $870K salary, so he’ll likely head to Worcester and hope to pitch his way back into the team’s big league plans.

Brice, 29 next month, has shown plenty of promise throughout his big league career but never put it together outside of a solid 2019 effort in Miami. He has, at various times, flashed not only the ability to miss bats at a high level but also shown strong ground-ball tendencies and posted solid walk rates. He’s never been able to get all three of those traits to align in a single season, however.

With the 2019 Marlins, Brice tossed 44 2/3 innings of 3.43 ERA ball with roughly average strikeout and ground-ball tendencies, but his time in Boston hasn’t gone well. He’s been clobbered for a 6.32 ERA with the Sox, and his overall career mark now sits at 5.18. Brice has had consistent success in Triple-A whenever he’s pitched there (career 2.70 ERA), so if he can get back in track in his fourth stint at that level, it’s possible he’ll return to the big league bullpen later this year.

Brewers Claim Jake Hager

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The Brewers announced Tuesday that they’ve claimed infielder/outfielder Jake Hager off waivers from the Mets, who’d designated him for assignment over the weekend. Hager has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville. Milwaukee had space on its 40-man roster, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary.

Hager, 28, made his big league debut with the Mets in 2021, going 1-for-8 in a brief five-game stint. This will be his second stint with the Brewers organization, having spent the 2018-19 seasons with Milwaukee’s Double-A and Triple-A affiliates.

Hager has spent the bulk of his career at shortstop, although he’s begun to diversify his defensive repertoire in recent seasons. The Mets, due in no small part to the rash of injuries they’ve incurred at the big league level, got Hager some work in the outfield corners and even trotted him out to center for one game with their Triple-A affiliate. Hager has just 67 innings of outfield work in his professional career but has ample experience at all four infield positions.

Chris B. Young Joins MLB Network

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Former All-Star outfielder Chris Young is joining MLB Network as an on-air analyst and will make his debut on MLB Tonight on Memorial Day, the network announced in a press release this morning. He becomes the second recently retired big leaguer to join the network’s roster in recent weeks. Yonder Alonso was announced as a new analyst for MLB Network just under a month ago.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to join the squad to talk baseball, mix in a little trash talk, have some fun and get my feet wet in the industry,” Young said in a statement within today’s announcement. “Being fresh out of the game, I’ve followed it closely and am ready for this new challenge. I played for seven different teams in my career and I can’t wait to get started with my eighth.”

Young’s last MLB action came with the 2018 Angels, when he played through a hip injury that ultimately required surgery. He hit just .168/.252/.363 in 128 trips to the plate that season, but his overall body of work through parts of 13 MLB seasons was solid. Young finished fourth in 2007 NL Rookie of the Year voting with the D-backs, made the All-Star team in 2010, and for years was a big league regular with an enticing blend of power and speed. Young belted 191 homers and swiped 142 bases, tallying a trio of 20-20 seasons along the way. Overall, he batted .235/.314/.428 with above-average defensive ratings in center.

Mets Exploring Trade Market As Injuries Mount

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With the Mets reeling due to a massive slate of injuries, they’re not waiting until the trade deadline to look for ways to help their roster. Acting general manager Zack Scott told reporters prior to last night’s game that he’s in active pursuit of reinforcements (links via Newsday’s Laura Albanese and The Athletic’s Tim Britton).

“I’m pretty much on the phone all day, every day,” Scott said prior to a game which saw the Mets incur yet another injury, when Johneshwy Fargas sustained a sprained AC joint in his shoulder upon crashing into the center field fence. “We’ve got to find the best solutions, always. … We’re trying to find the best internal options and the best external options and trying to get the best out of the guys that we have

The Mets have been hit with a near-unfathomable slate of outfield injuries, some of the soft-tissue variety that have been on the uptick in 2021 throughout the league but many freak injuries that are entirely unforeseeable. Fargas becomes the second Mets outfielder to injure himself colliding with the wall in center field, joining Albert Almora Jr. in that regard. Kevin Pillar was struck in the face by a fastball last week, leading to multiple nasal fractures that required surgery. Brandon Nimmo is currently being plagued by a nerve issue in his left hand that forced a recent minor league rehab assignment to be halted. Meanwhile, the Mets revealed last night that both Michael Conforto and Jeff McNeil will likely be out until late June, as the hamstring strains that sent them both to the injured list have proven to be “significant.”

At this point, the Mets are a catcher injury shy of having legitimate MLB-caliber starting lineup on the IL. Pete Alonso, McNeil, Luis Guillorme, J.D. Davis, Pillar, Nimmo and Conforto represent a better foundation for a lineup than many rebuilding clubs around the league trot out on a nightly basis.

Unfortunately for the Mets, this is also happening at a time when most clubs aren’t yet ready to throw in the towel on their season. Save for a few clubs who entered the year knowing the 2021 season wouldn’t be a competitive one — Pirates, Tigers, Orioles, etc. — teams generally wait until further into the summer to determine their trade deadline direction.

Even those clear sellers may prefer to wait a bit longer, as the demand for the players they plan to market will likely increase along with the number of motivated buyers. Many of today’s front offices seemingly prefer to wait until the eleventh hour and choose not to start dealing until the deadline is just days or even hours away. The Nationals’ remarkable turnaround in 2019 likely only further dissuades clubs from becoming early sellers.

“It’s harder to assess, to address your needs in May or early June, than it is when everyone’s kind of in that (trade deadline) mode,” Scott said last night. At the same time, there’s urgency for the Mets to act now, to the extent possible. “[T]he risk of waiting given all our injuries is that we’re in a different spot and not where we want to be come the end of July,” Scott added.

The Mets, improbably, remain in first place in the National League East in spite of their litany of injuries and a -14 run differential. They can hardly be expected to maintain that standing with the skeleton crew they’re running out on a nightly basis, but Scott and team president Sandy Alderson face an uphill battle in terms of prying meaningful help away from another club at this point in the schedule.

Erik Kratz Makes Sign-Stealing Allegations

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Former catcher Erik Kratz recently levied some eyebrow-raising allegations of sign-stealing against a couple of National League teams while a guest with John J. Filippelli and Kevin Sullivan on Curtain Call of the YES Network. When asked for his opinion about the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal, Kratz said, “I can tell you that a team that has been to the World Series often recently, we caught them doing something almost similar.”

Since the Dodgers are the only team to have been to the World Series multiple times in recent years (besides the Astros), it seems Kratz is implying the Dodgers took part in some kind of sign-stealing during the 2018 season. He did not expound any further about their specific actions in this podcast, and did not name the Dodgers directly.

Robert Murray of The Athletic wrote in October 2018 during the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers, “There is concern among some Brewers that the Dodgers are using video to pick up their signs,” adding, “Others in the organization are unsure.”  That article made clear that the Brewers understood that stealing signs from the dugout or basepaths was fair play, while the use of technology would be crossing a line – the commonly held stance on the issue.  Murray reported that the Brewers told MLB’s video room security people of their suspicions, but “The security personnel responded that they had not detected anything.”

On the recent podcast, Kratz made a more specific claim against the Rockies, saying, “…And I can also tell you, cause I don’t really care, I don’t know anybody over there: the Colorado Rockies were doing the exact same thing in 2018…They used to take a Theragun and bang it on their metal bench. And they were doing the exact same thing from the TV. So, there you go. If you think no one else was doing it, you are wrong. The difference is, the Astros may have taken it a little too far.”

Kratz’s point on the whole seemed to be that he thought the Astros were being singled out for actions that were more widespread throughout the game. Certainly, the treatment of sign-stealing as a singular instance of misconduct has been a concern expressed elsewhere. That said, Kratz’s comments are certain to require some follow-up by MLB, given the specific allegations.

For context, Kratz was a member of the Brewers during the 2018 season. The Brewers played both the Rockies and Dodgers that postseason, defeating Colorado in the NLDS and falling to Los Angeles in a seven-game NLCS.  He was also a member of the Astros briefly during the 2016 season, prior to the time of the sign-stealing allegations.

Kratz last played in 2020 in a part-time capacity for the Yankees. He made the decision not to play in 2021, presumably ending his playing career. Over 11 years since 2010 when he made his debut as a 30-year-old for the Pirates, Kratz played for nine teams, slashing .209/.256/.355 over 951 plate appearances.

Injury Notes: Buxton, Mets, A’s, Cards

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Twins center fielder Byron Buxton could be ready for a rehab assignment near the end of the week, manager Rocco Baldelli told Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press and other reporters. Buxton has been out since May 7 with a hip strain, the latest of an unfortunate number of injuries he has dealt with since his career began in 2015. The 27-year-old was off to a jaw-dropping start this season with a .370/.408/.772 line, nine home runs and five stolen bases in 98 plate appearances before his IL placement, making him the brightest spot on a Minnesota team that has surprisingly gone from contender to calamity.

  • The Mets didn’t need another injury to an outfielder, but they got one Monday: Johneshwy Fargas departed their game against the Rockies with a left AC joint sprain, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com was among those to report. The team just promoted Fargas a week ago when it placed fellow outfielder Michael Conforto on the injured list (he’ll be out until late June with a hamstring strain), and Fargas has since been its go-to option in center. The 26-year-old has fared well with a .286/.286/.524 line in 22 plate appearances, but he may now be on his way to the IL. The Mets’ outfield is already without Conforto, Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr.
  • Athletics left-hander Jesus Luzardo is going on a Triple-A rehab start Thursday and looks to be closing in on a return to the big league club, per Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. The question is whether Luzardo, who fractured his left hand in a video game-related accident at the beginning of the month, will start or relieve when he returns. The promising 23-year-old got off to a rocky start this season with a 5.79 ERA in 28 innings prior to landing on the IL.
  • Cardinals southpaw reliever Andrew Miller will begin a rehab stint Tuesday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat tweets. St. Louis will have a better idea of a return date later this week. The Cardinals have gone since April 29 without Miller, whom they sent to the IL with a right foot issue. The once-marvelous Miller, 36, got off to a tough start this year with 7 1/3 innings of 12-hit, seven-run pitching and eight strikeouts against four walks before going on the IL.

Blue Jays To Promote Alek Manoah

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The Blue Jays are promoting right-handed pitching prospect Alek Manoah, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. He’ll start Wednesday against the Yankees.

It was a quick rise up the ranks for Manoah, the 11th overall pick in the 2019 draft. The former West Virginia star was excellent in Low-A ball that year, though he was unable to build on that last season because of the lack of a minor league campaign. However, Manoah picked up where he left off this season prior to his first major league promotion. The 23-year-old has dominated in his Triple-A debut with 18 innings of seven-hit, one-run ball and 27 strikeouts against three walks.

As one would expect based on his professional production, Manoah is among the game’s highest-regarded prospects. Outlets such as The Athletic, Baseball America, MLB.com and Baseball Prospectus have all placed him in their top 100 lists of late, with MLB.com writing that the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder’s three-pitch repertoire – a fastball, slider and changeup – could pave the way for a solid career as a starter.

While it remains to be seen whether Manoah will be able to stick in the bigs this year, Toronto could use the boost in its rotation. Hyun Jin Ryu, Robbie Ray and Steven Matz have combined for good production across 26 outings, but the Jays have gotten little else from their starters in 2021.

Latest On Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil

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The Mets placed outfielder Michael Conforto and second baseman Jeff McNeil on the injured list on May 17, but both players are going to miss much more time than the 10-day minimum. Mets acting general manager Zack Scott said Monday that Conforto and McNeil have “significant hamstring strains” that will shelve them until late June, per Laura Albanese of Newsday.

Conforto has largely been an offensive standout with the Mets since he debuted in 2015, but this news continues a difficult platform season for the 28-year-old. He’s off to a so-so start (by his standards) with a .230/.356/.336 line and a pair of home runs in 135 plate appearances. It’ll now be several more weeks before Conforto can try to rebound in advance of a potential trip to free agency.

The Mets’ outfield, meanwhile, is in a tattered state. Along with Conforto, they’re down Brandon Nimmo, Kevin Pillar and Albert Almora Jr. – all of whom have been on the IL for at least a week. As a result, the team is forced to rely on a starting alignment of Cameron Maybin, Johneshwy Fargas and Khalil Lee in the grass. It’s obviously not ideal for New York, but the club is nonetheless up a game and a half in the National League East.

Like Conforto, McNeil hasn’t been at the top of his game this year, though he was enjoying a solid month prior to his IL placement. Overall, the 29-year-old has batted .242/.336/.374 with three home runs over 113 trips to the plate, and the versatile McNeil has been the Mets’ No. 1 choice at the keystone. Jose Peraza and Jonathan Villar have also racked up at least a handful of starts there, but the latter has mostly handed third base since another of New York’s top hitters – J.D. Davis – landed on the IL on May 2 with a sprained left hand.

Cardinals Place Miles Mikolas On 10-Day IL Due To Forearm Tightness

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MAY 24: Mikolas will visit Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday for a second opinion, Jones tweets.

MAY 23: Mikolas has been placed on the 10-day injured list, the Cardinals announced.  Right-hander Junior Fernandez was called up from Triple-A in a corresponding move.

MAY 22, 9:38 pm: Mikolas is headed for an MRI tonight, manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News Democrat).

8:03 pm: Cardinals righty Miles Mikolas left this evening’s start against the Cubs before the fifth inning after a visit from the trainer. The team later announced he was removed with right forearm tightness. Daniel Ponce de Leon was called on to replace him.

Mikolas’ start today marked his return to a big league mound for the first time in nineteen months. He missed the entire 2020 season after undergoing surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right forearm. Expected to return at the start of this year, Mikolas ultimately wound up delayed nearly two months by a shoulder issue. Any pitcher exiting in the middle of a start with forearm tightness is concerning, since that can often be a precursor to Tommy John surgery. Given Mikolas’ recent injury history, it’s especially alarming.

The 32-year-old did make three successful rehab starts with Triple-A Memphis before getting back on a big league mound. In this evening’s game, Mikolas’ fastball was in the 89-92 MPH range, topping out at 92.7 MPH. That’s below the 93-94 MPH he averaged on his heater in 2018-19, although it hadn’t seemed particularly surprising his velocity would be down a bit given his long layoff from pitching.

The Cardinals already had a five-man starting staff of Jack Flaherty, Kwang-hyun Kim, Adam Wainwright, Carlos Martínez and John Gant before Mikolas’ return. If this latest issue ends up forcing him back to the injured list, those players figure to continue taking the ball every fifth day.

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