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Big Hype Prospects: Henderson, Brown, Peraza, Steer, Aranda

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It’s a September call-ups edition of Big Hype Prospects. MLBTR’s Steve Adams and Anthony Franco already highlighted each club’s initial promotions. We’ll use that list to focus in on the most interesting inclusions and snubs.

Five Big Hype Prospects

Gunnar Henderson, 21, SS/3B, BAL (MLB)
8 PA, 1 HR, 1 SB, .375/.375/.750

Two games into his Major League debut, Henderson has already supplied a bevy of highlights in the field, at the plate, and on the basepaths. The legend will only grow. The Orioles second number one overall prospect to be promoted this season, Henderson’s arrival could help spur the club to a postseason berth. Of all the players promoted by contenders, he has the most impactful potential. While most playoff-bound clubs feature relatively complete rosters, Baltimore has regularly started Rougned Odor (406 PA, 0.1 fWAR). Additionally, third baseman Ramon Urias (2.0 fWAR) hasn’t hit much since late-July. Working Henderson into the infield mix should prove a net-positive in September even if he has some growing pains along the way. He’s started one game at third and shortstop.

Hunter Brown, 24, SP, HOU (MLB)
(AAA) 106 IP, 11.38 K/9, 3.82 BB/9, 2.55 ERA

Depending on the seriousness of Justin Verlander’s calf strain, Brown might draw a start or three down the stretch this season. Initially, he’ll be employed out of the bullpen with Cristian Javier rejoining the rotation in Verlander’s spot.

This season, Brown successfully built upon a decent 2021 campaign in which longstanding command issues led to muted results. Regardless of his future role, the stuff should play. The right-hander features premium fastball velocity and a pair of potent breaking balls. The curve pairs particularly well with his heater. A pitcher scouting report is never complete without a comment about a “still-developing” changeup. The success of players like Spencer Strider suggests a changeup or even a third offering of any kind shouldn’t be viewed as a requirement. If Brown ultimately stuggles as a starter, it’ll be more due to his lack of command than his repertoire.

One odd little wrinkle: Brown posted a 54.2 percent ground ball rate this season. That’s roughly in-line with past performances. What makes it odd is the way his fastball and curve tunnel together lend themselves to a fly ball profile. I’ll be watching closely to gain a better understanding of how he uses his repertoire.

Oswald Peraza, 22, SS, NYY (MLB)
(AAA) 429 PA, 19 HR, 33 SB, .259/.329/.448

As expected, the Yankees opted to grant Peraza his first taste of the Majors. Many Yankees fans were clamoring for Anthony Volpe to leapfrog Peraza straight from Double-A. Peraza profiles as a fairly classic shortstop prospect. Defensively, he’s smooth and athletic. In an era riddled with oversized shortstops who post positive defensive metrics mostly due to positioning, Peraza should comfortably stand out as a quality defender.

His hitting remains a work in progress. The fantasy-oriented among you will surely note the excellent combination of power and speed. Yet, there’s potentially a deeper issue with his triple-slash line. His plate discipline and feel for contact haven’t been as effective as many hoped. He remains quite young and could certainly continue to make gains in those areas. Early in his career, expect Major League pitchers to prey upon his willingness to expand the strike zone.

Spencer Steer, 24, 2B/3B, CIN (MLB)
(AA/AAA) 492 PA, 23 HR, 4 SB, .274/.364/.515

A gamer the Reds picked up at the trade deadline from the Twins, Steer is poised to fill an everyday utility role in Cincinnati for the next half decade or more. He profiles as an excellent fit for Great American Ballpark. While he’s hit perhaps too many grounders since joining the Reds org, he’s historically skewed towards fly ball contact. His raw power is a tad fringy for his pulled, fly ball contact profile, but GABP is often the gift that keeps on giving to fly ball hitters. No matter how his batted ball profile eventually shakes out, he has sufficient discipline and contact ability to stick in the Majors. He might not ever be an All-Star, but he looks like somebody who should carve out a tidy career.

Jonathan Aranda, 24, 1B/2B, TBR (MLB)
(AAA) 465 PA, 18 HR, 4 SB, .318/.394/.521

Aranda isn’t truly considered a top prospect due to physical attributes scouts have a hard time accepting. However, he has advanced feel for barreling the ball. He’s no better than league average from a raw power perspective, possibly even minus, but he makes up for it via a lofty, contact-driven BABIP and a healthy HR/FB ratio. He’s not a conventional prospect as he’s a tad undersized for first base and isn’t really sufficiently fleet-footed for a utility role. However, the bat should play, and the Rays are absolutely the right org for figuring out how to squeeze him into the lineup without any detrimental effects. With Brandon Lowe once again on the injured list, Aranda could bounce between second base and designated hitter. He also has minimal experience in left field.

Five More

Ken Waldichuk, OAK (24): Waldichuk made his debut on Thursday. His command woes were on full display even while Nationals hitters were clearly uncomfortable. The Washington offense is best considered a Quad-A unit. We’ll see how Waldichuk fairs against true Major League caliber opponents later this month.

Spencer Torkelson, DET (23): No longer technically a prospect because he made 298 plate appearances earlier in the season, Torkelson is nonetheless still a development piece. If one is hunting for positives, Torkelson hit particularly well at Triple-A in 58 plate appearances since mid-August. On the whole, he posted a modest 100 wRC+ in 155 Triple-A plate appearances – hardly inspiring output for a former Top 10 prospect. He rejoined the big league lineup tonight.

Josh Jung, TEX (24): Perhaps the most-notable snub, Jung has thrashed Triple-A pitching in 83 plate appearances. The Rangers are using guarded language when talking about when they’ll promote their top prospect. I’m now inclined to believe they intend to hold off on promoting him until next season. While it’s certainly plausible that they want another year of club control over Jung, he’s not exactly… young. It’s equally plausible the Rangers legitimately believe remaining in Triple-A will be better for Jung’s health and development.

Esteury Ruiz, MIL (23): Following the Josh Hader trade, many (myself included) thought Ruiz would immediately join the Brewers outfield mix. Then, when they consistently passed him over even as the Major League club floundered in the NL Central, it became clear they didn’t believe he could improve upon the work of Tyrone Taylor, Jonathan Davis, Garrett Mitchell, and others of questionable utility. It’s possible he’s mostly on hand to serve as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. Notably, Ruiz has not homered since June 15, though he continues to run with aplomb.

Triston Casas, BOS, (22): Another roster expansion snub, Casas has hit .300/.410/.515 since rejoining Triple-A on July 22. He has 11 doubles, a triple, and five home runs over the same span. While he appears to be both big league ready and an obvious upgrade over the Red Sox current mix of first basemen, the Red Sox appear to be undecided about how to handle Casas. They could be jockeying for the extra season of club control, or they might merely be delaying a decision.

White Sox Select Mark Payton

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The White Sox announced they’ve selected outfielder Mark Payton onto the MLB roster in advance of tonight’s game with the Twins. He’ll take the roster spot of center fielder Luis Robert, who’s going on paternity leave. To create a 40-man roster spot, reliever Aaron Bummer has been transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.

Payton, 30, signed a minor league contract with Chicago in Spring Training. He’s spent the year at Triple-A Charlotte, putting up an impressive .289/.365/.522 line with 20 home runs and 11 stolen bases over 465 plate appearances. He’s made a strong impact from a power perspective, walked at a quality 9.7% clip and is striking out in fewer than 15% of his trips to the dish. It’s the latest in a long line of excellent Triple-A showings for the University of Texas product, who now carries a .295/.369/.509 line over parts of six seasons at the minors highest level.

A Chicago native, Payton will now add some outfield insurance to the bench for acting manager Miguel Cairo. He’s covered all three outfield positions in the minors, although he only worked in the corners during a 32-game MLB cameo with the 2020-21 Reds (his only big league experience to date). It could be a brief stint, with Robert expected back imminently.

Players on the paternity list are permitted to miss between one and three games. Regardless of how long he remains on the active roster, Payton’s call-up marks a deserved recognition of his strong Triple-A production. He does still have a minor league option year remaining, so the White Sox could move him back to Charlotte without taking him off the 40-man roster upon Robert’s return if they’re so inclined.

Bummer’s transfer is no more than a formality. He’s ruled out for 60 days from the time of his initial IL placement on June 9, meaning he’s eligible for reinstatement whenever he’s ready to return. Bummer began a rehab assignment in Charlotte on Wednesday and figures to make it back to Guaranteed Rate Field within the next couple weeks.

Austin Meadows Will Miss Remainder Of 2022 Season To Address Mental Health

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Tigers outfielder Austin Meadows took to Twitter this afternoon to announce that he’s been away from the playing field attending to a mental health concern. Manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Evan Woodbery of MLive.com) that Meadows won’t return to the field this year.

“What I have told very few people is that I have been  … struggling with my mental health in a way that has extended my time away from the game that I love so much,” Meadows wrote in his statement. “I’ve been dealing with this privately with a great team of professionals, but I need to continue to put in the hard work off the field towards feeling mentally healthy.

While I’ve been back in the clubhouse the past few weeks, and plan to remain with the club through the end of the season, I am still not ready to return to the field. I am so grateful for my family, my teammates, and the Tigers organization for supporting me through this. I can’t do this alone, and 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.”

Meadows has played in 36 MLB games this year, his first in Detroit after an early April trade from the Rays. He spent some time on the injured list in mid-May battling vertigo-like symptoms. He returned in June but quickly went back on the IL due to COVID-19. While attempting to recover from that illness, Meadows suffered strains of both his Achilles tendons. He was sent on a rehab assignment on August 10 but pulled off a few days later, with the team not disclosing details about his shutdown at the time.

Hinch praised Meadows for going public with news of his battle, saying it was the outfielder’s decision. “Austin has chosen the path to be proactive and help others while helping himself,” the manager said (via Cody Stavenhagen of the Athletic), adding his hope that today’s announcement will help others dealing with similar struggles. MLBTR sends our best wishes to Meadows.

Guardians Place Zach Plesac, Aaron Civale On Injured List

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3:22pm: Manager Terry Francona tells reporters that the team believes Plesac suffered the fracture in his last start, when he punched the ground in frustration after surrendering a home run to Jake Lamb (Twitter link via Mandy Bell of MLB.com).

That’s the second time in his career that Plesac has sustained an injury while expressing frustration. He broke his right thumb last May when “aggressively” tearing off his shirt following a poor outing against the Twins. Plesac was also disciplined by the team in 2020 after violating the club’s Covid-19 protocols and subsequently voicing his frustration in a since-deleted Instagram video.

2:54pm: Plesac has a fractured fifth metacarpal (pinkie finger) in his right hand, the team announced.

2:47pm: The Guardians have placed right-handers Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale on the injured list — Plesac due to a fractured right hand and Civale due to forearm inflammation. Right-hander Cody Morris, just reinstated from the 60-day injured list yesterday when rosters expanded to 28 players, will make his Major League debut and start tonight’s game in place of Plesac. Cleveland has recalled right-hander Xzavion Curry and lefty Kirk McCarty from Triple-A Columbus to take the spots of Plesac and Civale on the active roster.

Plesac, 27, is fourth on the Guardians in games started (23) and innings pitched (127). He’s worked to a 4.39 ERA with an 18.1% strikeout rate, 6.8% walk rate and 40.7% grounder rate. ERA alternatives like FIP (4.50) and SIERA (4.40) generally agree with that assessment of his work so far in 2022. It’s not in line with the form that Plesac displayed in his first two seasons, when he logged a 3.32 ERA through his first 29 big league starts, but he’s settled in as a viable back-of-the-rotation option in Cleveland over the past couple seasons.

Civale, also 27, is making his third trip to the injured list this season. He’s missed time with a glute injury and a sprained right wrist, but this is his first forearm-related issue on the season. While Civale’s overall 5.40 ERA is an obvious eyesore, he’s pitched quite well of late. Since returning from that wrist injury in late June, he’s taken the ball on nine occasions and worked to a 3.68 ERA while striking out exactly a quarter of his opponents and issuing walks at a tidy 6.1% clip.

It’s a poorly timed pair of injuries for the Guardians — not that there’s a “good” time to place 40% of a rotation on the injured list — as they’ve already dropped back-to-back games and seen the Twins climb back to within one game of the AL Central lead. The White Sox, meanwhile, have picked up back-to-back wins and trimmed their own deficit to a manageable four games. The AL Central, at this point, is the only division in Major League Baseball with three teams legitimately vying for the division crown.

With two vacancies in the rotation, the Guardians can turn to Morris and Curry as alternatives in the short-term. The 25-year-old Morris could potentially have been in the rotation right now had he not suffered a strained teres major back in Spring Training — an injury that shelved him until early August. He was selected to the 40-man roster in November after posting a dominant 1.62 ERA and 93-to-20 K/BB ratio in 61 minor league innings last year, and he’s been outstanding on his minor league rehab stint thus far. Between the 2021-22 seasons, Morris has 52 innings of Triple-A ball under his belt, during which he’s posted a 1.90 ERA with a huge 40.6% strikeout rate against an 8.9% walk rate.

Curry, meanwhile, made his MLB debut earlier this season, allowing three runs in a five-inning spot start against the visiting Tigers. The 24-year-old is generally ranked between Cleveland’s No. 10 and No. 20 prospect on various evaluations of the system. He’s been hit pretty hard in two Triple-A starts since being sent back to the minors, but his overall numbers between Double-A and Triple-A this season remain solid: 4.00 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate, 8.3% walk rate in 108 innings.

Prospect Notes: Alvarez, Jung, Casas, Rodriguez

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There was some concern that Mets top prospect Francisco Alvarez could require surgery on his ailing right ankle, but the team received relatively good news on that front, tweets Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. While Alvarez does have a loose body in his ankle, he won’t undergo surgery and will instead receive an injection to alleviate some of the discomfort he’s been experiencing. The hope is that Alvarez could resume baseball activities as soon as next week.

Alvarez, 20, ranks among the top ten prospects in all of baseball on the majority of publications and is currently the game’s top-ranked prospect at FanGraphs and MLB.com. He tore through Double-A pitching earlier this season despite being one of the league’s youngest players, hitting .277/.368/.553 with 18 homers and 16 doubles through 296 plate appearances. However, Alvarez stumbled a bit in Triple-A, slashing just .180/.340/.378 in his first 141 plate appearances. His strikeout rate rose from 24% in Double-A to 28.4% in Triple-A. Alvarez hasn’t played in a game since Aug. 23.

A few more notes on some of the game’s top prospects…

  • Rangers fans are (understandably) clamoring for third baseman Josh Jung to make his Major League debut, and general manager Chris Young and interim manager Tony Beasley discussed with Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News the team’s decision to hold off on promoting him just yet. Texas is also taking a look at infield prospect Ezequiel Duran, who’s playing third base in the big leagues right now and would be displaced with a Jung promotion. “We have an opportunity to play [Duran] and we just want to take advantage of that until it’s not there,” Beasley said. From a bigger picture vantage point, Jung still has just 83 plate appearances in Triple-A after missing the first four-plus months of the season due to shoulder surgery. Grant points out that Jung still hasn’t gone a full week playing third base every day — he’s spent eight games at DH — and the Rangers will want to see him at the hot corner as much as possible in the big leagues. When Jung originally underwent surgery, the expectation was that he’d miss the majority of the season and perhaps be able to DH for a few weeks late in the year. He’s beaten both the timeline and that DH-only projection, and he’s decimated Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .299/.349/.610 batting line. It still seems Jung will debut in the near future, but Young emphasized the organization is focused on his long-term outlook rather than getting his bat into the big league lineup as soon as possible.
  • While slugger Triston Casas wasn’t among the Red Sox’ initial September call-ups, manager Alex Cora said on WEEI’s Merloni, Fauria & Mego show this week that the team has discussed giving Casas his first taste of the big leagues sometime this month (Twitter link via Steve Hewitt of the Boston Herald). Casas, 22, missed two months with a high ankle sprain but has been excellent since returning to the lineup in Triple-A Worcester, hitting .300/.410/.515 with five homers, 11 doubles and a triple in 156 plate appearances. The 6’4″, 252-pound first baseman is considered one of the best bats in the minors and ranks 31st or better among all MLB prospects at The Athletic, MLB.com, Baseball America and FanGraphs. The Red Sox will have to add Casas to the 40-man roster this winter in order to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft anyhow, so there’s plenty of reason to get an earlier look at him.
  • Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez made his first appearance for an Orioles affiliate in three months last night, returning from a Grade 2 lat strain that, at one point, threatened the remainder of his season. Rodriguez threw just 31 pitches in 1 1/3 innings with Class-A Aberdeen and exited after back-to-back walks in the second inning. He told reporters after the game that he’d simply hit the pitch count the organization placed upon his first appearance since June 1 (link via Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com). Considered by many to be the game’s top pitching prospect, Rodriguez overwhelmed Triple-A lineups prior to his injury, pitching to a 2.09 ERA with a 37.4% strikeout rate and a 6.5% walk rate through 56 innings. He’s not on the 40-man roster at the moment, but he’ll need to be added in the offseason or else be Rule 5-eligible, so it’s at least possible the O’s call him up for a big league debut late in the regular season if his rehab work progresses nicely.

Every Team’s Initial September Call-Ups

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Each season as the calendar flips to September, we see a flurry of transactions around Major League Baseball. Active roster sizes jump from 26 to 28 for the season’s final month, with teams permitted to bring up no more than one additional pitcher. We’ve already covered a host of transactions with 40-man roster implications throughout the day at MLBTR. Here’s a full round-up of teams’ initial September roster moves.

American League West

Houston Astros:

Los Angeles Angels:

Oakland Athletics

Seattle Mariners

  • Reinstated LHP Matthew Boyd from 60-day injured list
  • Recalled OF Taylor Trammell from Triple-A Tacoma
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Texas Rangers

  • Selected contract of RHP Jesus Tinoco from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Recalled OF Nick Solak from Triple-A Round Rock
  • Corresponding move: Transferred RHP Josh Sborz to 60-day injured list

American League Central

Chicago White Sox

  • Recalled OF Adam Haseley from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Recalled RHP Matt Foster from Triple-A Charlotte
  • Corresponding move: None required

Cleveland Guardians

Detroit Tigers

Kansas City Royals

  • Selected contract of RHP Daniel Mengden from Triple-A Omaha
  • Recalled OF Nate Eaton from Triple-A Omaha
  • Corresponding move: None required

Minnesota Twins

  • Added LHP Austin Davis (previously claimed off waivers from Red Sox) to active roster
  • Selected contract of OF Billy Hamilton from Triple-A St. Paul
  • Corresponding move: Transferred OF Trevor Larnach to 60-day injured list

American League East

Baltimore Orioles

  • Selected contract of 1B Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Recalled LHP DL Hall from Triple-A Norfolk
  • Corresponding move: Designated INF Richie Martin for assignment

Boston Red Sox

New York Yankees

  • Recalled SS Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
  • Activated INF Marwin Gonzalez from paternity list
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Tampa Bay Rays

  • Reinstated RHP Matt Wisler from the 15-day injured list
  • Recalled INF Jonathan Aranda from Triple-A Durham
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Toronto Blue Jays

  • Recalled RHP Casey Lawrence from Triple-A Buffalo
  • Added OF Bradley Zimmer (claimed off waivers from Phillies this week) to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League West

Arizona Diamondbacks

Colorado Rockies

  • Recalled INF Alan Trejo from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Recalled RHP Chad Smith from Triple-A Albuquerque
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Los Angeles Dodgers

  • Reinstated LHP Clayton Kershaw from 15-day injured list
  • Recalled 3B Miguel Vargas from Triple-A Oklahoma City
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Diego Padres

  • Recalled INF Matt Beaty from Triple-A El Paso
  • Recalled RHP Reiss Knehr from Triple-A El Paso
  • Corresponding moves: None required

San Francisco Giants

National League Central

Chicago Cubs

  • Selected contract of RHP Jeremiah Estrada from Triple-A Iowa
  • Recalled INF David Bote from Triple-A Iowa
  • Corresponding move: Transferred Wade Miley from 15-day injured list to 60-day injured list

Cincinnati Reds

Milwaukee Brewers

  • Recalled RHP Luis Perdomo from Triple-A Nashville
  • Recalled OF Esteury Ruiz from Triple-A Nashville
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Pittsburgh Pirates

  • Recalled RHP Johan Oviedo from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Recalled OF Calvin Mitchell from Triple-A Indianapolis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

St. Louis Cardinals

  • Selected contract of OF Ben DeLuzio from Triple-A Memphis
  • Recalled RHP James Naile from Triple-A Memphis
  • Corresponding moves: None required

National League East

Atlanta Braves

  • Reinstated IF Orlando Arcia from 10-day injured list
  • Added recently-claimed RHP Jesse Chavez to active roster
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Miami Marlins*

New York Mets

Philadelphia Phillies

  • Selected contract of RHP Vinny Nittoli from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Recalled C Donny Sands from Triple-A Lehigh Valley
  • Corresponding moves: None required

Washington Nationals

  • Recalled C Tres Barrera from Triple-A Rochester
  • Recalled RHP Mason Thompson from Triple-A Rochester
  • Corresponding moves: None required

*Marlins moves reported by Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald (Twitter link)

Braves Notes: Soroka, O’Day, Albies, Acuna

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The Braves announced this afternoon that righty Mike Soroka has been activated from the 60-day injured list. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, Atlanta transferred reliever Darren O’Day from the 15-day to the 60-day IL.

Soroka hasn’t thrown a major league pitch since August 2020. He ruptured his right Achilles tendon while trying to get off the mound to cover first base, a devastating injury that has kicked off multiple years of rehab. His efforts to return last season were cut short in June when Soroka suffered another Achilles tear while walking to the team’s clubhouse. He underwent a second surgery and has been trying to work his way back. He suffered an unrelated setback this July when he took a comebacker off the knee while throwing live batting practice, leading to another shutdown.

Six weeks later, Soroka made it back to a professional mound. He kicked off a rehab assignment with High-A Rome on August 16, and he’s since made two appearances with Gwinnett. He worked 4 2/3 innings and threw 75 pitches during his outing last Saturday. That’ll technically be his final rehab start now that he’s back on the 40-man roster, but the club will give him a bit more time with the Stripers to find his form. With five weeks left in the regular season, it seems likely we’ll see Soroka back on the Truist Park mound this month. How he pitches could well determine whether the club carries him on their postseason roster.

Despite having missed two seasons, Soroka just recently turned 25 years old. Before the Achilles tears, he looked like one of the better young arms in the sport. The former first-rounder pitched to a 2.68 ERA with a very strong 51.2% ground-ball rate over 174 2/3 innings in 2019, his age-21 season. He and the team agreed to a $2.8MM salary to avoid arbitration during Spring Training. He’ll be in line for a similar amount this winter and is controllable through 2024.

O’Day has been out since the All-Star Break after straining his left calf. Signed to a minor league deal over the offseason, the veteran submariner made the Opening Day roster. O’Day has been an excellent, if unconventional, late-game reliever for much of the past decade. The 2022 season had been more pedestrian even before the injury, however. Through 21 2/3 innings, the 39-year-old owns a 4.15 ERA with a strong 27.7% strikeout percentage but a career-high 10.6% walk rate.

Today’s IL transfer shouldn’t have much of an effect on O’Day, who still looks likely to factor into the bullpen mix for manager Brian Snitker late in the season. The 60-day minimal stint backdates to his original placement on July 12, so he’ll be eligible to return to the big league club next weekend. O’Day has been on a rehab assignment with Gwinnett, working seven innings over as many appearances.

Soroka and O’Day aren’t the only injured players who are planning to make it back from long-term absences this month. Ozzie Albies has been out of action since fracturing his left foot on June 13, but he’s closing in on a return. Albies began a rehab assignment in Gwinnett tonight, taking four at-bats while serving as the designated hitter. It was his first game action since the injury, and it opens the 20-day window allotted to position players for rehab stints. Barring a setback, he should be back in Atlanta by the middle of September.

Since Albies went down, the Braves have used a revolving door at second base. Orlando Arcia, Phil Gosselin and Ehire Adrianza have each gotten some work, but the job has finally fallen on rookie Vaughn Grissom. A highly-regarded prospect, Grissom is off to a .312/.354/.468 start through his first 21 MLB games. Those numbers have been propped up by a .344 batting average on balls in play, but the 21-year-old has also already connected on three home runs and has only gone down on strikes 13 times (15.9% of his plate appearances).

How the Braves will divvy up playing time when everyone’s healthy remains to be seen. That’s an enviable problem to have, of course, with an infield of Matt Olson, Albies, Dansby Swanson and Austin Riley arguably the best in baseball. If the Braves want to keep Grissom’s bat in the lineup, the cleanest path to playing time could be at designated hitter, although that’d present its own complications.

The Braves have rotated hot-hitting backup catcher William Contreras through the DH spot, and they’ve occasionally used those at-bats to get Ronald Acuña Jr. off his feet. Acuña, who tore the ACL in his right knee last July, told reporters last night the surgically-repaired joint feels “terrible” (via Gabe Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution). Acuña has remained in the lineup and maintained that he’ll play through the pain for the rest of the season, but the Braves may want to continue easing his workload on defense before postseason play gets underway.

Cardinals Select Ben DeLuzio

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The Cardinals announced they’ve selected outfielder Ben DeLuzio onto the big league roster and recalled reliever James Naile from Triple-A Memphis. They’ll take the two extra active roster spots available to teams in September. St. Louis already had an opening on the 40-man roster.

It’s the first big league call for DeLuzio, who has spent six years in the professional ranks. An undrafted free agent out of Florida State in 2016, the right-handed hitting outfielder first signed with the Diamondbacks. DeLuzio would spend the next five years in the organization, using his speed to post strong results on balls in play but never hitting for much power. The Florida native never hit more than four home runs in a minor league season, and his strikeout rate began to mount as he hit the Double-A level.

Arizona didn’t add DeLuzio to the 40-man roster, and he was made eligible in the minor league portion of the Rule 5 draft last offseason. The Cardinals selected him with the 17th pick and assigned him to Memphis. (Unlike those taken in the big league portion of the Rule 5 draft, minor league selections don’t have to be added to the MLB active roster). DeLuzio has responded with arguably the best season of his career, posting strong numbers in 94 games to earn his first MLB call.

Through 408 plate appearances, the 28-year-old has a .277/.353/.429 line. His nine home runs aren’t the mark of a power hitter, but it shatters his previous personal high. The athleticism upon which he’s long relied has remained intact, as he’s swiped 30 bases in 36 attempts while playing over 700 innings in center field. DeLuzio isn’t likely to get many starts with the Cardinals looking to wrap up the NL Central over the season’s final month, but he adds a speed and defense oriented player whom manager Oliver Marmol can creatively deploy late in games.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported DeLuzio’s promotion this morning.

Yankees Promote Oswald Peraza

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The Yankees have made one of the more notable September call-ups around the league, announcing the promotion of top shortstop prospect Oswald Peraza from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. With active rosters expanding and Peraza already on the 40-man roster, no corresponding move is necessary.

It’s the first big league call for the 22-year-old, who has spent a bit more than six years climbing the minor league ladder. Originally signed by New York out of Venezuela during the 2016-17 international signing period, the 6’0″ infielder spent his first couple seasons in rookie ball. He put himself firmly on the prospect radar by 2019, showing a high-contact approach in Low-A that year. The cancelation of the following minor league season cost Peraza a year of reps, but New York still felt there was a chance another team would take him in the Rule 5 draft and carry him on the MLB roster in 2021.

The Yankees therefore added Peraza to the 40-man roster, and he’s occupied a spot there for the past couple seasons as he’s continued to progress through the system. He mashed in a 28-game stint in High-A to start 2021, earning a quick promotion to Double-A Somerset. Peraza played most of the year there, hitting .294/.348/.466 with 12 home runs and 20 stolen bases through 79 games. That impressive age-21 season earned him a late-season cameo in Triple-A and plenty of public support on Top 100 prospect lists entering this year.

Peraza placed among the game’s top farmhands in preseason rankings at Baseball America, ESPN, The Athletic and FanGraphs. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel was the most bullish, slotting him 25th leaguewide, but evaluators broadly agreed he was a plus defensive shortstop with power potential and bat-to-ball skills. Reports raised questions about his tendency to chase pitches outside the strike zone, but consensus opinion is that he has the physical tools to be an above-average regular.

The right-handed hitter hasn’t done much to change those reviews in 2022. He got off to a slow start in Triple-A but has turned things on of late, and his season line now sits at a solid .258/.329/.440. He’s hit 18 homers and swiped 33 bases on 38 attempts. Peraza’s 8% walk rate and 23.2% strikeout percentage are each pedestrian, but it’s a generally productive showing for a player of his youth and defensive profile. BA slotted him second among Yankees prospects (behind only fellow shortstop Anthony Volpe) and #76 overall on its most recent Top 100 update. McDaniel now has him 36th leaguewide, agreeing that only Volpe is the more promising minor leaguer in the New York system.

Rival teams inquired about Peraza’s availability at the trade deadline, with the Reds and Marlins reportedly looking to include him in respective discussions about Luis Castillo and Pablo López. New York held onto him, though, and he’s now in position to potentially factor into their postseason run. The Yankees are coming off an awful month of August, but they’re still a lock to make the playoffs in some capacity. With a six-game lead over the Rays in the AL East, New York remains a strong favorite for a division title and a top two seed that’d earn them a first-round bye.

What role Peraza will play remains to be seen, but it stands to reason he’ll be in manager Aaron Boone’s starting lineup more often than not. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Josh Donaldson, acquired together in an offseason blockbuster with the Twins, have been the primary left side duo in the Bronx. Kiner-Falefa is hitting only .261/.310/.315 on the season, and he carries a .237/.290/.289 mark dating back to the All-Star Break. He’s gotten mixed reviews from public metrics for his glovework. Defensive Runs Saved has rated Kiner-Falefa 11 runs above average, the fifth-highest mark among shortstops. Statcast, on the other hand, has pegged him as a run below average.

Curtailing Kiner-Falefa’s playing time seems the easiest way to get Peraza into the lineup, but the Yankees could also work him in at the hot corner while giving Donaldson a few more days off. The former MVP has a roughly average .222/.308/.382 line across 441 plate appearances. He’s still drawing unanimous praise from public metrics for his glove, but the Yankees have also given the 36-year-old a fair number of quasi-rest days as a designated hitter.

However he’s deployed, Peraza will have a bit less than five weeks to make a case for a spot on the playoff roster. As a player who was on the 40-man by September 1, he’s automatically postseason-eligible (although even players in an organization but not on the 40-man are often easily added to playoff rosters via petition to the league office). Even if he doesn’t play a key role this postseason, Peraza will get his feet wet against big league arms as he looks to stake a claim to an Opening Day roster spot next year. He’ll have one minor league option year remaining after this season, so the Yankees can send Peraza back to Scranton next season if he doesn’t hit the ground running.

Peraza will be paid at the prorated $700K MLB minimum rate for any time he’s on the big league roster, and he’ll pick up a bit of major league service time. Far too much time has passed for him to accrue a full season of service or even threaten early arbitration eligibility as a Super Two player. He won’t be arb-eligible until after 2025 at the earliest, with his quickest path to free agency coming after 2028. If he’s optioned back to the minors next year, that could push his trajectory further into the future.

It’s also worth noting that Peraza will not reach 60 days of MLB service this season, nor is he likely to tally 130 at-bats and exhaust his rookie eligibility. He’ll technically remain a prospect headed into 2023, a potentially meaningful distinction under the new collective bargaining agreement. Players with less than 60 days of service who appear among two preseason Top 100 lists at Baseball America, ESPN or MLB Pipeline (as Peraza seems likely to do next offseason) can net their team a bonus amateur draft choice based on their early-career finishes in awards voting, so long as their club carries them on the MLB roster for a full service year. If the Yankees break camp with Peraza and he wins a Rookie of the Year or places highly in MVP balloting during his first couple seasons, New York could pick up an extra draft choice down the line.

Joel Sherman of the New York Post first reported Peraza’s promotion before the team announcement.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Red Sox Select Eduard Bazardo

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The Red Sox announced they’ve selected reliever Eduard Bazardo onto the major league roster. The club also recalled catcher Connor Wong from Triple-A Worcester. That duo will take the two extra September active roster spots, while the club already had a 40-man roster vacancy for Bazardo.

Bazardo returns to the majors on his 27th birthday. The right-hander has just two big league games under his belt, both coming last season. He worked three scoreless innings while averaging 94.6 MPH on his fastball, but he struggled over a longer stretch in Triple-A last year. Boston designated him for assignment on Opening Day as part of their initial roster set-up, and he went unclaimed on waivers.

Outrighted to Triple-A, Bazardo has spent the 2022 campaign in Worcester. He’s tossed 57 1/3 innings over 37 outings, primarily functioning in a multi-inning relief capacity. The Venezuela native has a 3.45 ERA with a solid 23.5% strikeout rate and a lower than average 7.5% walk percentage during that run. It was a strong enough showing he’ll get another shot on the major league roster, offering a long relief option for manager Alex Cora down the stretch.

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