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Reds Activate Tyler Mahle, Place Jeff Hoffman On 15-Day Injured List

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The Reds have activated starter Tyler Mahle from the 15-day injured list to start today’s game. In a corresponding move, the club placed reliever Jeff Hoffman on the 15-day injured list. The Reds also activated Justin Dunn from the 60-day injured list and optioned the former Mariner to Triple-A, per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Mahle has made 17 starts on the season, posting a 4.48 ERA/3.55 FIP across 92 1/3 innings with a 25.8 percent strikeout rate, 9.1 percent walk rate, and 34.5 percent groundball rate. Mahle will certainly find himself in some trade rumors over the next ten days, though the Reds do not have to move him. He has one season of arbitration remaining.

Hoffman’s injury does not appear to be serious, but they’ll give him a couple of weeks to make sure it doesn’t turn into something more involved. The 29-year-old has provided solid short-to-long-stint relief for the Reds, tossing 44 2/3 innings over 35 outings with a 3.83 ERA/4.30 FIP.

Dunn was acquired from the Mariners this past winter as part of the Jesse Winker/Eugenio Suarez deal. He just completed his rehab assignment, making six starts in Triple-A and posting a 5.40 ERA over 20 innings of work. If the Reds end up moving a starter or two over the next ten days, Dunn could find himself with an opportunity back in the bigs. With the Mariners, he logged 102 2/3 innings over three years with a 3.94 ERA/5.61 FIP.

Rays Reinstate Jeffrey Springs, Option Luis Patino

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The Rays have reinstated Jeffrey Springs from the 15-day injured list and optioned right-hander Luis Patino to Triple-A, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter).

Patino started yesterday’s ballgame for the Rays, giving up three earned runs in four innings of work. It was just Patino’s third start of the season, and just his second as a true starter. He was an opener for his first outing, going just 2/3 of an inning. In Triple-A, the 22-year-old has posted a 3.57 ERA across six starts totaling 17 2/3 innings.

Springs is having a mini breakout campaign at the age of 29. Across 11 starts and seven relief appearances, Springs has registered a 2.53 ERA/3.66 FIP in 64 innings, which is already a career-high. He’s been particularly sharp in terms of limiting free passes with a career-best 5.9 percent walk rate, well below the league average rate.

Angels Designate Jonathan Villar For Assignment, Select Magneuris Sierra

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The Angels have designated veteran Jonathan Villar for assignment, per the team. The move makes room for Magneuris Sierra, whose contract was selected from Triple-A.

This is the second time this season that Villar finds himself designated for assignment. He began the year with the Cubs, but the utility man hit just .222/.271/.327 in 166 plate appearances with the Cubs. He didn’t fare much better with the Angels, hitting just .163/.226/.224 across 54 plate appearances.

Coincidentally, the 31-year-old made two errors in last night’s ballgame, and while that alone would not be the reason to DFA Villar, the bat-first Villar has long been viewed as a subpar defender, despite his versatility. With the Angels all but out of postseason contention, they may prefer to use the roster spot on someone with a longer-term future in Los Angeles.

Sierra, 26, isn’t necessarily that guy, but he does bring a little more youth to the roster spot. The speedy outfielder has not yet appeared in the Majors this season after spending the last four campaigns with the Marlins. Sierra has earned his opportunity with solid play in Triple-A where he has slashed .297/.358/.437 in 311 plate appearances.

Yankees Designate Shane Greene For Assignment

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The Yankees have designated reliever Shane Greene for assignment, per the team. The move creates an open roster spot for Ron Marinaccio, who has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list.

The veteran Greene has made just two appearances on the season, one for the Dodgers and one for the Yankees. The 33-year-old, who began his career with the Yankees back in 2014, has since suited up for the Tigers and Braves, as well as the Yankees and Dodgers. He ascended to the closer’s role at the end of his time in Detroit, but transitioned back into a setup role after being acquired by the Braves at the 2019 deadline.

Marinaccio, 27, was a 19th-round draft choice by the Yankees back in 2017. He’s been solid for the Yankees this season, who are looking for more dependable arms out of the bullpen. Marinaccio has made 17 appearances while registering a 2.33 ERA/3.07 FIP across 19 1/3 innings with a strong 28.4 percent strikeout rate, too-high 12.4 percent walk rate, and 40.5 percent groundball rate, which is just a touch below league average.

Tigers Place Michael Pineda On 15-Day Injured List

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The Tigers announced a number of roster moves this morning. Namely, last night’s starter, Michael Pineda, who left the game after just three innings, has been placed on the 15-day injured list with tricep tightness, per the team. Righty Angel De Jesus has been recalled from Triple-A to claim Pineda’s roster spot. Right-hander Rony Garcia was also reinstated from the injured list, while infielder Zack Short was optioned to Triple-A.

Pineda’s injury is another in a long line of ailments that have beset the Tigers’ pitching staff this season. Pineda himself has made just 10 starts, posting a 5.27 ERA/5.81 FIP in 42 2/3 innings of work.

Garcia can step right into Pineda’s rotation spot in the short term. The 24-year-old has made seven starts this season with eight relief outings summing to 48 1/3 innings with a 4.28 ERA/4.42 FIP. Garcia was a starter for the Tigers throughout June, and it’s likely that he steps back into that role. Tyler Alexander will also step back into the rotation in the short term, per Evan Woodbery of the MLive Media Group (via Twitter).

De Jesus will move into the bullpen, from which he has made two appearances for Detroit this season. The 25-year-old has a 5.40 ERA across 27 outings in Triple-A totaling 28 1/3 innings of work. He takes Short’s roster spot. Short has been called up to the active roster a few times this season, though he has yet to carve out a significant role.

Phillies Recall Bailey Falter

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The Phillies have recalled southpaw Bailey Falter from Triple-A, per the team. In a corresponding move, JoJo Romero was optioned to Triple-A.

This is a small roster move for the Phillies that nevertheless represents a larger problem for the roster: starting rotation depth. For most of this season, the Phillies five-man rotation of Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson, Zach Eflin, and Ranger Suarez has been healthy and effective. Phillies’ starters rank first in the Majors by the measure of fWAR. But at the end of June, both Suarez and Eflin landed on the injured list. Suarez is now back, but as for Eflin, questions remain.

The Phillies have no timetable for when Eflin might return to the active roster, per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. Eflin’s dealing with a knee that’s twice been surgically repaired in the last six years. Eflin’s timetable could swing the Phillies decision-making strategy regarding the upcoming trade deadline, notes Gelb. If he’s not looking any better in the next week so, Philadelphia could feel encouraged to make a move for a starting pitcher.

The NL East has become a bit of a two-team conversation between the Mets and Braves, but the Phillies still have time to elbow their way into the race. If nothing else, they’re firmly in contention for a wild card spot. This team has been pushing hard for years to make the postseason, and there’s no reason to think they’re going to take their foot off the gas now. If indeed they are intent on making a postseason run, then acquiring some rotation insurance should be pretty high up on their list of trade deadline targets.

For now, Falter will step into the rotation. The 25-year-old lefty has made nine appearances for the Phillies this season, five of them starts, with a 4.82 ERA/5.37 FIP across 28 innings. He’s been stellar through seven starts in Triple-A, posting a 1.56 ERA/2.46 FIP over 34 2/3 innings.

Draft Signings: Mariners, White Sox, Reds, Orioles

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Here is today’s roundup of top-39 (first round, supplemental round, Competitive Balance Round A) draft picks who have signed their first pro contracts.  For further reference, here is the full list of recommended slot prices, and you can click the links for full pre-draft rankings and scouting reports from Baseball America, Fangraphs, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel.

  • The Mariners have signed their picks from the first three rounds, according to MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer (Twitter link).  This includes 21st overall pick Cole Young, who received a $3.3MM bonus that is slightly above the $3,292,900 slot price.  The high school shortstop was a consensus pick in the 12-20 range by evaluators, and is considered to have a high floor as an all-around talent and future big leaguer, though there is some question whether he has the skillset to be a regular starter.
  • The White Sox agreed to a deal with left-hander Noah Schultz, according to Jim Callis of MLB Pipeline.  (The Sox officially announced Schultz’s signing later in the day.)  Schultz’s $2.8MM bonus is also a touch above the $2,789,400 assigned to the 26th overall pick.  A local product born in Napierville, Illinois, Schultz is already 6’9″ at age 18, and owns a plus slider and an unconventional low-slot delivery.  McDaniel was the highest of the pundits on Schultz’s potential, ranking the southpaw 34th in the draft class.
  • The Reds agreed to sign Sal Stewart for $2,097,500, Callis reports.  This is under the $2,373,000 slot price attached to the 32nd overall selection, which could reflect a slight reach on the Reds’ part — BA was the highest on Stewart with a 58th overall ranking, and Law had Stewart 59th.  That said, McDaniel thought Stewart could be something of a tough sign due to his commitment to Vanderbilt, but the high school third baseman will instead forego college for the minor leagues.
  • The Orioles announced the signing of Dylan Beavers, the 33rd overall selection.  Nathan Ruiz of The Baltimore Ruiz (Twitter link) reports that Beavers received a $2.2MM bonus, providing the O’s with some savings under the $2,315,100 slot price.  Pipeline ranked the Cal outfielder 22nd in its rankings, writing that “when Beavers is locked in, he’s the proverbial five-tool player,” though Beavers had had some issues staying consistent.

NL Notes: Castillo, Moose, Solano, Matz, Longoria, Padres

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Luis Castillo is drawing loads of attention as the trade deadline nears, and according to Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds’ focus seems to be on getting young talent for Castillo rather than using him as an avenue to cut payroll.  The idea of having a rival team take on Mike Moustakas’ contract as part of a Castillo deal hasn’t come up in recent negotiations, Nightengale writes, though the Reds were open to such a concept in other talks last year.  However, as Cincinnati has moved some salaries off the books in subsequent deals, payroll cuts no longer seem to be as big a priority.

Castillo isn’t the only trade chip on the roster, as the Reds put “a high asking price” on infielder Donovan Solano in recent talks with an unknown club.  Solano has hit an impressive .313/.371/.450 in 89 plate appearances this season, trying to make up for lost time after a hamstring injury delayed his 2022 debut until June 22.  Cincinnati inked Solano to a one-year, $4.5MM deal in March, so he would be a pure rental for any club looking to add a versatile infielder and veteran right-handed bat to the mix.

More from around the National League…

  • After two months on the injured list due to a shoulder impingement, Steven Matz’s return to the Cardinals rotation was cut short by a left knee strain.  Manager Oliver Marmol told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) that Matz will undergo an MRI tomorrow.  The left-hander was pitching well before suffering the injury in the sixth inning, as he came up limping after stumbling while trying to field a grounder.  The Cardinals have off-days on Monday and Thursday, so the team has some flexibility in maneuvering its rotation until a decision is made about Matz’s status.
  • Evan Longoria looks to be headed back to the 10-day injured list, as the Giants veteran left tonight’s game due to a right hamstring strain.  The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, but it will mark the third IL stint of the year for Longoria — he has been limited to 49 games due to finger surgery and a left oblique strain.  Tommy La Stella and Brandon Crawford are also on San Francisco’s injured list, leaving the team shorter on infielders if Longoria indeed has to miss more time.
  • The Padres have used a six-man rotation since the start of May, but manager Bob Melvin told reporters (including Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) that after one turn through a five-man rotation over the last week, the club will again use five starts for at least the next week.  Nick Martinez seems to have settled into a bullpen role over the last month while pitching some high-leverage innings, while MacKenzie Gore will also continue to be used out of the pen in order to help manage his innings.  Gore has a combined 73 2/3 innings in the majors and minors this season, already above the 50 1/3 frames he pitched across four different minor league levels in 2021.  Of course, San Diego’s pitching plans could possibly be impacted by injuries, trades, or other developments, but this rotation depth has been a major reason for the Padres’ success this year.

Injury Updates: Trout, Rodriguez, Buxton, Thielbar, Meyer

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Mike Trout hasn’t played since July 12 due to back spasms, and that absence morphed into a stint on the 10-day injured list due to inflammation in his left ribcage.  The Angels placed the superstar on the IL on July 18, but head trainer Mike Frostad told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group) that Trout will miss more than the minimum 10 days.  Trout received a cortisone shot in his back “a few days ago.”

It isn’t yet known when Trout could return, and any sort of lingering problem is obviously bad news for the Angels and their fans — especially after last season, when Trout played in only 36 games due to a seemingly minor calf injury that simply never healed.  Trout returned in 2022 to deliver another outstanding set of numbers, though it isn’t helped an Angels team that has fallen apart after an impressive first five weeks of play.

More injury updates from around baseball…

  • Julio Rodriguez has missed both of the Mariners’ games in the second half, as the rookie star is day-to-day with left wrist soreness.  Rodriguez first suffered the injury while sliding during a stolen-base attempt last Sunday, and he told reporters (including MLB.com’s Daniel Kramer and other reporters) that he felt more soreness after participating in the Home Run Derby on during Monday’s All-Star week festivities.  However, the injury is “feeling better already,” and Rodriguez doesn’t think he’ll miss much time.  Rodriguez has exploded onto the scene in his first season, hitting .275/.337/.477 with 15 homers and 21 steals over his first 380 plate appearances in the majors.
  • Byron Buxton will miss the Twins’ weekend series in Detroit, as the outfielder received a PRP injection in his right knee on Wednesday.  (Megan Ryan of The Minneapolis Star Tribune was among those to report the news.)  Buxton has been plagued by tendinitis in his right knee for much of the season, though he opted to play in the All-Star Game for the first time rather than sit out the entire break.  Since Minnesota has off-days sandwiched around this two-game series against the Tigers, Buxton will receive five days off anyway, and the hope is that he’ll be ready to play when the Twins face the Brewers on Tuesday.
  • In other Twins injury news, Minnesota placed left-hander Caleb Thielbar on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 19) due to a left hamstring strain.  Right-hander Yennier Cano was called up to take Thielbar’s spot on the active roster.  Thielbar has a rather misleading 4.84 ERA over 35 1/3 relief innings this season, as he has outstanding hard-contact and strikeout numbers, plus only a 3.00 SIERA.
  • Max Meyer made only 10 pitches before exiting tonight’s game due to what the Marlins described as right elbow discomfort.  The ominous diagnosis comes on the heels of some ulnar nerve irritation that sidelined Meyer while he was pitching in the minors earlier this season.  One of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Meyer was making his second career start after allowing five runs over 5 1/3 frames in his July 16 debut.

Tigers’ Alex Faedo, Kyle Funkhouser Won’t Pitch Again In 2022

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The Tigers have been plagued by pitching injuries, and manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News) that the 2022 season is over for two of the club’s hurlers.  Right-handers Alex Faedo and Kyle Funkhouser are both considering surgery — Faedo for a nagging hip problem, and Funkhouser for the shoulder strain that has kept him from pitching all season.

Faedo was one of several younger pitchers called up to help the rotation weather the injury storm, and he delivered a 5.53 ERA over his first 53 2/3 innings of Major League action.  With a 2.92 ERA over the first 37 of those frames, it looked like Faedo was making a rookie breakout before the league started to get a book on him, and also before his hip injury began to impact his performance.  The bad hip forced Faedo out of a July 4 start after only 3 2/3 innings, and he has been tagged for seven runs over his last two starts and 5 1/3 innings of action.

The 18th overall pick of the 2017 draft, Faedo was himself making a comeback from injury, as a forearm strain in 2020 resulted in Tommy John surgery at the end of that year that sidelined him for all of 2021.  Unfortunately, he’ll now face another significant absence even if he ultimately decides against hip surgery, and if he does opt to go under the knife, the rehab process could impact Faedo’s readiness for Spring Training or Opening Day 2023.

Funkhouser is also facing an uncertain timeline, as a shoulder surgery could potentially threaten his entire 2023 campaign, depending on the severity of his injury and the specific nature of the procedure.  He was initially set back by lat soreness during Spring Training, and will now miss a chance to follow up on a promising 2021 season.

Making his big league debut in 2020, Funkhouser posted a 7.27 ERA over his first 17 1/3 frames in the Show, but he had decidedly better results last year.  Despite a mediocre 12.8% walk rate and a below-average 21.1% strikeout rate, Funkhouser rode a 53.2% grounder rate and a lot of soft contact to a 3.42 ERA over 68 1/3 innings.  The Tigers frequently used Funkhouser for more than one inning, and he also made two “starts” (in opener fashion) in bullpen games.

Faedo and Funkhouser join Casey Mize (Tommy John surgery) as the Detroit pitchers whose injuries were season-ending, but the large majority of the pitching staff has spent time on the injured list with some type of issue.  Just in today’s game, Michael Pineda had to leave early due to right tricep tightness, creating another possible hole in the rotation.  Righty Rony Garcia was expected to be activated from the 15-day IL in time to start tomorrow’s game.

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