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Padres Release Sammy Solis

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The Padres have released left-handed reliever Sammy Solis from his minor league contract, according to Roster Roundup (Twitter link). He’d signed with the Friars on a minor league back in early March after being released by the Nationals.

Solis, 30, has enjoyed a solid season in Triple-A El Paso to date, putting up a 3.57 ERA through 22 2/3 innings in that hitter-friendly setting. Solis has punched out 28 hitters against eight walks in that time and, despite a tiny 21.4 percent ground-ball rate, has held opponents to three home runs.

The past couple of seasons in D.C. were ugly ones for Solis, who most recently turned in a dismal 6.41 ERA in 39 1/3 frames for the Nats in 2018. Even in that down year, though, Solis averaged 10.1 K/9 with a solid 12.9 percent swinging-strike rate, and a 31.7 percent chase rate on pitches outside the strike zone. He’s averaged 94 mph on his heater at the big league level, and his track record in Triple-A aligns closely with what he’s done this season. Solis has been a bit more effective against righties than lefties in his career at the big league level, and that has emphatically been the case thus far in a small sample of innings with El Paso. At his best in 2015-16, he found success against hitters from both sides of the dish.

He’s a long ways from earning a trip back through the arbitration process, but if Solis does return to the Majors and find enough success that a new team wants to keep him into the offseason, he’d be controllable for multiple seasons. At present, Solis would be controlled through 2021 via arbitration, but by mid June there wouldn’t be enough time left in the season for him to reach four full years of MLB service, which would push a team’s control over him back another year.

The Downside Of Being The 26th Man

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In theory, the “26th man” doubleheader rule that MLB implemented in the 2012-16 wave of collective bargaining should work for all parties involved. Teams get an extra player, frequently a pitcher, to help manage the workload of the day’s pair of games. The player promoted to the big leagues gets a day of MLB service time and picks up a day of big league pay, in addition to the opportunity to make a nice impression on his organization. If the player in question is a pitcher, other members of the staff are spared from having to pitch on short rest and/or in extended outings.

Cody Reed | Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

It all sounds good! Well, it sounds good to most players. But what about the rare instances in which a player promoted to the Major Leagues as a 26th man ends up incurring an injury during that game? As Reds left-hander Cody Reed demonstrated this week, the rule isn’t exactly perfect.

Reed was summoned to serve as Cincinnati’s 26th man in a Monday twin bill with the Pirates and performed well, giving the Reds a pair of scoreless relief innings in the second game of the day. In doing so, he continued an impressive year that has seen him pitch 20 2/3 innings of 2.61 ERA ball in Triple-A and another 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in the Majors. Unfortunately, he also sustained a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee. The Reds announced that Reed won’t throw for the next 10 to 14 days, which obviously meant a trip to the injured list.

The problem for Reed, though, is that because he was not technically on the 25-man roster as the 26th man in a doubleheader, he’ll recover from that injury on the minor league injured list rather than the Major League injured list. Logic would seemingly dictate that a player injured while performing in a Major League game would rehab that injury while receiving the benefits of the MLB IL — that is, service time and MLB pay. That won’t be the case for Reed or future players who are injured while serving as the 26th man, though.

It may not seem like a major distinction, but consider the discrepancy between the prorated Major League minimum salary and the monthly salaries that a players make in Triple-A. Reed is fortunate in the sense that he has enough big league service time to be on a decent split contract; he’ll earn $145K in the minors this season versus $565K in the Majors. (A player with less big league time or no big league time would not be earning as much.)

That’s a fairly sizable difference between what he’d earn in the Majors versus the minors — particularly for a player who has yet to establish himself as a big leaguer. If he requires a couple of throwing sessions after his shutdown period, he could be out for three weeks or upwards of a month. At that point, the prorated MLB salary would top his prorated Triple-A salary by anywhere from $40-60K.

To be clear, the Reds aren’t doing anything wrong by placing him on the minor league injured list and actually didn’t have a choice. That’s the way the rules were bargained. As a concession for allowing a 26th player to be brought up for a doubleheader and earn a day of service and big league pay, it was agreed that there would be no technical transaction associated with the move:

(dd) Any Club that expands its roster for these purposes must return to a 25-man Active Roster immediately after the conclusion of the second game (i.e., a post-game roster adjustment). The recall and waiver requirements and limitations contained in these Rules shall not apply to the 26th Player if returned to his previous Minor League club for these purposes. Moreover, a player’s addition to the 25-man Active roster for these purposes shall not affect the expiration of any 10-day period that may be required by Rule 11(b)(1). The return of the player to his previous Minor League club shall not be considered an assignment (i.e., to a Minor League club, an optional assignment under these Rules, or otherwise). A Club may return to a 25-man Active Roster by removing a player other than the 26th Player only if the Club’s addition of the 26th Player complied with all applicable Rules and the Basic Agreement, and the Club’s subsequent removal of the other player from its roster complied with all applicable Rules and the Basic Agreement (and both of those transactions will not be covered by the exception created by this Rule 2(c)(2)(A)(ii)).

(ee) The 26th Player shall be paid one day of Major League salary and shall receive one day of Major League service. Such day shall not be counted for purposes of counting days on option pursuant to the Articles XIX(E) and XXI(B) of the Basic Agreement or Rule 11(c).

In essence, the rules stipulate that a player must be on the 40-man roster to serve as the 26th man but is not technically recalled from the minors when he does so. That’s important to note; were it not for that distinction, Reed would not even have been eligible to pitch in the Majors that day. He’d been optioned down just eight days prior and, as such, wasn’t eligible for recall under normal circumstances. The Reds couldn’t even have sent someone else down if they’d wanted to, as keeping Reed up would not have “complied with all applicable Rules and the Basic Agreement.” In that regard, the quirks of this rule both benefited Reed by allowing him to be in the Majors on Monday and hurt him by disallowing him from rehabbing on the Major League injured list.

This is likely the precise type of scenario that concerned owners when pushing for these stipulations during negotiations. A more extreme example could see a player called up to make a one-off start in the nightcap of a doubleheader only to blow out his arm and require Tommy John surgery. That’d turn what might’ve been a roughly $3K spot start for ownership into a $500K+ salary on the injured list for the majority of the season (in addition to the accompanying service time).

That owners sought protection against these injury scenarios is understandable, but it’s still counter-intuitive that a player injured in a Major League game would be deprived of the benefits afforded to those on a big league roster. Had Reed simply been called up to the 25-man roster for a one day to lengthen the ’pen in a normal game and incurred this exact same injury, he’d go on the MLB IL and receive that service time and salary. That’s a risk that clubs run any other time they dip into their farm system for a one-day depth move, but it strangely doesn’t apply when playing multiple games in the same day.

Perhaps this is much ado about something that occurs so rarely that it’s not worth fretting over, but Cody Reed probably doesn’t think so.

Cubs To Sign Carlos Gonzalez

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The Cubs have agreed to a minor-league deal with veteran outfielder Carlos Gonzalez, per ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers (via Twitter). He’ll report to Triple-A, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets.

After wrapping up his lengthy tenure with the Rockies in less than inspiring fashion last year, Gonzalez hit the open market in search of a bounceback opportunity. He ultimately got one in Cleveland, but wasn’t able to take advantage.

Long a star slugger, the 33-year-old just didn’t hit with the Indians. He delivered a .210/.282/.276 slash in 117 plate appearances before finally receiving the boot from a team that’s desperately in need of outfield production.

The situation isn’t quite the same in Chicago, which helps explain the potential match here. With loads of uncertainty surrounding Ben Zobrist, there’s a roster spot to play with. The Cubs could add Gonzalez as another piece of a mix-and-match outfield group, perhaps swapping him in for the just-added Jim Adduci.

Gonzalez has a history of laying waste to right-handed pitching. He has slashed .298/.364/.535 for his career. Even after being adjusted for park effects, that’s good for a 126 wRC+. If he’s to make a comeback and reestablish himself at the game’s highest level, it’s likely going to be jump-started by finding his groove against righties. He’ll also have to stop hammering the ball into the ground, which he did at a 58.3% rate with the Indians.

Should The Braves Trade Ender Inciarte?

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Well, you see the question in the headline. Should they? In brief, in my opinion: no.

This is the sort of query we get a lot from readers. When there’s depth at a position, it’s natural to wonder whether some of it could be used in a swap. We’ve been asked quite a bit about Braves outfielder Ender Inciarte, who struggled before hitting the injured list and has now perhaps been indirectly Wally Pipp’ed by exciting young slugger Austin Riley.

Thing is, Inciarte is no Pipp. When Pipp was eclipsed by Lou Gehrig, he was a 32-year-old first baseman mired in a slump after years of inconsistent offensive production. Inciarte? Ironically, his 63 OPS+ is a near-match to Pipp’s 62 OPS+ from that fateful 1925 season. Otherwise, they are nothing alike. Inciarte is a high-grade defensive outfielder and baserunner. Even if he’s a slightly below-average true-talent hitter, which seems like a fair characterization, he’s a valuable roster piece.

I admit it, the Pipp thing isn’t really even an apt analogy in the first place. But that only goes to prove the point on Inciarte.

Take a look at this Braves roster. Ronald Acuna is capable of playing center field and probably doing whatever else he happens to feel like on a baseball field. Nick Markakis is entrenched in right for the rest of the season and Riley’s bat isn’t coming out of the lineup unless and until MLB pitchers figure him out. On the reserve side, Matt Joyce has been a useful lefty bench bat; Charlie Culberson and Johan Camargo are infielders by trade.

Inciarte still fits just fine — quite nicely, in fact, especially given that Riley is still learning the outfield on the fly. Inciarte could enter late in games as a pinch-runner and/or defensive replacement for Riley, leaving the Braves with an excellent defensive alignment. And let’s not forget that Inciarte has a history of solid output as an everyday player. If there’s an injury or a sudden downturn, it’d be awfully nice to have him around.

Making a roster adjustment to accommodate him shouldn’t be too hard. Joyce is a bit of a luxury for a team that has so many firm regulars. He has been tasked with a limited role, serving mostly as a pinch-hitter and logging only 35 1/3 innings in the field. It’s not as if Inciarte isn’t capable enough against right-handed pitching himself; for his career, he’s a .289/.339/.404 hitter with the platoon advantage.

If the Braves prefer to hang onto Joyce, and maintain their overall slate of players, they can option down Camargo. Heck, Culberson is hitting like he’d belong on one of Gehrig’s old teams, so expanding his role would make sense regardless. With Riley on the roster, there’s a ready-made third-base fill-in to spell Josh Donaldson. And Camargo is really struggling at the plate. He has seen an erosion in plate discipline. He’s putting the ball in the air more but not doing so with authority, leaving him with a meager power output (.111 ISO) and low BABIP (.244) that’s not entirely undeserved. There’s good reason to think he’ll ultimately improve upon his ugly .213/.261/.324 slash, but some time working out the kinks at Triple-A wouldn’t be the worst idea.

The future considerations also weigh in favor of keeping Inciarte around. If you’ll indulge my strained comparison yet further … well, Riley isn’t the Iron Horse. No, I’m not talking about the attributes of the players here. It’s about the nature of the roster situation. Riley wasn’t called up to replace Donaldson, who unlike Pipp has been both effective and healthy this year. But third base is Riley’s natural position. And Donaldson will be a free agent at season’s end. Markakis is also a free agent. Really, when you look ahead to the Braves’ 2020 roster, there’s just one sure thing in the outfield: Acuna.

Given that situation, keeping the respected and familiar Inciarte on hand would make a ton of sense. He could re-take his semi-regular role in center or platoon with a right-handed-hitting player (perhaps even Adam Duvall, who is still stuck at Triple-A). That’d help the Braves bridge the gap to Cristian Pache and other young talents.

Inciarte’s extension calls for a reasonable $7MM salary in 2020, with $8MM for the following year and a $9MM club option thereafter. That’s still a nice price tag for a thrifty Atlanta organization. If they swing some big trades, signings, and/or promotions and no longer wish to keep Inciarte, the contract ought still to be movable.

To be sure, moving Inciarte should (and no doubt would) be considered if there’s an appealing-enough offer. But making a trade now would likely mean selling low. It’d cut into the team’s depth and flexibility, this season and in the near future. And it probably isn’t necessary — or shouldn’t be, anyway. The club is still loaded with young talent, not all of which can be maintained easily within the constraints of MLB’s roster rules. And it shouldn’t need to shed salary (or avoid taking it on) to acquire any desired mid-season upgrades, since the team expressly reserved payroll capacity for the middle of the season.

2019 MLB Draft Resources

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Baseball’s 2019 Rule 4 amateur draft will take begin on Monday, June 3rd. Between now and then, you may wish to acquaint yourself further with some of the young players who’ll be selected. There’ll be new mock drafts and added analysis in the days to come, but this slate of links provides an excellent starting point:

Poll: Mike Minor’s Future In Texas

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The Rangers’ surprising flirtation with the .500 mark and the American League Wild Card race — they’re currently 27-26 on the season and a half game from the second Wild Card spot — make them one of the more surprising teams of the year. Texas tried to patch together an entire rotation behind holdover Mike Minor this past offseason, trading for Drew Smyly, adding Edinson Volquez to the big league roster (he’d been on a two-year minor league deal) and signing the duo of Lance Lynn and Shelby Miller. With the Astros owning the division for the past several seasons and the A’s coming off a 97-win campaign of their own, there wasn’t much hope that Texas would contend for much of anything.

Mike Minor | Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

That may ultimately prove to be the case in the end, but at the moment the team is in better standing than most would’ve expected at the (nearly) one-third mark of the season. At the very least, it’s created some interesting questions moving forward — with Minor’s own future in the organization perhaps chief among them. The Athletic’s Jayson Stark tweeted yesterday that Minor’s potential presence on the summer trade market is a frequent topic of discussion among rival front offices, while his colleague, Ken Rosenthal, touched on the subject as the lead-in to his latest notes column.

Minor, indeed, seems like he’d be a highly coveted asset should the Rangers shop him this July. Starting pitching is always in heavy demand and short supply on the summer trade market — particularly when you’re discussing options that are more than pure rentals. Minor is earning $9.5MM in 2019 (with about $6.28MM yet to be paid out), and he’s guaranteed that same salary in 2020 under the three-year, $28MM contract he signed with Texas prior to the 2018 season. Considering his performance, that looks eminently reasonable.

The Rangers were surely pleased with the 4.18 ERA that Minor authored over 157 innings out of the rotation in 2018, especially given that it was his first work as a starting pitcher since 2014 with the Braves. Texas signed him on the heels of a terrific run out of the Royals’ bullpen, and the organization’s decision to put him back in a starting rotation looked justified based on that alone.

In 2019, Minor has taken things a step further. He’s pitched 70 2/3 innings of 2.55 ERA ball with improvements in his strikeout rate, ground-ball rate and swinging-strike rate. He’s been less prone to home runs as well, averaging 0.89 per nine innings pitched despite the launching pad in which he pitches his home games. Fielding-independent pitching metrics forecast a bit of regression on his excellent ERA but still are generally bullish on him as a solid mid-rotation arm. As is the case every summer, solid mid-rotation arms will likely be hard to come by this year, and Minor’s contractual status only enhances his appeal.

Back on Opening Day, it would’ve been simpler to see those numbers and expect that Minor would be among the top assets on the trade market. The overall team performance at least makes that thought more debatable, though. The question the Rangers have to ask themselves is whether the current club can conquer its obvious shortcomings enough to remain in the race. And, even if that’s not in the cards, whether Minor could be part of a more legitimate contender a year from now. Their defense is porous based on Defensive Runs Saved (-25) and UZR/150 (-2.8). Their bullpen, headlined by a terrible start from closer Jose Leclerc, has pitched poorly. The rotation is top-heavy and lacks depth. The chances of a postseason berth, even with Minor on board, appear thin, and the team is lacking in upper-level pitching talent — the type that could be netted in a Minor deal.

On the flipside of the coin, the Rangers rank third in the Majors in runs scored. Texas also has just $85MM committed to the next year’s payroll and a tiny arbitration class where only Joey Gallo and Nomar Mazara project for raises of note. For a team whose Opening Day payroll was $165MM as recently as 2017, there’ll be ample room to supplement the current roster. That will mean filling multiple holes, as the Rangers are currently enjoying production from one-year stopgaps like Logan Forsythe and Hunter Pence, but they’ll have plenty of budget room — particularly with Shin-Soo Choo finally off the books after 2020.

The Minor contract has turned into a success for the Rangers, but it now also leaves them with a bit of a decision on their hands. How should they proceed?

What should the Rangers do with Mike Minor this summer?
Trade him to bolster the farm. 64.30% (3,355 votes)
Extend him. He's part of their next winning club. 19.64% (1,025 votes)
Hang onto him in hopes of a Wild Card run and shop him in the offseason if they miss. 16.06% (838 votes)
Total Votes: 5,218
(Link to poll for Trade Rumors app users)

Injuries Mounting In Phillies’ Bullpen

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By most measures, the 2019 campaign has been a very good one for the Phillies so far. The team is out to a 33-22 start, giving them a 3.5-game lead over the Braves in the National League East. Neither their lineup nor their pitching staff has been dominant, but the Phils’ +35 run differential is easily the best in their division. They’ve been a solid team — albeit in a division that’s been less competitive than many pundits anticipated prior to the season thanks to an awful start by the Nationals and a lackluster start from the Mets.

But the Phillies also entered the final week of May with a long list of injuries in the bullpen, and it’s only gotten worse over the past 24 hours. Right-hander Victor Arano, who has been out since mid April due to inflammation in his right elbow, underwent arthroscopic surgery yesterday, as NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury tweeted. Meanwhile, the team announced that lefty Adam Morgan, who is in the midst of the best season of his career, has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a forearm strain.

There’s no clear timeline for the return of either hurler, though the Phillies should issue an update on Arano’s status in the near future. He’s not a household name by any means, but the 24-year-old has looked every bit the part of a big league reliever since breaking into the Majors in 2017. Through his first 74 2/3 innings, Arano owns a 2.65 ERA with 9.6 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. He’s allowed just seven homers in that time while posting gaudy swinging-strike and opponents’ chase rates (16.6 percent and 36.1 percent, respectively).

Morgan, meanwhile, sports a 1.96 ERA through 18 1/3 innings in 2019. The 29-year-old former starter has an 18-to-5 K/BB ratio in that time and has held lefties to a .154/.313/.231 average while limiting righties to an even more putrid .114/.162/.301 slash.

That pair of injury updates comes in addition to ongoing absences for David Robertson (flexor strain), Pat Neshek (shoulder strain), Edubray Ramos (biceps tendinitis) and Tommy Hunter (flexor strain). Philadelphia has nearly an entire MLB-caliber bullpen on the injured list at present, and none of the bunch is even out on a minor league rehab assignment.

Unsurprisingly, The Athletic’s Jayson Stark tweets that the Phillies are likely to “aggressively” pursue bullpen upgrades following next week’s MLB draft. But while that might stoke some renewed speculation about a possible match with Craig Kimbrel, Stark also downplayed that possibility. Similarly, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki suggests that a match between the Phillies and Kimbrel is still unlikely if Kimbrel is hoping to secure a multi-year deal. By all accounts, that’s the free-agent closer’s goal once he’s shed the burden of draft-pick compensation, so it doesn’t seem wise to pencil Kimbrel into the back of Gabe Kapler’s bullpen anytime soon.

Early June will still be too soon for some clubs to determine whether they’re full-on sellers, but there will be several clubs that have already accepted that fate — many of whom have some intriguing bullpen options to market. The Giants (Will Smith, Sam Dyson, Tony Watson), Tigers (Shane Greene) and Blue Jays (old friend Ken Giles?) are among the likely sellers of some high-end bullpen options, and none from that bunch has any designs on contending in their respective divisions at this juncture of the season. Specific targets will likely emerge as the Phils (and other teams) shift their focus beyond the draft, but they stand out as an obvious candidate to be among the game’s early buyers this year.

Latest On Michael Wacha

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The Cardinals pulled right-hander Michael Wacha from their rotation May 24, but they don’t want his demotion to last through the season, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch explains. Pitching coach Mike Maddux told Goold the change isn’t “permanent,” adding, “He’ll definitely let us know when he’s ready to go back in.”

The relegation of Wacha opened the door for the Cardinals to promote flamethrowing prospect Genesis Cabrera, whose debut in Philadelphia on Wednesday didn’t go that well. The 22-year-old Cabrera gave up three earned runs on five hits and two walks in 3 2/3 innings, though he did strike out five. Worsening matters, Wacha’s appearance in relief of Cabrera surely ranks among the most awful performances of his career. Pitching for the first time since May 22, Wacha allowed six earned runs on five hits, including three home runs, and three walks in a single inning of work.

In the wake of Wednesday’s nightmare, Wacha owns a 6.51 ERA/6.52 FIP with 8.5 K/9, 6.04 BB/9 and a 24 percent home run-to-fly ball rate over 47 2/3 frames. It’s a shocking fall from grace for someone who looked like a potential front-line starter from his 2013 debut through 2015. However, various injuries have been deleterious to Wacha’s availability and effectiveness in recent seasons. The 27-year-old spent time on the IL earlier this season with a left knee injury and has seen his velocity fall by about a mile per hour on all of his pitches.

As poorly as 2019 has gone for Wacha, St. Louis doesn’t want to “pigeonhole” him into becoming a long reliever, manager Mike Shildt told Goold. Ideally for the Cardinals, Wacha will perform well enough in his newfound role to earn another shot in their disappointing rotation. A return to form is sorely needed for Wacha, who’s due to become a free agent after the season, but his platform year couldn’t be going much worse so far.

Mike Zunino Close To Return

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The Rays have been without injured catcher Mike Zunino for three weeks, but he could return as early as Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports. Zunino went to the 10-day IL on May 9 with a left quad strain.

Injuries, not just to Zunino, have victimized Rays catchers this year. Zunino headed to the shelf just four days after an oblique strain sent fellow backstop Michael Perez to the IL. When the club lost Zunino, it promoted Anthony Bemboom as his replacement, but the latter wound up on the IL on May 15 with a knee sprain.

With only struggling minor league Nick Ciuffo to turn to as a healthy 40-man option, the banged-up Rays had to scour the trade market for help earlier this month. They acquired former Mets starter Travis d’Arnaud from the Dodgers on the 10th and landed journeyman Erik Kratz in a deal with the Giants on the 16th. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, those two haven’t offered much help so far. D’Arnaud and Kratz have combined for seven hits (five singles, two doubles), 17 strikes and three walks in 52 plate appearances, essentially making them automatic outs.

Aside from Perez – who’s still dealing with “discomfort,” per Topkin – no Rays backstop has done much at the plate this season. That includes Zunino, though the ex-Mariner’s .220/.260/.407 line in 96 PA would be welcome for the Rays compared to what they’ve gotten from d’Arnaud and Kratz.

It seems likely the return of Zunino will lead to the end of Kratz’s time on the Rays’ 40-man roster. The 38-year-old’s out of minor league options and has been behind d’Arnaud in Tampa Bay’s pecking order.

Forrest Whitley Dealing With Shoulder Fatigue

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The Astros have sent right-handed pitching prospect Forrest Whitley to the minor league injured list with shoulder fatigue, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report. There’s no timetable for Whitley’s return. For now, he’ll head to the Astros’ Florida-based spring training facility to rehab.

For the majority of minor leaguers, an IL placement stays off the radar. The 21-year-old Whitley’s a special case, though, considering he’s a consensus top 10 prospect who could make a major league impact as early as this season. However, once he returns to action, Whitley’s performance in the minors will have to dramatically improve if he’s going to earn a promotion in the coming months.

Whitley, a first-timer at the Triple-A level this season, hasn’t looked ready for a call-up yet. In five starts and 24 1/3 innings at Round Rock, he has given up a whopping 33 earned runs on 35 hits, nine home runs and 15 walks (with 29 strikeouts).

General manager Jeff Luhnow doesn’t seem overly concerned, contending the hard-throwing Whitley’s “stuff,” velocity and spin look normal. In Luhnow’s estimation: “He’s not commanding it, he’s putting guys on base and allowing a lot of home runs. It’s a combination of probably the delivery, the pitch selection and a lot of different things that are going on. He’s had a bit of bad luck, too.”

The Astros are hopeful Whitley’s trip to the IL will give him a chance to hit the “reset” button, per Luhnow, who wants the hurler to “prove to us that he’s ready for an opportunity here if one presents itself.”

Houston’s 37-20 and in possession of one of the game’s most effective rotations, so it’s not exactly hard up for Whitley’s help. However, the Astros’ starting staff doesn’t look quite as infallible as it did over the previous couple seasons. Unsurprisingly, the losses of Charlie Morton, Dallas Keuchel and the injured Lance McCullers Jr. since 2018 have removed some of the bite from the team’s rotation.

Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole still make for an elite one-two punch, while Brad Peacock’s return to a starting role has worked out to this point. Wade Miley has outdone the 2018 version of Keuchel in terms of run prevention, though the former’s peripherals don’t align with his stingy 3.32 ERA. And rookie Corbin Martin, another of the Astros’ high-caliber pitching prospects, has stumbled over four starts since receiving his first MLB promotion May 11. Martin’s only in Houston’s rotation thanks to the performance- and injury-related issues that have haunted Collin McHugh this season.

Even if Whitley doesn’t join Martin in getting an audition in the Astros’ rotation this year, he could be in line for one in 2020. The team’s starting five is slated for plenty of upheaval after this season. Cole, Miley and McHugh may exit in free agency, which would leave the Astros looking for answers behind Verlander and perhaps Peacock and McCullers (if he’s back from Tommy John surgery). Whitley, Martin, Josh James and J.B. Bukauskas could represent a few other potential options in an organization with plenty of young pitchers.

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