Yankees Place Gary Sanchez On Injured List
5:48pm: Sanchez was diagnosed with a grade 1 strain, Boone tells reporters including MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter link). The skipper wasn’t able to give much of an estimate of the duration of the absence, saying only that “it’ll be some time” before Sanchez is back.
10:43am: The Yankees announced Wednesday that they’ve placed catcher Gary Sanchez on the 10-day injured list due to a strained left groin. Catcher Kyle Higashioka is up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in his place. New York also optioned Jonathan Holder to Scranton and recalled lefty Nestor Cortes Jr. in his place.
The team didn’t provide any sort of timeline on Sanchez within the announcement, though presumably manager Aaron Boone will address the injury prior to tonight’s game against the Twins. It’s the second IL placement of the season for Sanchez, who previously missed about two weeks due to a calf strain back in April. In 238 plate appearances this season, Sanchez is hitting .229/.299/.508 with 24 home runs.
Higashioka, 29, won’t match Sanchez’s production at the plate, although it should be noted that he’s enjoying a career-best .268/.343/.581 showing in 201 Triple-A plate appearances. He’s appeared in 42 Major League games but has compiled a woeful .143/.209/.267 batting line in that time.
Swapping out Holder for Cortes is a natural move on the heels of a video-game-esque slugfest that saw the Twins and Yankees combine for 26 runs in 10 innings last night. That game featured five lead changes, 35 total hits and an incredible 12 runs scored in the eighth inning or later. As one might expect, both teams depleted their bullpen, cycling through six relievers apiece. Cortes gives the Yankees a fresh arm that can handle multiple innings, and the Twins will surely have some roster machination of their own in the next few hours.
Twins Designate Blake Parker For Assignment
The Twins announced that they’ve designated right-hander Blake Parker for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to veteran righty Carlos Torres, who signed a minor league contract last month and will have his contract selected from Triple-A Rochester. Minnesota has also optioned right-hander Kohl Stewart to Rochester and recalled lefty Devin Smeltzer in his place.
Parker, 34, was non-tendered by the Angels last fall despite putting up a 2.90 ERA in his two seasons there. The Minnesota org scooped him up for a $1.8MM guarantee. There were a series of roster bonuses that kicked off beginning 130 days into the season, a point less than two weeks away. While the Twins won’t owe any of the extra contemplated cash, they’ll be on the hook for the remainder of the salary unless another club takes over the contract or partially offsets what is owed by eventually bringing Parker onto their roster at a league-minimum rate of pay.
Though Parker seemed a reasonable risk for that rate of pay, he was probably miscast from the outset as a part of the team’s closer mix. He did pick up ten saves before being elbowed out of the ninth for good. Befitting a club that is turning over relief arms at a rapid pace in advance of the trade deadline, Parker was still trusted to work the eighth of a tight game just days ago.
After picking up a hold on Saturday against the A’s, Parker owned a 3.25 ERA on the season. But he was shredded for four earned runs while recording just one out yesterday, in what was in all likelihood his final appearance for the Twins this year. That left Parker with a cumulative 4.21 ERA through 36 1/3 innings on the season. The peripherals never inspired much confidence. He’s carrying 8.4 K/9 against 4.0 BB/9 with seven long balls on the ledger. As it did last year, Statcast identified a worrying volume of hard contact. The batted-ball profile indicated that Parker has actually been somewhat fortunate (.333 wOBA vs. .360 xwOBA).
The 36-year-old Torres is back in the bigs once again after forgettable and brief stints in each of the past two seasons. He’s a ten-year MLB veteran but hasn’t had a full and effective campaign since 2016. Torres has been generating good outcomes this year at Triple-A, though, with a 2.79 ERA in 48 1/3 frames at the top affiliates of the Tigers, Padres, and Twins.
Jameson Taillon Shut Down After Experiencing Renewed Discomfort
Pirates right-hander Jameson Taillon experienced renewed pain in his right forearm and is no longer throwing, the Pirates revealed to reporters on Wednesday (Twitter link via Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). The discomfort sounds particularly ominous, as Pirates medical director Todd Tomczyk suggested that the injury has “run its course of conservative care,” Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic tweets. Taillon will meet with a doctor next week.
Taillon, 27, has been sidelined by a forearm strain since early May, and his absence has played a significant role in the team’s underwhelming season. The former No. 2 overall draft pick and longtime top prospect delivered on that hype in a big way last season when he tossed 191 innings of 3.20 ERA ball, emerging as the Buccos’ staff leader. Taillon averaged 8.4 strikeouts, 2.2 walks and under one home run per nine innings pitched, drawing favorable reviews from fielding-independent metrics as well.
Unfortunately for the club, he’s been limited to 37 1/3 innings this season, which has contributed to the Pirates cycling through a dozen different starters. Chris Archer, Trevor Williams and Jordan Lyles have all struggled but at least been able to give the club some innings, and Joe Musgrove has been solid (if unspectacular) in leading the club with 20 starts. Pittsburgh has also looked to Steven Brault, the since-designated Nick Kingham, rookie Dario Agrazal and top prospect Mitch Keller for starts, and they’ve even experimented with using Montana DuRapau as an opener in bullpen games.
Suffice it to say, a Taillon return in the near future would’ve been a welcome sight but now appears decidedly unlikely. Back in June, it was reported that surgery could eventually emerge as an option if Taillon didn’t improve, and while Tomczyk didn’t directly mention surgery today, the juxtaposition of that June writing and his quote today are troubling for the Bucs.
Tigers Select Drew VerHagen
The Tigers announced that they’ve optioned lefty Daniel Stumpf to Triple-A Toledo following today’s game and will select the contract of righty Drew VerHagen to start tomorrow’s contest. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, Detroit transferred catcher Grayson Greiner to the 60-day injured list.
VerHagen is no stranger to the Tigers. The 28-year-old was their fourth-round selection back in 2012 and spent the 2014-16 seasons being optioned back and forth between Toledo and Detroit as a depth piece. He’s been designated for assignment twice in the past couple of years but remained with the club after clearing waivers on each instance. He’ll now rejoin the club for the first time since last being outrighted in early May.
Earlier this season, VerHagen was clobbered for 10 runs in just six innings of work, but he’s posted much better results in his return to Triple-A. Through 53 frames with the Mud Hens, he’s worked to a 4.42 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 2.2 BB/9, 0.85 HR/9 and a 40.4 percent ground-ball rate. His return to the Tigers could be short-lived, as Detroit’s rotation and bullpen are both in constant states of flux this season while their rebuild trudges on. Then again, with the Tigers likely to deal at least one arm (Shane Greene) and possibly some others (Matthew Boyd, Joe Jimenez, Buck Farmer) in the next week, it’s possible that there’s room for VerHagen to stick around beyond tomorrow’s spot start.
Braves Designate Shane Carle For Assignment
The Braves announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Shane Carle for assignment in order to open a 40-man roster spot for righty Jeremy Walker, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Gwinnett. Right-hander Wes Parsons was optioned to Gwinnett to clear a spot on the 25-man roster.
Carle, 28 next month, is only months season removed from a 2018 season that saw him finish the year with a 2.86 ERA in 63 innings of work, although he looked quite unlikely to repeat that production moving forward. Carle averaged just 6.1 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 last season, surviving in large part due to a deflated .258 average on balls in play and excellent fortune in terms of home runs allowed (0.29 HR/9, 4.2% HR/FB).
Carle’s end-of-season numbers were buoyed by a particularly hot start to the season; however, after posting a 0.69 ERA in his first 26 innings, the righty came down to Earth with a 4.38 ERA and an unpalatable 24-to-21 K/BB ratio in his final 37 innings of work.
This season has been a particularly ugly one for Carle. In 9 1/3 big league innings he’s allowed 10 runs, walked nine batters and hit three more while striking out just six. His Triple-A results haven’t been much more encouraging, as he’s limped to a 5.13 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 46 percent ground-ball rate. To Carle’s credit, he’s had the BABIP pendulum swing the other direction against him with Gwinnett, as he’s seen hitters bat .356 on balls put into play against him. He’s still limiting homers (0.54 HR/9) in amid talk of juiced balls in one of the most hitter-friendly seasons the International League has ever seen.
Carle has an option remaining beyond the 2019 season, so a club in need of some bullpen help could certainly take a look at him as middle relief depth. The Braves will spend the next week trying to trade him but could also try to pass him throughout outright waivers (although last season’s success and the remaining option make him a decent bet to be claimed).
As for Walker, 24, he carved up Double-A opponents this season before a brief 11-inning stopover in Gwinnett. The 2016 fifth-round pick is now slated to make his MLB debut on the heels of 69 2/3 innings of 2.84 ERA ball and a 71-to-8 K/BB ratio between Double-A and Triple-A.
Royals Release Wily Peralta
July 24: Peralta has cleared release waivers and is now a free agent, per a club announcement.
July 22: The Royals announced that they have requested unconditional release waivers on right-hander Wily Peralta. He’d been designated for assignment over the weekend.
Peralta, 30, has pitched to an ugly 5.80 ERA with a similarly unsightly 24-to-19 K/BB ratio in 40 1/3 innings this season. He’s been tagged for seven home runs on the year and seen his fastball velocity drop from an average of 96.2 mph in 2018 to 94.4 mph in 2019.
Peralta did post a 3.67 ERA through 34 1/3 innings in his first season with Kansas City in 2018. However, the former Brewers hurler also averaged an untenable 6.0 walks per nine innings pitched with unfavorable ratings from fielding-independent metrics (4.73 FIP, 4.66 xFIP, 4.67 SIERA). That didn’t deter the Royals from bringing him back for a second season at a guarantee of $3.25MM. He’s still owed just under $847K of this year’s $2.25MM base salary in addition to a $1MM buyout on a 2020 mutual option.
That salary obligation and this year’s poor results make him a sure thing to clear release waivers and become a free agent on Wednesday. At that point, he’ll be free to sign with any club and will only be owed the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time spent in the Majors. The Royals will remain on the hook for the rest of his salary and the option buyout.
Cubs Option Addison Russell To Triple-A
The Cubs have optioned infielder Addison Russell to Triple-A Iowa and activated catcher Willson Contreras from the injured list, the team announced to reporters (Twitter link via ESPN Chicago’s Jesse Rogers).
Russell, 25, began the season on the restricted list while he served out a 40-game suspension under the league’s domestic abuse policy. His return to the lineup has been underwhelming — not surprising for a player who has never posted a league-average offensive season by measure of OPS+ or wRC+ — as he’s posted a .247/.329/.404 line in 158 plate appearances. Much of Russell’s career-high 10.7 percent walk rate has been a function of batting seventh or eighth in front of the pitcher.
In recent weeks, Russell has begun to cede time at second base and in the lineup to rookie Robel Garcia, who now stands to receive additional starts at the keystone. Russell’s demotion could also open up some time for David Bote at second base, although he’s been used exclusively at third base since late June. Still, he’ll be a depth option there and perhaps at shortstop as well, given that Russell had been the primary fallback option should Javier Baez ever need to come out of a game.
The Cubs have been tied to Eric Sogard on the rumor mill recently, and it stands to reason that they’re also exploring the possibility of adding another cost-efficient option at second base while waiting to see whether Ben Zobrist returns to the lineup in 2019. Speculatively, that could include players such as Jonathan Villar, Tim Beckham, Adeiny Hechavarria or Neil Walker, though a move isn’t a foregone conclusion.
Clearly, the demotion only further calls into question Russell’s future with the club. That’s been the case since the time of his suspension, although the Cubs chose to stand by Russell, with president of baseball operations Theo Epstein speaking of second chances and supporting Russell in “stabilizing his life” and “growing.” That said, Epstein was also candid that the club would be prepared to move on from Russell if need be. His lackluster performance at the plate, recent defensive miscues — he dropped a pair of pop-ups over the weekend — and recent, eye-opening acknowledgment that he “need[s] to become more familiar with the signs” (via Rogers) in the wake of a baserunning gaffe certainly don’t paint a favorable outlook.
Pirates Open To Trading Keone Kela
The Pirates are remaining tight-lipped on the contractual violation that resulted in a team-issued two-game suspension for right-hander Keone Kela, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports (subscription required) that Pittsburgh is “more than willing” to trade Kela. (Kela, according to Yahoo’s Tim Brown, got into an “altercation” with director of cultural initiatives Hector Morales.)
It’s been less than a year since the Pirates traded prospects Taylor Hearn and Sherten Apostel to the Rangers to acquire Kela in hopes of shoring up the bullpen not only for a possible 2018 run but also for the foreseeable future. The Pirates made that deal knowing that Kela had previously been demoted to the minors as a disciplinary measure back in Spring Training 2017, but the allure of a high-quality setup man with two and a half years of club control remaining was easy to see.
Kela, still just 26 years old, only elevated his stock down the stretch in 2018. He tossed 15 1/3 innings out of the Pittsburgh bullpen following the trade, holding opponents to five runs (2.93 ERA) on 10 hits and five walks with 22 strikeouts. The 2019 season has been another story. A shoulder issue has limited Kela to only 11 2/3 innings so far this season, during which he’s served up six runs on 11 hits (three homers) and four walks.
At this point, Kela hasn’t pitched in a big league game since May 4 due to said shoulder troubles. Coupled with a team-issued suspension, it’s safe to say that his value isn’t exactly at its apex. Even if that’s the case, though, Kela still has plenty of appealing qualities. He won’t turn 27 until early next season and is the owner of a solid 3.48 ERA with averages of 11.0 K/9, 3.4 BB/9 and 1.01 HR/9 in 196 2/3 innings of big league work in his career. He’s earning an eminently affordable $3.175MM in 2019 ($1.16MM still to be paid out) and is controlled through the 2020 season. It’s impossible to say how much the brief suspension will impact his trade value without knowing what transpired, but the appeal based on his contractual status and track record on the mound is clear.
From a bigger-picture standpoint, the openness to moving Kela doesn’t portend a full-scale teardown in Pittsburgh. General manager Neal Huntington has suggested on multiple occasions that he has no intention of trading closer Felipe Vazquez — one of baseball’s best relievers — and it stands to reason that he has a similar view of long-term assets. However, the Pirates are just 2-8 over their past 10 games and have fallen to 7.5 games back in the NL Central and seven back in the Wild Card hunt. Given their recent trajectory, it wouldn’t be at all surprising if shorter-term pieces like Kela, Jordan Lyles, Corey Dickerson and Melky Cabrera hit the block and found their way to other clubs.
Falvey On Twins’ Deadline Approach
The Twins face a fascinating trade deadline as they try to stay out ahead of the division-rival Indians. Minnesota chief baseball officer Derek Falvey discussed his club’s approach in a recent appearance on Darren Wolfson’s The Scoop podcast (audio link).
Many fans would prefer to have already seen some new additions populating the roster, but Falvey says that’s simply not how the summer trade period typically unfolds. Even with the unitary trade deadline, the “market dynamics” are similar to those in prior seasons, he suggests, with a crescendo presumptively building just in advance of the deadline (one week from today).
While the Twins have at least given internal consideration to forcing the action, they’ve obviously ultimately decided to wait until the market picture gains greater resolution. There’s little question of the buying status of the Minnesota club — they’re in — but rivals with possible acquisition targets are still waiting to make their final calls. And there are obviously quite a few possibilities to sort through.
It seems as if the Twins aren’t fully committed to a particular deadline approach. Per Falvey, the club is unsurprisingly “focused more on the pitching side.” Beyond that, its moves may not unfold “in the most orthodox fashion,” he says.”
Rather than specifically pursuing certain roles — say, a top-flight starter or closer — the Twins are interested in improving “overall pitching depth.” That could open the door to creative approaches. As he put it: “we may think about … if there are ways to add to our starting rotation, our pitching depth, is there a way to add to the bullpen at the same time?”
Fans probably shouldn’t expect any true blockbusters out of the Minnesota front office. Falvey says he’s “actively working that market to try and find ways to improve this club,” but strongly suggests it won’t come in the way of adding new core or high-end rental pieces. This year’s successes, he says, will surely come “from the group that’s in that clubhouse right now.” Deadline moves are likelier to function as “supplements” to the roster core.
It isn’t terribly surprising to hear of this general approach. The Twins have made clear since the offseason that they’d rely primarily on their slate of internally developed talent. Of course, it’s also arguable that the time is ripe for the club to push hard to add impact MLB talent right now. As GM Thad Levine stated over the winter, “We’re very eagerly waiting for this window to be opened, and when it is, we plan on striking.”
There’s plenty more of interest in the podcast for fans of the team, including a few health updates. Among other things, Falvey says that veteran reliever Cody Allen is dealing with a minor neck issue but has been “starting to show some signs” of promise. That obviously won’t dissuade the club from pursuing more reliable arms via trade.
Braves To Select Contract Of Jeremy Walker
The Braves will select the contract of right-hander Jeremy Walker, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (via Twitter). Walker will be activated for tonight’s contest, taking the place of optioned righty Wes Parsons.
Walker put himself on the MLB radar with a strong showing to open the year in the upper minors. Previously a starter, the former fifth-round pick has functioned in a multi-inning relief capacity this season.
The results have been fairly compelling. Through 69 2/3 innings over 26 total appearances, Walker carries a 2.84 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and just 1.0 BB/9. He has generated grounders on well over half of the balls put in play against him and allowed just a pair of homers this season.
While it seems Walker is well-positioned to take his first crack at the majors, and he’d have needed a 40-man roster spot next fall for Rule 5 protection, adding him now will certainly impact the number of slots the club has to work with as it tweaks its roster in advance of the trade deadline. Improving the back of the pen still seems like a priority. Whether the team will end up jettisoning some veterans and/or trading valuable youngsters from its 40-man remains to be seen.