West Notes: Athletics, Giants, Rangers
Let’s take a look around the majors’ West divisions…
- With the Athletics looking to add a third catcher when rosters expand, they’re set to choose between minor leaguers Sean Murphy and Dustin Garneau, manager Bob Melvin told Martin Gallegos of MLB.com. “There will be a lot of talk leading up into Sunday on who that will be,” Melvin said. The more hyped option is certainly Murphy, one of the best prospects in baseball (MLB.com ranks him 44th). The 24-year-old has gotten his first extensive action at the Triple-A level this season and laid waste to enemy pitchers, whom he has teed off on for a .337/.415/.702 line (158 wRC+) with 10 home runs in 123 plate appearances. However, injuries have led to an abbreviated campaign for Murphy, and the A’s might not promote him yet if they don’t expect him to garner much playing time. In that case, the edge would go to the veteran Garneau, who was with Oakland earlier in the season before it outrighted him to Triple-A on Aug. 19.
- The Giants are shutting down right-handed reliever Trevor Gott for two weeks because of a Grade 1 UCL sprain and a flexor strain, according to Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic. Surgery’s not an option at the moment, fortunately, and manager Bruce Bochy’s hopeful Gott will pitch again this season. If not, this will go down as an encouraging year for Gott, whom the Giants acquired from the Nationals for cash considerations in February. While Gott has put up an unappealing 4.44 ERA in 52 2/3 frames, he has also notched a 3.12 FIP with 9.74 K/9 against 2.91 BB/9 and almost doubled his swinging-strike rate since last year (from 5.6 percent to 10.8).
- More from Baggarly, who tweets that righty Johnny Cueto‘s another Triple-A start away from rejoining the Giants. The 2018 Tommy John patient’s scheduled to take the ball Saturday, after which the Giants hope to activate him. That would seem to align with Bochy’s Sept. 8 projection for Cueto. The Giants’ playoff hopes are all but dead at this point, but they’ll nonetheless be glad to welcome Cueto back in advance of 2020. Next season will be the second-last guaranteed campaign of the six-year, $130MM contract San Francisco handed the then-ace prior to 2016.
- The Rangers are contemplating September promotions for hard-throwing minor league relievers Joe Barlow and Demarcus Evans, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports. Neither pitcher is on the Rangers’ 40-man roster, which is full, but the team plans to add the soon-to-be Rule 5-eligible pair in the coming months anyhow, as Grant notes. The 23-year-old Barlow has largely mowed down pro hitters since he joined the Rangers as an 11th-round pick in 2016, though he has struggled over his first 15 1/3 Triple-A innings this season. Evans, 22, was a 25th-rounder in 2015 who has risen to Double-A ball for the first time this season. He has overcome a high walk rate there (5.4 per nine) to post a microscopic 1.08 ERA with 14.58 K/9 in 33 1/3 innings.
East Notes: Yankees, Cano, Nationals, Marlins
Injured Yankees ace Luis Severino is set to begin a rehab assignment at the Double-A level Sunday, manager Aaron Boone told George A. King III of the New York Post and other reporters. It’ll be a long-awaited return to game action for Severino, whose shoulder and lat issues have prevented him from taking the hill this season. He’ll “probably” throw around 35 pitches in the contest, per Boone. Meanwhile, in encouraging news for the first-place Bombers’ lineup, first basemen/designated hitters Luke Voit and Edwin Encarnacion are progressing in their rehabs. Voit, who hasn’t played since July 30 because of a sports hernia, is “on track” to come back Friday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com tweets. The 36-year-old Encarnacion’s not as close, but Boone “believes” he’ll come off the shelf soon, per Hoch. Encarnacion has been down since Aug. 3 with a fractured right wrist.
Here’s more from NYC and a couple other cities:
- Mets second baseman Robinson Cano is making notable progress as he works back from a torn hamstring, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports. Cano – out since Aug. 5 – “appears likely” to return sometime next month, per DiComo, which would represent a best-case recovery for someone who was expected to miss six to 12 weeks at the time of the injury. The longtime star, 36, has posted weak production in his first year as a Met, with whom he has slashed .252/.295/.415 with 10 home runs in 346 plate appearances. But Cano’s bat seemed to be waking up in the days before his injury, which aided New York during a white-hot stretch in which it raced into wild-card contention. The Mets are now mired in a four-game skid, though, and sit three out of playoff position.
- Nationals left-hander Roenis Elias could rejoin their bullpen “by the end of the week,” Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com writes. Elias has only made one appearance and recorded two outs for the Nationals, who acquired him from the Mariners at the July 31 trade deadline. He succumbed to a hamstring strain on the base paths, of all places, back on Aug. 2. Teammate Ryan Zimmerman has been out for even longer (plantar fasciitis in his right foot has kept him out since July 23), but his return also appears imminent, Zuckerman relays. This has been a tough age-34 season for the first baseman, who has been on the IL twice thanks to foot issues and has mustered a subpar .246/.311/.390 line over 132 plate appearances.
- After suffering a broken bone in his left hand last Friday, Marlins third baseman/outfielder Brian Anderson will indeed miss the rest of the season, according to Joe Frisaro of MLB.com. However, Anderson won’t need to undergo surgery, and will go through “a normal winter” as a result, manager Don Mattingly announced. That’s a silver lining for the Marlins and Anderson, one of their few offensive threats over the past couple years.
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/27/19
Here are the latest minor moves from around baseball (unless otherwise specified, reports come from Kegan Lowe of Baseball America):
- The White Sox have released outfielder Paulo Orlando, who had been with the organization since it acquired him from the Dodgers on May 10. The 33-year-old Orlando didn’t produce much with the White Sox’s Triple-A team in Charlotte, as he hit just .242/.299/.426 with 10 home runs in 284 plate appearances. Orlando’s best known for his 2015-18 stint as a member of the Royals, with whom he batted .263/.289/.384 and totaled 14 HRs across 918 trips to the plate.
- The Diamondbacks released left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski over the weekend, per the Pacific Coast League’s transactions page. The D-backs have now waved goodbye to “Scrabble” twice this season – they cut the 33-year-old at the end of May, only to re-sign him a few weeks later. Rzepczynski has spent the year with their Triple-A affiliate in Reno, where he has pitched to a 5.04 ERA/6.25 FIP with 7.25 K/9, 5.64 BB/9 and a 53.8 percent groundball rate in 44 2/3 innings.
- The Braves recently signed lefty Tyler Matzek, who was previously with the Texas Airhogs of the independent American Association. Matzek’s a decade removed from going to the Rockies 11th overall in the 2009 draft, but it’s fair to say the once-hyped hurler hasn’t lived up to the promise he had as a prospect. While Matzek was relatively successful with the Rockies from 2014-15 – a 139 2/3-inning run in which he recorded a 4.06 ERA/4.12 FIP despite unimpressive strikeout and walk rates (6.83 K/9, 4.06 BB/9) – he hasn’t pitched in the majors since then. The control-challenged 28-year-old owns a 5.16 ERA with 8.9 K/9 and 5.6 BB/9 in 83 2/3 frames at the Triple-A level.
Reds Release Rob Refsnyder
The Reds have released utilityman Rob Refsnyder, per the International League’s transactions page. Refsnyder had been with the organization since it acquired him from the Diamondbacks on April 7.
Prior to his exit from the Reds, Refsnyder was a clear bright spot for their last-place Triple-A team in Louisville. The 28-year-old went to the plate 334 times as a member of the club and slashed .315/.377/.500 with 10 home runs. Even in the offense-happy International League environment, Refsnyder’s production was 25 percent better than average, according to FanGraphs’ wRC+ metric.
Solid Triple-A numbers aren’t anything new for Refsnyder, he of the .296/.372/.436 line with 35 HRs in 1,804 PA at that level. On the other hand, major league success has eluded the once-promising prospect, whom the Yankees chose in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. Across a combined 423 trips to the plate in MLB as a Yankee, Blue Jay and Ray from 2015-18, Refsnyder only managed to bat .218/.308/.302 with four homers.
Matt Harvey Could Opt Out Of Contract
Matt Harvey‘s just under two weeks into his time with the Athletics organization, and the union between the two sides might not last much longer. The right-hander told Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle that the minor league contract he signed with the team Aug. 14 includes a chance to opt out this Thursday. It’s unclear how interested Harvey is in taking advantage of that opportunity, but Slusser posits that the club might not have room to call him up in the coming days.
Harvey made his third start for the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate in Las Vegas on Tuesday, when he surrendered four runs on seven hits and four walks in five innings. Harvey was much more effective in his previous two outings, combining for 10 frames of five-hit, two-run ball with 11 strikeouts against no walks. That was unquestionably one of the best two-start stretches of 2019 for the 30-year-old Harvey, who limped to a 7.09 ERA/6.35 FIP with 5.88 K/9 and 4.37 BB/9 over 59 2/3 frames with the Angels before they released him July 23. The Halos ate the rest of the former Mets ace’s $11MM salary in the process.
With roughly a month left in the regular season, Harvey would like to showcase himself in the bigs before another trip to the open market in the winter, Slusser notes. Ideally for Harvey, he’ll be able to enter some team’s rotation before the season’s out. It’s in question whether he’ll be able to do that as an Athletic, though, with Slusser pegging him as a relief candidate for the club.
The wild card-contending A’s are riding with a rotation of Mike Fiers, Chris Bassitt, Tanner Roark, Brett Anderson and Homer Bailey at the moment, and rehabbing left-handers Sean Manaea and Jesus Luzardo may be above Harvey on the starting pecking order when they’re healthy enough to return to the majors. Meanwhile, the A’s might prefer righties Paul Blackburn and Daniel Mengden to Harvey for a bullpen spot, per Slusser, which could help influence him to exercise his opt-out clause.
AL Injury Notes: Buxton, Price, Laureano, Pence
Out since Aug. 2 with a left shoulder subluxation, center fielder Byron Buxton still isn’t ready to rejoin the Twins’ roster, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports (subscription required). Buxton is coming back to the Twins, but only because his rehab assignment hit a snag. He has been dealing with discomfort in his shoulder this week, though an MRI didn’t reveal any new inflammation, per Hayes. “We’re still optimistic that he’s still going to help this team at some point before the season’s end,” said general manager Thad Levine, who added he’s “very confident” Buxton will slot back into the Twins’ lineup this year. While Buxton has been on the IL three times in 2019, he has nonetheless managed 2.8 fWAR in 295 plate appearances, thereby helping Minnesota to a three-game lead in the American League Central.
- Red Sox southpaw David Price “believes” he’ll come off the IL to rejoin this weekend in Anaheim, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com writes. A TFCC cyst in Price’s left wrist has kept him from pitching in the majors since Aug. 4, which was a particularly forgettable start for the 34-year-old. Price gave up seven earned in 2 2/3 innings against the Yankees then, raising his 2019 ERA from 3.86 to 4.36 in one fell swoop. The hurler’s other numbers are much better, however, as he owns a 3.64 FIP with 10.77 K/9 and 2.65 BB/9 across 105 1/3 innings.
- Athletics center fielder Ramon Laureano has been on the shelf since July 29 with a shin injury, though it’s possible he’ll return without embarking on a rehab assignment, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Laureano has been racking up at-bats at the A’s minor league complex, and he could rejoin the team this weekend or during an upcoming homestand that starts next Tuesday, Slusser suggests. Oakland has done well without Laureano, evidenced by the fact that it holds the AL’s second wild-card spot, but he has been one of the drivers of its success this season. The 25-year-old has slashed .284/.334/.518 with 21 homers, 12 steals and 3.0 fWAR through 419 trips to the plate.
- The Rangers placed outfielder Hunter Pence on the IL on Tuesday (retroactive to Aug. 24) with a lower back strain, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News tweets. The club recalled infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. It’s the second IL placement of the season for Pence, who missed a few weeks earlier in the summer on account of a groin strain. Injuries aside, this season has been a resounding success for the 36-year-old Pence, who earned his fourth All-Star appearance last month. After back-to-back woeful campaigns with the Giants, Pence took a minor league contract with the Rangers in the offseason and has since logged a stout .297/.358/.552 line and smacked 18 home runs in 316 plate appearances.
Braves Release Lucas Duda
The Braves have released first baseman Lucas Duda, Grant McAuley of Braves Radio Network tweets.
It’s an unceremonious ending to the second Braves tenure for Duda, who signed a minor league contract with the team Aug. 5. Duda was previously a Brave in 2018, when they acquired the slugger from the Royals almost exactly one year ago (Aug. 29). While Duda was a useful bench piece for the Braves then, albeit over only 22 plate appearances, he didn’t make it back to the majors with the club this summer. The 33-year-old instead posted hideous numbers across 68 PA as a member of Triple-A Gwinnett, with which he batted .140/.235/.211.
At his best, Duda was a legitimate power threat with the Mets and Rays from 2014-17. Aside from an injury-limited 2016, he piled up at least 27 home runs in each of those seasons – including 30-HR campaigns to bookend that four-year span. Duda hasn’t been anywhere near as formidable at the plate over the past couple seasons, though. After settling for a minors deal with the Royals in late March, the lefty-swinging Duda stumbled to a .171/.252/.324 line with four homers in 119 PA before they released him July 29.
Nationals Sign Josh Lucas To Minor League Deal
The Nationals have agreed to a minor league contract with righty Josh Lucas, per an announcement from Paul Braverman of the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies (Twitter link). Lucas will report to the Grizzlies.
It’s been a tough season for the 28-year-old Lucas, who struggled through multiple stints with the Orioles before being released. He’s totaled 15 2/3 innings but surrendered a total of 12 runs (10 earned) on 14 hits and seven walks with 16 strikeouts. His Triple-A results have struggled too, as despite a strong track record there in prior seasons, Lucas owns a 6.85 ERA (5.99 FIP) with a 19-to-12 K/BB ratio in 23 2/3 innings of work.
From 2017-18, Lucas tallied 98 2/3 innings of 2.92 ERA ball in Triple-A with a 100-to-27 K/BB ratio, so he does have a fair bit of success in the upper minors. He’ll now join a lengthy list of depth options that the Nationals have picked up in recent months. The Nats have signed Greg Holland, Sam Freeman and Jake Buchanan to minor league deals in the month of August and have regularly speculated on recently released relievers throughout the season as they work to patch together a bullpen that has been their primary weakness in 2019.
Reds Release Brad Boxberger
The Reds have released right-handed reliever Brad Boxberger, Kegan Lowe of Baseball America relays.
The reunion between the Reds and Boxberger didn’t last long, as they just signed the 31-year-old to a minor league contract Aug. 6. It was the second stint with the Reds for Boxberger, whom the club spent the 43rd overall pick on back in 2009. The Reds ultimately traded Boxberger to the Padres two years later in a blockbuster that included several players who either were or have become household names.
To his credit, Boxberger has turned into a well-known commodity in his own right over the past several years. He made the American League All-Star team as a member of the Rays in 2015, the same year he led the AL in saves (41). But Boxberger’s effectiveness has waned since his final season with the Rays in 2017. He struggled a year ago as a member of the Diamondbacks, and after signing a $2.2MM contract with the Royals over the winter, Boxberger opened 2019 with a 5.40 ERA/4.67 FIP and 9.11 K/9 against 5.74 BB/9 over 26 2/3 innings.
The Royals released Boxberger in early July, after which he inked a minors pact with the Nationals’ Double-A club. The Nats quickly cut Boxberger loose, leading him to rejoni the Cincy organization. However, Boxberger had immense difficulty in 5 1/3 frames with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, yielding seven earned runs on 10 hits and five walks (with eight strikeouts).
Keynan Middleton Returns From Tommy John Surgery
The Angels announced this evening that hard-throwing right-hander Keynan Middleton has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Fellow righty Taylor Cole was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake to open a spot on the active roster, and the Angels had space on the 40-man roster to accommodate the move.
Middleton, 25, carved out a spot for himself in the Angels’ bullpen with a solid rookie showing in 2017 when he pitched 58 1/3 innings of 3.86 ERA ball. While he was homer-prone that year (1.70 HR/9), Middleton averaged 96.8 mph on his heater to go along with 9.7 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9. His 16.7 percent swinging-strike rate was tied for eighth-best among 155 qualified MLB relievers, and he looked every bit the part of a long-term piece for the Angels’ relief corps.
The early returns on Middleton in 2018 did nothing to sway that line of thinking. In fact, despite his relatively minimal MLB experience, Middleton ascended to the closer’s role by mid April. He’d tallied six saves and pitched to a 2.04 ERA with 16 strikeouts against nine walks before being shelved due to inflammation in his elbow. He returned after a minimal absence and made three appearances before again going down with elbow discomfort, at which point damage to his ulnar collateral ligament was discovered. He underwent Tommy John surgery in late May.
Middleton’s results down the stretch will certainly be worth monitoring with a watchful eye. He’s allowed just one run on four hits and six walks with 16 strikeouts in nine minor league rehab innings, and a return to his 2017-18 form would give the Angels reason to be optimistic about the back of their ‘pen headed into 2020. While GM Billy Eppler and his staff will surely make some additions regardless, lining up Middleton with Ty Buttrey, Cam Bedrosian and Hansel Robles would be a strong foundation for a bullpen. The latter three of that quartet have all enjoyed strong seasons to date and remain under control into at least 2020.
Although Middleton has appeared in just 80 big league games and pitched a total of 76 innings, he’ll be eligible for arbitration this winter. Middleton entered the year with one year, 150 days of big league service and will accumulate a full season in 2019 after spending the year to date on the Major League injured list. As such, he’ll wrap up the year with 2.150 years of MLB service time, making him a lock to qualify for Super Two designation. His raise will likely be a modest one given the missed time in 2018-19, but the foundation for his future raises will nevertheless be a bit stronger than that of a typical arb-eligible player.