Pirates Announce Series Of Roster Moves
In a grab bag of roster moves, the Pirates have announced the activation of reliever Richard Rodriguez from the injured list, the optioning of pitcher Montana DuRapau to Triple-A, the reinstatement of infielder Jose Osuna from suspension, and the long-delayed placement of pitcher Kyle Crick on the suspended list.
Rodriguez, 29, has been on the IL since August 12th due to a shoulder issue. When healthy, the right-hander has mounted a 3.72 ERA in 48.1 innings in 2019–his second full-year in Pittsburgh. His last outing was an August 9th appearance against the Cardinals in which Rodriguez allowed 3 earned runs in just one-third of an inning. His K/9 rate is just 7.63 this year–a stark drop from the 11.42 rate he displayed in 2018. Fielding independent metrics have been summarily unimpressed with his work this year (5.51 FIP).
DuRapau will return to Triple-A Indianapolis after receiving another run up from the Pirates taxi squad. In 2019, his first taste of the big league environment, DuRapau has logged a 7.56 ERA in 16.2 innings.
As for the suspension movements involving Osuna and Crick, yes, the Pirates are still dealing with the fallout from their unforgettable July 30th fracas with the Cinncinatti Reds. Though it may seem like that high-intensity dustup occurred a lifetime ago, Osuna just began serving his five-game suspension on August 14th, and Crick had been fighting his suspension since it was issued. Osuna returns with a healthy 147 wRC+ in 135 at-bats this year, while Crick has logged a 4.43 ERA, 10.88 K/9, and 6.45 BB/9 in 44.2 innings in 2019.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Could Return This Week
Blue Jays rookie third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. could be back in the Toronto lineup in short order, as Jon Morosi of MLB Network relays that the 20-year-old Canada native could return for this week’s tilt with the Dodgers (link). The team has apparently indicated that Vlad Jr.’s status is more “day-to-day than week-to-week”.
After tweaking his knee while fielding a groundball, Guerrero Jr. went for MRI testing–testing that ultimately showed only minor inflammation. After Padres rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. was shut down for the season following a back injury, there was trepidation that even a moderate issue would similarly spell the end of Vladito’s rookie campaign. About that rookie campaign, it’s fair to say that on-field results have been mixed–though ultimately very encouraging for a player of his age.
Across a sizable sample of 386 at-bats, Guerrero Jr. has slashed .274/.345/.464, while wRC+ indicates that he has been 13 percent better than a league-average hitter. When not inside the batter’s box, however, the infielder has shown some warts that the Jays surely hope will iron out as he matures, including a -4.4 BSR measurement on the bases and generally subpar defense as evidenced in part by his -4 DRS mark. The Blue Jays enter play in Los Angeles today with a 52-75 record.
Pitcher Notes: Doolittle, Nix, Lindblom
Though manager Dave Martinez has maintained that he will regain his closer’s role when he returns from the injured list, Nationals reliever Sean Doolittle isn’t taking anything for granted, as shown in a profile from the Washington Post’s Jesse Dougherty. “I mean that’s awesome to get that vote of confidence from your manager. But I have to pitch better if I want to stay in that role,” Doolittle told Dougherty on Monday. Of course, it’s probably the proper attitude for the veteran lefty to assume after a recent run of poor play–outlined by a 7.36 ERA in his last 15 appearances–culminated in his placement on the injured list on Sunday with right knee tendinitis. While watching video of his last outing, a three-homer drubbing at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, Doolittle says he has identified several mechanical concerns that could be the cause of his struggles, including a low release point and shortened extension.
More hurler notes to keep handy this Tuesday…
- Jacob Nix of the Padres is grinding his way back from an elbow issue that has sidelined him for the entirety of the 2019 season, as noted in a column from Jeff Sanders of the Union-Tribune. After opting for rest and rehab in recovery from a UCL tear, Nix has climbed back up to Triple-A El Paso, where, on Monday, he struck out six hitters in five shutout innings. The 23-year-old Nix, a third-round draft pick of GM AJ Preller’s in 2015, debuted last year with 7.02 ERA, 4.46 K/9, and 2.76 BB/9 numbers across 42.1 innings. As you might expect regarding someone with such a shaky big league resumé, manager Andy Green indicates to Sanders that Nix’s return will be, in the writer’s words, “predicated on his results”.
- You would be forgiven for not recognizing the name of one Josh Lindblom, but that exact name is drawing a great deal of attention in Korea–and, increasingly, in MLB circles. As The Athletic’s Sung Min Kim points out (link), MLB scouts have been attending the KBO starts of Lindblom in droves as the former big league reliever makes a historic foreign run. A veteran of 114 MLB games, the 32-year-old Lindblom is trouncing KBO hitters in his quest for the all-time record for wins by a foreign pitcher (22) in one season. In 24 starts for the Doosan Bears, Lindblom is 19-1 with a 2.03 ERA–truly intriguing numbers for a pitcher operating in such a hitter-friendly environment. Lindblom hasn’t appeared stateside since pitching for a stint with the Pirates in 2017.
Yankees Reportedly Set To Sign Trevor Rosenthal
The Yankees are set to sign free agent reliever Trevor Rosenthal to a minor league deal, according to a tweet from MLB Daily Dish’s Andersen Pickard later backed up by Jon Heyman of MLB Network (Twitter links). The veteran elected free agency on August 10th after being designated for assignment by the Tigers organization.
Rosenthal, if nothing else, has certainly bolstered his frequent flyer accounts this year, as New York will represent his third organization of the 2019 season. Rosenthal’s signing of a one-year, $7MM deal with Washington was intended to bolster the D.C. relief corps with veteran experience, but the 29-year-old righty was thoroughly shellacked (22.74 ERA) in 6.1 innings in a Nats uni before being released on June 23rd. The Tigers then signed him on June 29th, perhaps hoping that his early-season struggles were just signs of rust understandable for a pitcher who had sat out the 2018 season in rehabilitation from Tommy John surgery. Those hopes were dashed over 9 summer innings, as Rosenthal again allowed nearly more walks (11) than strikeouts (12).
Perhaps Rosenthal can find a remedy for his struggles working in the New York organization. Though this deal is reported as being of the minors variety, it stands to reason that, with the end of the minor league schedule just weeks away, this signing is likely a precursor to Rosenthal’s late-season integration into the Yankees bullpen mix. For several reasons, there are worse gambles for Yankees GM Brian Cashman to make at this juncture in the season.
After all, Rosenthal is still youthful, and formerly effective. The last time we saw him pitch a full season, Rosenthal threw 47 2/3 innings of 3.40 ERA ball with a career-high 14.3 K/9 against 3.8 BB/9 for the 2017 Cardinals. Walks have always been a bugaboo for the Missouri native, with a career 4.5 BB/9 rate that is truly anxiety-inducing in a late-inning reliever, but his 12.0 career K/9 rating helps explain how a pitcher with that weakness could wind up stranding more than his fair share of runners. If the Yankees recent run of success with scrap heap vets is any indication, it may not be the strangest development of the 2019 season to see Rosenthal regain some of his old St. Louis form in New York.
West Notes: Felix, Oberg, Dahl
Erstwhile Mariners ace Felix Hernandez toed the rubber for the Tacoma Rainiers on Monday night and it shouldn’t be long before he’s donning a Seattle uni once again, according to a report from Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Hernandez, out since May 12th with a lat-strain, threw 69 pitches and was largely effective in Tacoma, utilizing an 88-90 mph fastball to limit the Salt Lake Bees to one run over three-plus innings pitched. Indications are that the living legend would slide into the M’s rotation come Saturday, which would end the weeks-long four-man rotation dance that manager Scott Servais has had to orchestrate since the club’s trade of Mike Leake at the MLB trade deadline. For what it’s worth, Hernandez is looking at this return as a moment to savor, saying: “It’s going to be my last year. I don’t know what’s going to happen next year so I need to go out there and show them that I still love the fans and still love Seattle.”
It has been a long time since Hernandez flashed the kind of dominance that he displayed during a halcyon 2009-2014 run, but his return should be a welcome reprieve for M’s faithful during a “step-back” 2019 season. Though they may not be able to count on him to pitch in vintage form, Hernandez’s return–along with expected promotions for prospects Justus Sheffield, Justin Dunn, and Jake Fraley–should help add some intrigue to Seattle’s September frames. Hernandez has a 5.75 ERA since 2018’s outset and is playing in the final year of a 7-year/$175MM accord.
More news from around the left coast…
- The blood clot complications experienced by Rockies relief ace Scott Oberg last week were a perspective-granting moment for those in-and-around the game of baseball. Though the Colorado org was looking to the veteran to handle save situations in the wake of Wade Davis‘ dissolution, Oberg’s emergency hospital admission and subsequent surgery were a late-season reminder of the relative triviality of the game played between the lines. To their credit, Colorado is doing what’s necessary to ensure the long-term health of the righthander, as Oberg will travel with the team to St. Louis to see a specialist regarding his medical issue, per a tweet from Nick Groke of The Athletic (link). Primarily, the team wants to determine the danger involved with this recurrence of a blood clot for Oberg, who dealt with a similar issue in 2016.
- In less heavy news for the purple-and-black outfit, Rockies outfielder David Dahl was with the team in the visiting clubhouse of Chase Field on Monday, according to a report from Jake Rill of MLB.com. Dahl, who has been rehabbing at a team complex since he went on the injured list with a high right ankle sprain on Aug. 3, will also travel with the team to St. Louis, where he will continue a rehab regimen largely based around activities like underwater treadmill running and throwing. The 25-year-old lefty swinger made the All-Star team this year on the strength of a .302/.353/.524 batting line that is somewhat undercut by his park-adjusted wRC+ figure of 108. Dahl does expect to have a chance to return and improve upon that line before season’s end, although he likely won’t go on a rehab assignment due to the minor league season’s imminent closure.
Central Notes: Abreu, Gordon, Bader, Brusdar
Although the White Sox and first baseman Jose Abreu have made their affinity for one another known on many occasions, the club reportedly won’t offer the pending free agent a contract extension this season. Nevertheless, Abreu once again made it clear Monday his mission is to re-sign with the White Sox, as Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times relays. Asked if he’s confident a new deal will come together, Abreu declared: “Of course. Like I said before, if the team doesn’t sign me, I’m going to sign myself here.” Chicago’s on its way to its 11th straight season without a playoff berth, and the club has never even finished .500 since Abreu joined the fray entering 2014. But the 32-year-old explained to Van Schouwen the team’s capable of contending as early as 2020, expressing confidence that “the front office is going to make the move that will be the right move for us to move forward and to get to that final phase of this process.”
- As with Chicago and Abreu, there’s a great deal of fondness between the Royals and outfielder Alex Gordon. General manager Dayton Moore stated back in June he “couldn’t imagine” Gordon playing anywhere else. The soon-to-be 36-year-old took a similar tone over the weekend, telling Matt Ehalt of Yahoo Sports it’s KC or bust in 2020. “I’m not going to play anywhere else,” Gordon said. “If I play, it’s going to be for the Royals.” If Gordon does continue next season, he and the Royals will have to work out a new arrangement, as the team’s sure to decline its half of a $23MM mutual option in favor of a $4MM buyout.
- The Cardinals will recall center fielder Harrison Bader from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday and option outfielder Randy Arozarena, per Stu Durando and Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Manager Mike Shildt noted the Cardinals are “super proud” of Bader for the way he handled himself in the wake of his July 29 demotion. Bader had been a staple in St. Louis’ lineup for most of the year until the club sent him down, but he’s coming back as a result of a dominant offensive showing in the minors. Meanwhile, fellow Cardinals outfielder Tyler O’Neill could start a rehab assignment with Memphis later in the week, according to Durando and Hummel. O’Neill has been on the IL since Aug. 3 with a left wrist strain.
- High-end Twins pitching prospect Brusdar Graterol leveled up over the weekend, moving from Double-A Pensacola to Triple-A Rochester. The 20-year-old right-hander is now on the doorstep of the majors, but that doesn’t mean he’ll get there this season, GM Thad Levine told Phil Miller of the Star Tribune. On the subject of a possible late-2019 major league call-up for Graterol, Levine said: “That idea may have been a little overstated. We’re not going to force anything. We would only promote someone if we thought he could genuinely contribute, [and that decision] has certainly not been made.” Graterol’s capable of pumping triple-digit heat, which ideally will help make him a prominent piece of the Twins’ bullpen into the fall.
Danny Santana, Nomar Mazara Exit With Injuries
TUESDAY: Santana’s confident he won’t miss time, according to manager Chris Woodward, but it doesn’t appear Mazara will be as fortunate. His oblique injury is similar to (but not as severe as) the strain that sent teammate Joey Gallo to the IL in June. Gallo wound up sitting out just over three weeks (via Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram).
MONDAY: Rangers utilityman Danny Santana and outfielder Nomar Mazara left the team’s game Monday with injuries that seem as if they could lead to IL stints. Santana departed with left hamstring tightness, while Mazara succumbed to tightness in his left oblique. Should at least one of those players end up on the shelf, the Rangers are prepared to promote infield/outfield prospect Nick Solak from Triple-A Nashville, TR Sullivan of MLB.com suggests. Nashville pulled Solak from its game Monday.
At 60-64, the Rangers’ once-legitimate postseason hopes are now dead. But Santana has done everything in his power this season to help propel the Rangers back to prominence. The 28-year-old switch-hitter has slashed .305/.333/.576 with 21 home runs and 13 steals (on 19 attempts) over 376 plate appearances. Between Santana’s offensive production and his defensive versatility (he has appeared in double-digit games in the outfield, at first and at second), he undoubtedly looks like one of the best bargain signings of last offseason. Texas inked the former Twin and Brave to a minor league deal after a couple rough seasons, and the Rangers will be able to control him two more times via arbitration.
This season hasn’t been as prosperous for Mazara, who still hasn’t lived up to the considerable hype he garnered coming up through the Rangers’ system. While the fourth-year man has been on a tear of late, his overall .268/.318/.466 line with 17 HRs in 443 is merely mediocre. There have been rumblings about the Rangers possibly trading the 24-year-old Mazara, who has another two seasons of arb control left. That could be a situation to watch over the winter, but for now, the sizzling Mazara will hope to stay off the IL.
In the event that doesn’t happen, Solak, 24, could crack a big league roster for the first time. He’s just over a month into his tenure with the Rangers, who acquired him from the Rays on July 13 in a swap for young righty Peter Fairbanks. It was already the second trade involving Solak – a 2016 second-round pick whom the Yankees sent to the Rays in a three-teamer back in 2018.
Solak may yet emerge as a regular in Texas, with FanGraphs placing him just outside the game’s top 100 prospects and contending he’ll at least turn into “an average everyday second baseman.” Solak has made a strong case for a promotion by raking since he got to Nashville, where he has slashed an eyebrow-raising .357/.390/.670 with 10 home runs in 124 trips to the plate. Even in the offense-driven Pacific Coast League, Solak’s production has been 48 percent above average, according to wRC+.
Carlos Correa Leaves Game With Back Discomfort
The Astros defeated the Tigers on Monday to improve to 80-46, but the World Series hopefuls didn’t escape unscathed. Star shortstop Carlos Correa left the game with discomfort in his back, the team announced. Manager A.J. Hinch said afterward Correa’s day-to-day, but he admitted: “I don’t like it. It’s not comfortable.” (Twitter links via Mark Berman of Fox 26).
Hinch’s trepidation stems from the fact that back issues have been a past problem for Correa, who missed over a month last summer because of them. With this year’s playoffs just around the corner, a similar absence would be cutting things awfully close for Houston. Plus, the Astros just lost fellow shortstop option Aledmys Diaz to the injured list Sunday, though they’ve passed plenty of tests without him and Correa this season. Both players have spent weeks on the IL to this point, yet the Astros still own what should be an insurmountable eight-game lead in the AL West.
Correa previously suffered a fractured rib in a massage gone wrong May 28, causing him to sit out until July 26. While the Astros managed an impressive 31-19 record during that span, it’s obvious they aren’t at the height of their considerable powers without Correa. The 24-year-old has been brilliant over 310 plate appearances this season, slashing .278/.358/.556 with 19 home runs and 2.9 fWAR.
Rays Select Hoby Milner’s Contract
The Rays have selected the contract of left-hander Hoby Milner from Triple-A Durham, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets. Milner will take the 25-man spot of lefty Brendan McKay, whom the Rays optioned.
The Rays took a 9-3 beating at the hands of the Mariners on Monday, when McKay yielded seven runs (three earned) on three hits and three walks over two innings of work. McKay has regularly shuttled between the majors and minors in what has been a promising but frustrating debut campaign for the touted 23-year-old. While McKay has pitched to a weak 5.55 ERA in 35 2/3 innings, he has logged 10.35 K/9 against 3.03 BB/9 at the same time.
Milner, whom the Rays acquired from the Phillies in July 2018, threw just 7 1/3 major league innings last year and hasn’t pitched in the bigs yet this season. The 28-year-old has, however, thrived at Durham, where he has put up a 3.32 ERA/3.09 FIP and 13.11 K/9 against 2.05 BB/9 across 57 frames.
Mariners Will Reportedly Promote Jake Fraley
The Mariners plan to promote outfielder Jake Fraley from Triple-A Tacoma before their game against the Rays on Tuesday, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports. Fraley isn’t on the Mariners’ 40-man roster, but the team currently has three openings.
Fraley is in his first year with the Seattle organization, which acquired him from the club he’ll debut against – Tampa Bay – in a November trade centering on Mallex Smith and Mike Zunino. The addition of Fraley came amid an aggressive offseason in which Seattle greatly improved a once-barren farm system. Fraley, whom the Rays chose in the second round of the 2016 draft, was one of the Mariners’ prize pickups during an action-packed winter. The former LSU Tiger now ranks among the M’s 20 best prospects at MLB.com (No. 8), Baseball America (12) and FanGraphs (16).
The prevailing belief is that the 24-year-old Fraley is more likely to top out as a role player than a high-impact one in the majors. While Fraley pulverized High-A pitching a year ago, he was old for the level. Fraley then opened this season by manhandling Double-A hurlers, whom he teed off on for a .313/.386/.539 line (156 wRC+) with 11 home runs in 240 plate appearances, but he hasn’t been as successful since earning a promotion to Tacoma. In his first action in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, Fraley has batted .276/.333/.553 (103 wRC+) and swatted eight homers over 168 PA.
When the Mariners officially call up Fraley, he’ll join an outfield which has underwhelmed this season because of subpar performances and injuries. Smith has taken steps backward in his first year in the organization; Domingo Santana has been sitting of late because of a weeks-long slump; Mitch Haniger and Braden Bishop have been out with injuries for multiple months; and the league slapped Tim Beckham with an 80-game PED suspension Aug. 6.
Thanks to their myriad issues, the Mariners have largely deployed the unspectacular group of Smith, Tim Lopes, Keon Broxton and Dylan Moore in the outfield in recent days. No one in that foursome has posted anything close to above-average offensive production this season, which could leave room for Fraley to grab a spot if he impresses from the get-go.