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White Sox Place Tim Anderson On IL, Select Ross Detwiler

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 4:04pm CDT

4:04pm: Anderson could miss four to six weeks, according to general manager Rick Hahn (via Scott Merkin of MLB.com).

2:37pm: The White Sox announced that they’ve placed shortstop Tim Anderson on the injured list due to a right ankle sprain, recalled outfielder Daniel Palka from Triple-A Charlotte and selected the contract of left-hander Ross Detwiler from Charlotte. The team’s previously reported DFA of Yonder Alonso is now also official.

There’s still no official word on how long Anderson will be sidelined, though he was wearing a walking boot earlier this week when it became apparent that an IL stint was quite likely. The 26-year-old shortstop is in the midst of a his best season, having batted .317/.342/.491 with 11 homers and 15 steals in 281 plate appearances. The free-swinging Anderson is still loath to take a walk (2.5 percent) and has benefited from a .373 average on balls in play, but he’s also made dramatic improvements in his hard-hit rate and average exit velocity, per Statcast.

Detwiler, 33, will start tonight’s series opener against the Twins. The journeyman left-hander opened the season with the York Revolution of the independent Atlantic League but quickly landed with the White Sox and has thrown 43 innings of 3.89 ERA ball thus far in Triple-A (albeit with a 6.21 FIP and 4.75 xFIP). The longtime Nats hurler has bounced around the league since being cut loose by Washington — most recently appearing in one big league game for the Mariners in 2018. Detwiler has a career 4.36 ERA with 5.5 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 46 percent ground-ball rate in 584 big league innings.

White Sox Outright Odrisamer Despaigne

By Connor Byrne | June 28, 2019 at 3:55pm CDT

White Sox right-hander Odrisamer Despaigne has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Charlotte, James Fegan of The Athletic tweets. The club designated Despaigne on June 24.

Despaigne could have rejected an outright in favor of a return to free agency, but he’ll stick with Chicago, which signed him to a minor league deal May 19 after he opted out of a minors contract with the Reds. The 32-year-old Cuba native then recorded a 2.00 ERA/4.27 FIP with 8.0 K/9 and 2.0 BB/9 over 18 innings in Charlotte.

Despaigne’s output with the White Sox’s top affiliate earned him a promotion to the majors, though he wasn’t able to carry his success to the game’s highest level. Despaigne made three starts with the ChiSox and managed a 9.45 ERA/6.86 FIP with a matching 4.73 K/9 and BB/9 across 13 1/3 frames before they designated him.

Astros Place Brad Peacock On Injured List

By Connor Byrne | June 28, 2019 at 3:43pm CDT

The Astros have placed right-hander Brad Peacock on the 10-day injured list with shoulder discomfort and recalled lefty Reymin Guduan from Triple-A Round Rock, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle was among those to report.

The severity of Peacock’s injury is unknown, but regardless, it’s the latest unfortunate turn of events for the slumping Astros. The club has lost nine of 11, including a 10-0 drubbing at the hands of the Pirates on Thursday. Peacock started that game for the Astros and yielded six earned runs on seven hits and a walk (with two strikeouts) in three innings. The 31-year-old has now logged a nearly matching 4.13 ERA/4.14 FIP with 9.42 K/9 and 2.65 BB/9 across 85 innings and 17 appearances (15 starts) in 2019.

Houston already looks as if it’ll be in the market for starting pitching leading up to the July 31 deadline, and Peacock’s injury could further put the onus on the team’s front office to add reinforcements if he misses a solid amount of time. Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are once again enjoying excellent seasons, and Peacock and Wade Miley have done well in complementary roles. However, Collin McHugh, Corbin Martin (now injured and in the minors) and Framber Valdez (just demoted to the minors) have failed to nail down the No. 5 spot in the Astros’ rotation this season.

Twins Place Eddie Rosario On Injured List, Promote Lewis Thorpe

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 3:08pm CDT

The Twins announced that they’ve placed left fielder Eddie Rosario on the injured list prior to tonight’s series opener against the White Sox in Chicago. Utility infielder Ehire Adrianza has been activated from the IL in a corresponding move. Minnesota also optioned righty Zack Littell to Triple-A and promoted lefty Lewis Thorpe for his MLB debut.

Rosario exited Wednesday’s game after spraining his ankle while rounding first base. After the game, manager Rocco Baldelli indicated that the injury wasn’t believed to be severe. That may very well still be the case, but the issue is apparently enough to push Rosario, an All-Star hopeful, to the sideline for at least the next nine days.

Rosario, 27, has already belted 20 homers on the season while frequently serving as the Twins’ cleanup hitter. He’s batting .282/.312/.529 through 324 plate appearances and has added 14 doubles and a triple to go along with those 20 long balls. He’s also played above-average defense in left field according to both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating.

The Twins have had a series of injuries in the outfield recently, as Byron Buxton and utilitymen Marwin Gonzalez and Willians Astudillo (both capable of playing in the outfield) have all landed on the IL. Buxton is reportedly close to returning from the IL, but the Twins are presently relying on Max Kepler, Jake Cave and infielder Luis Arraez in the outfield. Minnesota called up outfield prospect Lamonte Wade Jr. yesterday to help out in the short term, and designated hitter Nelson Cruz is of course no stranger to the outfield corners (although the Twins have yet to play him in the field). A healthy Minnesota outfield is among the best defensive units in the game, but it’ll apparently be a bit before Twins fans see Rosario, Buxton and Kepler roving the outfield.

As for Thorpe, the 23-year-old Aussie will add some length to a pitching staff that was depleted in yesterday’s 18-inning marathon. Thorpe, signed as an international free agent back in 2013, has long been considered one of the Twins’ most promising young arms. He cracked Baseball Prospectus’ Top 101 prospects in 2014 (No. 101) and in 2015 (No. 91). He entered the year ranked ninth among Twins prospects at MLB.co and 15th at Fangraphs.

Thorpe’s development was slowed when he missed all of the 2015-16 seasons due to elbow troubles that culminated in Tommy John surgery. He enjoyed a strong season between Double-A and Triple-A in 2018, pitching to a combined 3.54 ERA with 10.9 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9 in 129 2/3 innings of work. He’s been knocked around for a 5.71 ERA through 69 1/3 innings thus far in 2019 thanks to a bloated home-run rate (1.48 HR/9) and some poor fortune on balls in play (.348). Thorpe’s K/BB numbers remain excellent, as he’s averaged 11.4 K/9 against 2.7 BB/9. He’s also pitched considerably better since an awful start to the year. After surrendering 15 runs in his first two outings, he’s notched a 4.30 ERA with A 79-to-14 K/BB ratio in 60 2/3 innings.

Rangers Claim Jesse Biddle

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 2:14pm CDT

The Rangers have claimed left-hander Jesse Biddle off waivers from the Mariners, according to announcements from both clubs. Texas transferred Jeffrey Springs from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

The 27-year-old Biddle is a former first-round pick who bounced back from injuries to give the Braves a strong season in the bullpen in 2018 (3.11 ERA, 9.5 K/9, 4.4 BB/9, 55.6 percent grounder rate in 63 2/3 innings). The 2019 season, however, has been a nightmare for the hard-throwing southpaw. In 22 2/3 innings between Atlanta and Seattle, Biddle has been pummeled for a 7.54 ERA. His strikeout, walk, home-run, ground-ball and swinging-strike rates have all gone in the wrong direction, with his control being particularly problematic; Biddle has walked 17 batters, hit another, and thrown seven wild pitches thus far in ’19.

That glut of red flags notwithstanding, Biddle is still a 27-year-old lefty who averages better than 94 mph on his heater and has some very recent success on his resume. Hard-throwing lefties who can miss bats and generate grounders in bunches are hard to come by, making Biddle an interesting reclamation project even if this year hasn’t been at all encouraging.

Nationals Option Michael A. Taylor, Activate Ryan Zimmerman

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 1:55pm CDT

1:55pm: The Nationals have announced the moves.

12:06pm: The Nationals will activate Ryan Zimmerman from the injured list today and open a spot on the active roster by optioning outfielder Michael A. Taylor to Double-A Harrisburg, Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com reports.

Taylor, 28, has been a fixture on the Nationals’ roster since 2017, when he hit .271/.320/.486 with 19 homers, 23 doubles, three triples and 17 steals in 432 plate appearances. He’d entered that season projected to be a fourth outfielder but wound up logging significant outfield innings when Adam Eaton went down with an ACL tear in April. His followup campaign in 2018, however, saw Taylor bat just .227/.287/.357 in 385 trips to the plate. He did manage a career-best 24 steals in 30 attempts last year.

Despite Bryce Harper’s departure in free agency, a regular spot in the outfield for Taylor hasn’t opened up. Washington has seen vaunted prospects Juan Soto and Victor Robles emerge as productive big leaguers over the past two seasons, and the veteran Eaton is still under contract and controlled through the 2021 season via a pair of club options. Taylor was already in line for a reserve role due to the presence of that trio, but he’s seen his playing time reduced even further by the team’s signing of Gerardo Parra.

The option is of note on many levels for Taylor, who agreed to a $3.25MM salary this offseason in arbitration. He entered 2019 with four years and 10 days of Major League service time, meaning he needed another 162 days at the MLB level to cross the five-year threshold in service time and remain on track for free agency following the 2020 season. Presently, he’s only accrued 91 days of service, so he still needs another 71 days in the Majors to reach that level. There are only 95 days between now and the end of the season, and Taylor will need to stay down for a minimum of 10 days unless he returns in place of an injured player. That creates a real possibility that this optional assignment could push back his free agency by a year. The move will also burn his final minor league option.

Even with his struggles at the plate over the past two seasons, Taylor seems likely to be tendered a contract in the offseason. He’s a well-regarded defensive outfielder who can handle all three spots and offers some of the best speed in the game. His forthcoming arbitration raise won’t be especially large, either, and his excellent 2017 season is not yet that far in the rear-view mirror. As such, the potential delay of his free agency is all the more noteworthy. Taylor has also been a speculative trade asset in the past, and this demotion could prompt some outfield-needy clubs to inquire about his availability (if they haven’t already).

As for Zimmerman, he’ll step back into a lineup that has seen Matt Adams enjoy a recent homer binge while Howie Kendrick has hit well all season long in part-time duty at first base. Brian Dozier has heated up recently as well, further crowding the mix on the right side of the infield. Zimmerman wasn’t hitting well when he was placed on the injured list due to plantar fasciitis in late April, but he was quite productive in 2017-18, so he should give manager Dave Martinez another solid bat to add to the mix.

Phillies Designate Fernando Salas For Assignment

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 1:32pm CDT

The Phillies announced Friday that they’ve designated veteran right-hander Fernando Salas for assignment and reinstated right-hander Tommy Hunter from the 60-day IL. Philadelphia also reinstated center fielder Adam Haseley from the 10-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Salas, 34, pitched just one inning for the Phils, recording a strikeout but also surrendering a solo home run. Salas opened the season in the Mexican League and pitched quite well, prompting the Phillies to ink him on a minor league contract earlier this month. In 6 2/3 frames with the Phils’ top affiliate, he allowed one earned run on six hits and two walks with five strikeouts.

A veteran of nine prior big league seasons, Salas has a career 3.91 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9, 1.05 HR/9 and a 37 percent ground-ball rate in 488 innings. The Phils will have a week to trade Salas, release him or pass him through outright waivers, although Salas has the service time to reject an outright assignment even if he does clear waivers.

Hunter, 33 next week, signed a two-year, $18MM contract with the Phils prior to the 2018 season. He turned in 64 innings with a 3.80 ERA, 7.2 K/9, 2.1 BB/9, 0.84 HR/9 and a 52 percent ground-ball rate in the first season of that pact. He’s yet to pitch at the MLB level in 2019 thanks to a forearm strain that has kept him on the IL all season until today’s activation.

Rays Designate Nick Ciuffo For Assignment

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 1:20pm CDT

The Rays announced Friday that they’ve designated catcher Nick Ciuffo for assignment. His 40-man spot will go to top prospect Brendan McKay, whose previously reported promotion to the Majors is now official. Tampa Bay also reinstated lefty Jose Alvarado from the restricted list and recalled Casey Sadler from Triple-A Durham. Lefty Jalen Beeks and infielder Mike Brosseau were optioned to Durham in a pair of corresponding moves.

The 24-year-old Ciuffo was a first-round pick back in 2013 but has yet to live up to the potential that came along with that draft billing. His DFA will come with somewhat atypical circumstances, as Ciuffo is on the injured list in the minor leagues after undergoing thumb surgery that was expected to sideline him for eight to ten weeks. There’s still another four to six weeks to go on that projected recovery time. Because Ciuffo is on the IL, he can’t be outrighted, which means the Rays will likely release him and then hope to re-sign him to a new minor league contract. That’s a fairly common outcome in the rare instances that an injured minor league player is designated for assignment.

In 134 plate appearances with Durham this year, Ciuffo batted .228/.276/.350. He’s posted a .529 OPS in a tiny sample of 50 big league plate appearances and is a career .250/.292/.369 hitter in 370 trips to the plate at the Triple-A level.

Alvarado, also 24, was on the restricted list after stepping away from the club for family reasons. He’s arguably Tampa Bay’s best reliever, having posted a 2.85 ERA (2.50 FIP) with 10.8 K/9 against 4.2 BB/9 in 117 innings since making his MLB debut as a 21-year-old in 2017.

The 25-year-old Beeks has been excellent for the Rays in 2019, serving primarily as a followup pitcher to frequent opener Ryne Stanek. In 61 1/3 innings, Beeks has a 2.79 ERA (3.48 FIP) with 7.5 K/9 and 3.2 BB/9. Despite that strong performance, Beeks is a casualty of yesterday’s 18-inning marathon win over the Twins. Beeks pitched 3 1/3 innings yesterday and wouldn’t have been available for a couple of days. The Rays, in need of fresh arms, sent him down for some additional depth, but it’s likely that Beeks will be back once the 10-day minimum length of his optional assignment has been met.

Reds Activate Scooter Gennett

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 11:21am CDT

The Reds are welcoming one of their best hitters back to the lineup, as they announced Friday that second baseman Scooter Gennett has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Cincinnati already had an open spot on its 40-man roster, so the only corresponding roster move came in the form of placing catcher Tucker Barnhart on the 10-day injured list due to a strained right oblique muscle.

Gennett, 29, has proven to be one of the best waiver claims in recent history. Designated for assignment by the division-rival Brewers in Spring Training 2017, Gennett has broken out as an everyday player and an All-Star since being claimed by his hometown team.

In 295 games and 1135 plate appearances with the Reds, he’s mashed at a .303/.351/.508 clip while teeing off on 50 homers, 52 doubles and six triples. One of the main knocks on Gennett in Milwaukee was a perceived inability to hit left-handed pitching, but he’s earned more at-bats against southpaws as his tenure with the Reds has progressed. In 202 plate appearances against lefties in 2018, Gennett batted .294/.335/.439. That breakout led to a $9.75MM salary for Gennett in his final trip through arbitration this past offseason.

A severe groin strain incurred toward the tail end of Spring Training ultimately cost Gennett half of the 2019 season — a crushing loss both for the Reds and for Gennett himself, who is slated to become a free agent at season’s end. His absence has undeniably been felt by a Reds lineup that somewhat surprisingly is tied for the fifth-fewest runs scored in all of Major League Baseball. Cincinnati hitters rank as a bottom-six team in terms of batting average and on-base percentage as well.

Gennett’s return could push another surprise slugger, Derek Dietrich, the outfield with more regularity. He’s batted .222/.350/.567 with a career-best 18 home runs and seen regular work at second base thanks to his power surge. But Dietrich has experience in the outfield corners, at first base and at third base, so he could bounce around the diamond a bit more now that Gennett is back in the fold.

As for Barnhart, he’ll hit the injured list with an oblique issue, leaving Curt Casali as the primary backstop and Kyle Farmer as the reserve. The 28-year-old Barnhart is in the midst of his worst season at the plate, having batted just .191/.290/.315 in 187 plate appearances. That downturn in production comes on the heels of a combined .257/.331/.374 batting line over his previous four seasons.

Nationals Notes: Deadline, Scherzer, Zimmerman

By Steve Adams | June 28, 2019 at 9:50am CDT

The resurgent Nationals have won eight of their past 10 games and reached the .500 mark at 40-40. The Nats’ season looked to be completely unraveling in May, but they’re now within seven games of the division lead and just two and a half games back in the Wild Card chase. While the team’s recent play is encouraging, general manager Mike Rizzo isn’t making any proclamations about his team’s approach to the July 31 trade deadline. “We’ve got time to continue to evaluate before we have to make a decision, before the trade deadline, and we’ll do so,” Rizzo tells Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. “…We’re going to see what the needs of the team are. We’re going to see where we’re at, what opportunities we have to make any kind of changes. This is our time to evaluate.” Rizzo also discusses the team’s bullpen, addressing the unsuccessful Trevor Rosenthal signing as well as the recent pickups of Fernando Rodney and Jonny Venters. The ’pen would clearly be a primary area of focus for Washington if the team does indeed operate as a buyer next month, though it sounds as if they’ll take some time before setting a course.

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