Diamondbacks Activate Wilmer Flores From Injured List
TODAY: The D’Backs have activated Flores, the team announced. Flores will take the roster spot left behind by Kevin Cron, who was optioned to Triple-A after last night’s game.
WEDNESDAY: Diamondbacks infielder Wilmer Flores has been out for almost two months because of a fractured right, but he’s on the cusp of a return. The club could activate Flores from the 10-day injured list as early as Thursday, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports.
The 27-year-old Flores landed the second-largest guarantee ($4.25MM) the Diamondbacks doled out during a frugal winter for the club in free agency. The former Met inked his deal after a few useful years in New York, but the team non-tendered Flores in November in lieu of paying him a projected $4.7MM in arbitration.
Unfortunately for Arizona, Flores hasn’t appeared in a major league game since May 18, nor was he all that productive up to then. So far as a Diamondback, Flores has slashed a modest .281/.326/.398 (88 wRC+) with two home runs in 138 plate appearances. As has typically been the case, though, the right-handed Flores has performed well against lefty pitchers. He was also amid a hot stretch at the plate before fracturing his foot.
Once Flores officially returns to the bigs, he’ll try to impress the Diamondbacks enough for them to exercise his $6MM club option for 2020 after the season. Flores will “get every lefty” the playoff-contending D-backs face when he comes back, manager Torey Lovullo said. That means lefty-swinging corner infielder Jake Lamb will head to the bench against southpaws, leaving third base to Eduardo Escobar and first to Christian Walker, as Piecoro notes.
Braves Activate Ender Inciarte From Injured List
The Braves have activated outfielder Ender Inciarte from the 10-day injured list, the team announced. Right-hander Kyle Wright was also called up from Triple-A to start tonight’s game, while righties Huascar Ynoa and Bryse Wilson were sent down to Triple-A to create roster space.
Inciarte is set to take the field for the first time since May 14, as the outfielder has been sidelined with a lower lumbar strain that ended up costing him over a third of his season. That injury led to Atlanta’s promotion of top prospect Austin Riley, who got off to a scorching start before seeing his production severely drop off over the last month. While Riley still seems likely to get the bulk of everyday at-bats, his struggles will mean Inciarte will get at least some looks, if perhaps only against some right-handed starters. Ronald Acuna Jr. will obviously continue to be a fixture in every Braves lineup, likely moving between center and right field depending on whether Riley or Inciarte is playing.
While never a truly dangerous offensive threat, Inciarte had at least been roughly a league-average offensive producer before falling to a 90 wRC+ in 2018, and then this season’s disastrous 61 wRC+ mark (.218/.300/.323 over 140 plate appearances before hitting the IL). Even if Inciarte is reduced to being only a fourth outfielder, his strong defense and baserunning make him a valuable bench asset.
Since the Braves opted to demote a pitcher rather than a position player for Inciarte, Atlanta will go with a five-man bench that consists of four outfield options — Inciarte, Matt Joyce, and utilitymen Charlie Culberson and Johan Camargo. MLBTR’s Jeff Todd recently explored the Braves’ rather crowded bench situation, tossing around ideas like demoting Riley to get him straightened out at the plate to designating for assignment (or trading) one of Culberson, Adams, or even Inciarte. The latter would be the costliest and thus probably the least likely idea, as Inciarte is still owed over $16.4MM through the 2021 season.
Phillies Notes: Cashner, Farm System, Bruce
The latest from the City Of Brotherly Love…
- Before Andrew Cashner was dealt to the Red Sox, the veteran righty also drew some trade interest from the Phillies, but they ultimately “backed off in part due to concerns about the pitcher’s makeup,” The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes (subscription required). While personality is always a factor when adding a player to the roster, it could be that the Phils are putting a particular focus on such matters this season given that, as per Rosenthal, “several of the Phillies’ acquisitions last season did not mix well in their clubhouse.”
- The Phillies’ multi-year rebuilding plan hoped to follow the model established by the Cubs and Astros earlier this decade, but as ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (subscription required) notes, Philadelphia’s efforts have been hampered by a lack of consistent reinforcements from the minor leagues. Aside from Rhys Hoskins and Aaron Nola, several of the Phils’ more highly-touted prospects or draft picks in recent years have either not produced much in the big leagues, or have yet to even arrive. (Perhaps most troublingly, first-rounders Mickey Moniak and Cornelius Randolph have both seen their prospect stock drop, as both are posting unspectacular numbers at Double-A.) Olney discussed the Phillies’ farm system with ESPN colleague Keith Law, who felt the problem could stem from a conservative approach to drafting pitching, as well the team’s “tendency to push [position] players to low-A Lakewood before they’re physically ready for it.“
- Jay Bruce is hopeful that his injured list stint could just last between 10-15 days, as the veteran outfielder told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other reporters that his side injury was only a sprained right intercostal muscle. “It’s not nearly as bad as an oblique could be, so that’s a positive….I think it’s more on the mild side, the shorter side of the timetable, fortunately,” Bruce said. That would be a good scenario for both Bruce and the Phillies, who were already facing a lack of outfield depth prior to Bruce’s injury. The veteran has been something of a one-dimensional bat since joining the Phillies earlier this season, as Bruce has hit .256/.273/.564 with 10 homers over his 121 plate appearances in a Philadelphia uniform.
Twins Designate Matt Magill For Assignment
The Twins have designated right-hander Matt Magill for assignment, as per a team press release. Righty Kohl Stewart has been called up from Triple-A to take Magill’s roster spot.
Magill has been a solid, if unspectacular, member of the Twins’ bullpen mix since joining the organization on a minors contract in the 2017-18 offseason. The righty has had trouble keeping the ball in the park (1.6 HR/9 in 85 innings) and has consistently missed bats, including an 11.4 K/9 over 28 1/3 frames this season. Magill has a 4.45 ERA and 2.40 K/BB rate in 2019, as his high strikeout total has been belied by both homers and a 4.8 BB/9.
Between these decent results and the 95.3 mph Magill averages on his fastball, one wonders if Minnesota is in danger of losing the 29-year-old on a DFA waiver claim. There’s no shortage of teams (both rebuilding clubs or even contenders) looking to add bullpen help, and Magill seemingly offers more upside than reclamation project-types what could be on the open market.
Reds Sign Ryan Lavarnway, Designate Jesus Reyes
The Reds have signed catcher Ryan Lavarnway to a one-year, Major League contract, as per a team announcement (Twitter link). Lavarnway’s signing was one of a flurry of moves from Cincinnati, as the club also designated right-hander Jesus Reyes for assignment and placed righty David Hernandez and catchers Curt Casali and Kyle Farmer on the injured list. Taking their places on the roster are Lavarnway, and Triple-A callups Lucas Sims and Josh VanMeter.
Farmer is headed to the seven-day version of the IL due to a concussion, while Casali is on the 10-day IL (retroactive to Tuesday) due to a right knee sprain. With starting catcher Tucker Barnhart also injured, the Reds were left in sudden need for help behind the plate, opening the door for Lavarnway to land a guaranteed deal almost immediately after he was released from his minors contract with the Yankees.
Lavarnway has recorded some big league playing time in each of the last two seasons, appearing in six games each with the A’s in 2017 and Pirates in 2018. Best known as a former top prospect in the Red Sox system, the 31-year-old Lavarnway has a .208/.268/.326 slash line over 426 career plate appearances in the majors. He’ll join Juan Graterol as the Reds’ makeshift catching duo until some reinforcements come off the injured list.
Reyes made his MLB debut in 2018, posting a 3.18 ERA over 5 2/3 relief innings. Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2014, the 26-year-old has a 3.65 ERA, 7.2 K/9, and 1.88 K/BB rate over 406 2/3 career innings in the minors, though Reyes has struggled badly at Triple-A this season.
Blue Jays To Activate Ryan Borucki
Injured Blue Jays left-hander Ryan Borucki‘s next start will come at the Major League level, manager Charlie Montoyo told reporters Thursday (Twitter link via Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet). Borucki has spent all season on the 60-day injured list, so he’ll need to be added back to the 40-man roster. Nick Kingham‘s DFA earlier today gives the Jays an open spot.
Borucki, 25, presents Toronto with a potential long-term piece in the rotation. He emerged for his first look at the MLB level last season and more than held his own in the hitter-friendly American League East, as he pitched to a 3.87 ERA with 6.2 K/9, 3.0 BB/9, 0.65 HR/9 and a 46.8 percent ground-ball rate. Borucki’s K/BB numbers weren’t particularly strong, so barring an improvement on that front, he’ll need to keep limiting the long ball as he did in 2018 to maintain that success. That’s a tougher task than ever amid the current home run deluge in MLB, although Borucki entered the season having averaged just 0.58 HR/9 in his minor league career.
An elbow issue sidelined Borucki in Spring Training and ultimately kept him out far longer than initially anticipated. He’s made four rehab outings in the minors over the past few weeks, during which he’s tallied 18 innings with an even 3.00 ERA and a strong 19-to-3 K/BB ratio.
Borucki will return to a rotation that also includes Marcus Stroman, Aaron Sanchez and Trent Thornton but has seen turnover in the other starting spots. He’ll help to solidify that mix for a brief time, but the Blue Jays seem extremely likely to trade Stroman in the next 13 days and could move Sanchez as well. The impending Stroman deal makes Borucki’s return all the more important for Toronto, as the veteran rotation candidates the front office picked up — Clayton Richard, Edwin Jackson, Clay Buchholz and Matt Shoemaker — have all either pitched poorly or been sidelined by injury.
Yankees Add Dan Jennings To Triple-A Roster, Release Ryan Lavarnway
The Yankees somewhat quietly signed veteran lefty Dan Jennings to a minor league contract earlier this month — there was no formal announcement from the big league club — and they’ve now bumped him up to the Triple-A level after a pair of outings with Class-A Tampa, per Donnie Collins of the Scranton Times-Tribune (Twitter link). Catcher Ryan Lavarnway was released from the Yankees’ Triple-A club to make room on the roster.
Jennings, 32, scuffled through a nightmarish stint with the Nationals earlier this season. In eight appearances, he allowed eight runs (seven earned) on eight hits and seven walks in just 4 2/3 innings. Jennings did whiff nine hitters in that brief stint, but the Nats didn’t see enough to keep Jennings around in their floundering bullpen. He was designated for assignment and elected free agency after clearing waivers.
Things have gone better in Jennings’ two outings in High-A as he’s ramped back up after a near two-month layoff between outings. He’s pitched a combined five innings and allowed one run on three hits and no walks with six strikeouts. And it’s worth noting that unlike many reclamation projects who sign minor league deals, Jennings isn’t far removed from big league success at all. Just last season, Jennings pitched to a 3,22 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.84 HR/9 and a 56.1 percent ground-ball rate in 64 1/3 innings with the Brewers. Left-handed batters posted a terrible .226/.266/.304 batting line against him.
The Yankees’ bullpen is obviously a rather strong unit, but the clubs lacks a second setup lefty beyond Zack Britton. Closer Aroldis Chapman, of course, throws from the left side but is typically reserved for save opportunities. New York currently has Nestor Cortes Jr. in a long relief role, but he’s been shuttled back and forth between the Bronx and Scranton so far in 2019. Jennings will give the team a potential option to be that second lefty, and his move up to Triple-A seemingly makes him a near-term option, should a need arise.
As for Lavarnway, the former Red Sox/Braves/A’s/Pirates/Orioles backstop will return to the open market after hitting .213/.333/.315 with three home runs in 129 trips to the plate with the RailRiders. The 31-year-old is a career .208/.268/.326 hitter in 426 MLB plate appearances and a .272/.364/.424 batter in nearly 2,000 Triple-A plate appearances.
Blue Jays Designate Nick Kingham For Assignment
The Blue Jays announced on Thursday that they’ve designated right-hander Nick Kingham for assignment. His spot on the active roster will go to lefty Thomas Pannone, who was recalled from Triple-A Buffalo and will start today’s game. The move leaves Toronto with an open spot on the 40-man roster.
Kingham, 27, was once a well-regarded prospect with the Pirates but made his way to Toronto via trade earlier this year after Pittsburgh designated him for assignment. The out-of-options righty struggled tremendously with the Bucs, leaving the organization with little choice but to make a move. Kingham fared considerably better in 18 innings with the Jays, pitching to a 3.50 ERA with 12 strikeouts against seven walks (one intentional. However, the alarming home run issues that plagued Kingham in his final season with the Pirates carried over in Toronto. He served up four homers as a Blue Jay.
Toronto will now have a week to trade Kingham, release him or pass him through outright waivers. He’s never cleared waivers in the past, nor does he have three years of MLB service time, so if Kingham does clear, he can be outrighted to Triple-A and remain with the club without occupying a spot on the 40-man roster. It’s not out of the question that another organization will want to try its hand at straightening out the long-promising right-hander, though. If he does land with another club, he’ll need to stick on the big league roster due to the aforementioned lack of minor league options.
Phillies Select Fernando Salas
The Phillies announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of veteran right-hander Fernando Salas for the second time this season. Philadelphia also recalled southpaw Cole Irvin from Triple-A Lehigh Valley and, in a pair of corresponding moves, optioned lefty Austin Davis and righty Edgar Garcia to Triple-A. The Phillies had a 40-man vacancy, so no DFA or 60-day IL placement was required to add Salas to the 40-man roster.
Salas, 34, pitched just one inning in his previous stint with the Phils, allowing a solo homer and recording a strikeout. He was designated for assignment shortly thereafter and accepted an outright assignment upon clearing waivers. Since returning to the IronPigs, Salas has surrendered two runs on five hits and no walks with eight strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Overall, he has a 2.51 ERA and a 14-to-3 K/BB ratio in 14 1/3 innings of work in Triple-A this year.
Of course, Salas is also a seasoned big league veteran, having spent nine seasons in the Majors prior to 2019. He tossed 40 innings with the D-backs last year and carries a lifetime 3.91 ERA with 8.7 K/9, 2.7 BB/9 and 1.1 HR/9 in 488 innings between the Cardinals, Angels, Mets, Diamondbacks and Phillies. He’ll add a fresh arm to an injury-ravaged Philadelphia bullpen that went through five relievers yesterday after starter Nick Pivetta lasted just 2 1/3 innings due to a lengthy rain delay.
Cubs Activate Danny Hultzen At Triple-A
Long-lost former second-overall draft pick Danny Hultzen has been trying to reestablish himself as a relief pitcher with the Cubs. Yesterday marked an important milestone in that effort, as he was formally activated for the first time at the organization’s top affiliate.
Hultzen had already been in uniform at Triple-A Iowa, but was technically operating in a rehab capacity. His initial showing has been rather promising, as he’s now through 3 2/3 innings of scoreless ball having recorded six strikeouts while allowing only a pair of baserunners (one hit, one walk).
Cubs president of baseball ops Theo Epstein has acknowledged that hurdles remain for Hultzen to get a shot at the majors, but indicates he’s seen internally as having a real chance. With the Chicago pen in need of depth down the stretch, particularly from the left side, Hultzen suddenly seems to be an interesting option.
Now 29 years of age, Hultzen’s dash towards the majors was halted back in 2013, when he impressed at Triple-A but ended up blowing out his arm by trying to pitch through injuries. Hultzen discussed his collapse and quiet reengagement with the game in a great interview with Dillon Mullan of the Washington Post. While he did appear on the bump last year in the Cubs system, the outcome remained entirely uncertain. This year’s increasingly eye-opening showing has still made for quite a pleasant surprise.