Diamondbacks Outright John Ryan Murphy
Diamondbacks catcher John Ryan Murphy has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Reno, per a team announcement. The Diamondbacks designated Murphy for assignment last Saturday.
The 28-year-old Murphy will continue with the D-backs, who acquired him from the Twins for left-hander Gabriel Moya in July 2017. It was the second trade of Murphy’s career, as the Yankees sent him to the Twins for center fielder Aaron Hicks in a November 2015 swap. Needless to say, New York got the better end of that transaction.
Dating back to his big league debut with the Yankees in 2013, Murphy has hit .219/.265/.357 (65 wRC+) with 18 home runs in 673 plate appearances. While Murphy limped to a 70 wRC+ in 69 PA this year before Arizona cut him from its 40-man roster, his defense has been an asset in the desert. Baseball Prospectus has given the backstop outstanding grades behind the plate over the past year-plus, and Murphy even served as ace Zack Greinke‘s personal catcher until the team went in another direction.
AL Notes: Athletics, Kikuchi, Buttrey, Tribe
The Athletics are welcoming designated hitter Khris Davis back from the 10-day injured list on Saturday, the team announced. The slugger hasn’t taken an at-bat since May 21 because of a left hip/oblique contusion. In further positive news for the A’s, injured hurlers Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo and Marco Estrada are all making progress, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports (Twitter links here). Manaea, recovering from the left shoulder surgery he underwent last September, will throw live batting practice Tuesday. The promising prospect Luzardo threw a two-inning, 30-pitch sim game Saturday, after which A’s manager Bob Melvin offered an encouraging update. Luzardo hasn’t pitched this season on account of a rotator cuff strain in his left shoulder, while Estrada has been down since mid-April because of a back problem. Estrada will start playing catch Monday and isn’t far from beginning a regular throwing program, Gallegos relays.
- On the heels of back-to-back brutal performances from Yusei Kikuchi, the Mariners are skipping the southpaw’s start Tuesday in an effort to “recharge the batteries,” according to manager Scott Servais (via Greg Johns of MLB.com). Kikuchi will slot back into their rotation “later next week,” Johns writes. The 27-year-old Kikuchi yielded 10 earned runs on 20 hits, including three homers, over 6 2/3 innings in his two latest starts. He joined the Mariners in the offseason as a ballyhooed signing from Japan, and has gotten off to a so-so start in the majors. Kikuchi owns a 4.43 ERA/4.64 FIP with 6.72 K/9, 2.28 BB/9 and a 45 percent groundball rate through 67 innings. Now that Kikuchi’s headed for a brief respite, the Mariners could promote lefty Jon Niese or righty Anthony Misiewicz from Triple-A Tacoma as his replacement, per Johns. Neither hurler is on the M’s 40-man roster, but the team does have a pair of openings at the moment.
- Righty Ty Buttrey has been the Angels’ top reliever in 2019, but they’re leery of overusing the rookie, Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times explains. Acquired from Boston last July for second baseman Ian Kinsler, the hard-throwing Buttrey has tossed 28 1/3 innings in his first full season with the Angels. He leads Halos relievers in ERA (1.27) and FIP (2.09), and has helped his cause with 11.12 K/9, 2.22 BB/9 and a 46.5 percent grounder rate. Buttrey’s currently on pace for 74 appearances and 80 innings. It doesn’t appear the 26-year-old will get to either figure by the end of the season, however, as manager Brad Ausmus noted he’s “got to think about this kid’s health.”
- Indians right-hander Jefry Rodriguez exited his start against the White Sox on Saturday with right lat tightness, Zack Meisel of The Athletic tweets. It’s yet another unfortunate development for Cleveland’s rotation, which has gone without the injured Corey Kluber–Mike Clevinger duo for most of the season and has gotten somewhat underwhelming performances from Trevor Bauer and Carlos Carrasco. Rodriguez logged good results in four innings Saturday, but the 25-year-old has only managed a 4.74 ERA/4.47 FIP with 6.6 K/9 and 3.92 BB/9 in 43 2/3 frames on the season.
Latest On Didi Gregorius, Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton
There’s a “real chance” Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius will rejoin the Bombers during their June 7-9 series in Cleveland, manager Aaron Boone said Saturday (via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com). Gregorius, who has been working back from the Tommy John surgery he underwent on his right elbow last October, began a minor league rehab assignment last weekend.
Surprisingly, despite the absences of Gregorius and a slew of other integral players, the Yankees own the American League’s second-best record at 37-19. Gleyber Torres has stepped up to man shortstop in Gregorius’ place, while free-agent addition DJ LeMahieu has handled second base with aplomb and third bagger Gio Urshela has been one of the game’s unexpected success stories thus far. But the Yankees are understandably excited for the arrival of the 29-year-old Gregorius, who hit .277/.326/.486 (114 wRC+) with 52 home runs and 8.7 fWAR in 1,139 plate appearances from 2017-18.
Like Gregorius, outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have been among prominent wounded Yankees in 2019. They’re seemingly inching closer to comebacks, though, as George A. King III of the New York Post explains. Judge, out since April 21 thanks to a left oblique strain, has begun taking fly balls. And Stanton’s “probably getting close to starting that rehab assignment,” according to Boone. New York sent Stanton to the IL three games into the season with a left biceps strain, but he has since suffered multiple other left side injuries (shoulder, calf) that have halted his progress.
Judge and Stanton accounted for 65 home runs in 250 games a year ago, but their injuries have limited them to five HRs (all from Judge) in 23 contests in 2019. While the hulking sluggers are arguably the Yankees’ top two offensive players, the club has gotten by in the outfield with respectable performances from Brett Gardner, Clint Frazier, Cameron Maybin and Mike Tauchman. And although he hasn’t posted good numbers so far this season, it helps that New York recently got back center fielder Aaron Hicks. The Yankees activated Hicks off the IL on May 13 after he missed the first month and a half of the year because of lower back problems.
Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Paddack, Trout, Trade Candidates, Bell, Wheeler
This week in baseball blogs…
- theScore focuses on Chris Paddack‘s breakout.
- The Dugout looks at the players who went ahead of Mike Trout in the 2009 draft.
- MLB & Fantasy Baseball Analyzed lists six stars who should be traded this season.
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The Point of Pittsburgh takes a look at Josh Bell and how important RBI totals are in 2019.
- East Village Times wonders if the Padres could trade for Mets righty Zack Wheeler.
- Angels Avenue examines Trevor Cahill‘s struggles.
- Pinstriped Prospects weighs in on Zack Britton‘s resurgence.
- Chipalatta evaluates Gerrit Cole‘s early season performance.
- Complete Game Loss details the uniqueness of Josh Tomlin.
- Notes from the Sally highlights interesting infielders from the South Atlantic League.
- Baseball Prospect Journal profiles Bobby Witt Jr.
- Chin Music Baseball points out 10 players who have already surpassed what they did in 2018.
- Phillies Nation makes an All-Star case for Cesar Hernandez.
- Joker Mag has a piece on the rise of Lucas Giolito.
- Bronx to Bushville analyzes Orlando Arcia‘s season.
- The Runner Sports (links: 1, 2) asks if the Yankees need Dallas Keuchel and wonders how the Astros’ Triple-A club will fare in the wake of the big league team’s injuries.
- Baseball Spy (podcast) discusses the Tigers, Bryce Harper and Starlin Castro, among other topics.
- Hardball Via Hardcore examines the state of the Mariners.
- Foul Territory spotlights the brilliance of Ryan Pressly.
- The First Out At Third writes about a few random Brewers stats.
- Call to the Pen analyzes the Phillies’ rotation.
- A’s Farm offers a progress report on the team’s top 2018 draft picks.
- Rotisserie Duck has a piece on several top 10 picks who didn’t pan out.
- Rox Pile focuses on three names to watch for the Rockies’ future bullpen.
- Baseball Rabbi (podcast) talks about wins above replacement.
Submissions: ZachBBWI @gmail.com
Padres Option Francisco Mejia
The Padres activated catcher Francisco Mejia from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A El Paso on Saturday, the team announced. In other moves, the Padres sent reliever Phil Maton to El Paso and recalled left-hander Nick Margevicius from Double-A Amarillo.
The most notable move here is the demotion of Mejia, formerly a star prospect whose career hasn’t gotten off the ground in San Diego. The Padres acquired Mejia, then ESPN prospect guru Keith Law’s fifth-ranked farmhand, from the Indians for relievers Brad Hand and Adam Cimber last July. Since then, the switch-hitting Mejia has slashed a dismal .176/.224/.324 (46 wRC+) in 116 plate appearances with the Padres, and he didn’t acquit himself well defensively before landing on the IL on May 11 with a left knee sprain.
During the 23-year-old Mejia’s injury-forced absence, San Diego utilized Austin Hedges and Austin Allen as its top two catchers. The Austins will continue to reign supreme with Mejia heading to the minors. They’ve offered almost nothing at the plate this season, but Hedges has lived to his billing as an elite defender for his position, ranking first in the majors in Baseball Prospectus’ Fielding Runs Above Average metric. Hedges has also caught 38 percent of would-be base stealers in 2019, which comes in far above the 29 percent league average.
There’s no word on how long Mejia will stay in the minors, but it’s worth keeping an eye on with respect to his service time. Mejia entered the season with 62 days’ service and has amassed another 65 this year, giving him 127 overall. He needs another 45 to accrue a full year of service. As things stand, Mejia is on pace to reach free agency after the 2024 campaign.
Brewers Place Gio Gonzalez On Injured List
The Brewers have placed left-hander Gio Gonzalez on the 10-day injured list with a “dead arm,” according to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. The placement is retroactive to May 29. Gonzalez’s roster spot went to catcher Manny Pina, whom the Brewers activated from the IL. Pina missed two weeks with a hamstring injury.
Brewers officials believe Gonzalez’s arm fatigue may be related to an unusual past few months, per McCalvy. The accomplished 33-year-old unexpectedly went without a job until signing a minor league deal with the Yankees on March 19, meaning he didn’t participate in a normal spring training. Gonzalez then logged three starts with the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate before opting out of his contract and inking a major league pact with the Brewers for a guaranteed $2MM.
The Gonzalez signing has worked out so far for the Brewers, who have gotten six starts and 31 innings of 3.19 ERA/3.18 FIP ball from the former Athletic and National. Gonzalez, Brandon Woodruff, Zach Davies and Chase Anderson have been the only bright spots in a Milwaukee rotation that has gotten poor production from Jhoulys Chacin, Freddy Peralta, Corbin Burnes, Adrian Houser and Jacob Barnes in a combined 25 starts.
Given the struggles of the Chacin-Peralta-Burnes-Houser-Barnes group and 32-26 Milwaukee’s realistic shot at winning a second straight NL Central title, free-agent left-hander Dallas Keuchel stands out as an obvious fit for the club. Keuchel could sign as early as midnight ET on Sunday without costing his next employer draft pick compensation. The Brewers showed interest in Keuchel during the offseason, but it’s unclear if they’re still open to signing him.
Minor MLB Transactions: 6/1/19
The latest in minor moves from around the game…
- Veteran catcher Chris Stewart has opted out of his deal with the Padres, Robert Murray of The Athletic reports. The 12-year MLB vet, a reliable backup for the Giants, Yankees and Pirates, among others, since his debut all the way back in 2006, will again look to provide defensive stability for a club in the stretch run. Stewart’s never hit much, with a career line of .230/.297/.291, but does flash occasional on-base ability and unexpected pop against quality lefties. In 73 plate appearances for Triple-A El Paso this season, Stewart slashed .277/.333/.354 with a lone homer. He led all MLB catchers in 2011 with 21 defensive runs saved in a mere 460 innings behind the dish.
- Righty Jeanmar Gomez has been placed on unconditional release waivers by the Rangers, per the club. The 31-year-old was designated for assignment by the club last week. Gomez was a capable performer for the Pirates and Phillies from 2013-16, but has fallen on hard times in recent seasons. He’s had particular difficulty with stranding runners – a 55.2% LOB mark in ’19 spelled his end in Texas, the latest in a disturbing trend that began in the 2016 season, when his grounder-heavy excellence began slowly to erode.
Mac Williamson Clears Waivers, Elects Free Agency
Former Giants outfielder Mac Williamson, designated for assignment for the second time this season by the club last Saturday, went unclaimed on waivers and has elected free agency, Maria Guardado of mlb.com tweets. Williamson previously reported to the team’s AAA affiliate after the first DFA, where a three-week hot streak led to a fifth opportunity with the big club, but this time has decided to test his luck on the open market.
The 28-year-old Williamson – he’ll be 29 next month – was a post-draft favorite in 2012 after being selected in the third round out of Wake Forest. Already 22 at the time of the draft, Williamson’s slow crawl through the minors – injuries often set him back – still had him lingering in Double-A by the time his 25th birthday rolled around.
His first three Triple-A forays, occasionally interrupted by month-long stints with the big club, were mediocre at best – Mac, in fact, seemed on verge of release after an especially poor 2017 showing with Sacramento. A swing change the next season reaped dividends, though, and Williamson seemed primed to seize the everyday left-field job for San Fran after a hot early-season ’18 start. Hopes were derailed when a collision with a wall near the bullpen mound in SF’s Oracle Park resulted in lingering concussion symptoms, and Mac could never quite recapture his early-season sizzle upon return.
2019 hasn’t been kind to him – the 6’5 righty managed just a 14 wRC+ (86 percent below league-average) in 57 plate appearances with the club before his designation. It’s unclear which, if any, clubs will be interested, but Williamson should get a Triple-A opportunity if so inclined. Perhaps a Japanese or Korean team – clubs notoriously interested in the so-called “Four-A” sluggers, many of which, admittedly, sport more impressive AAA numbers than does Williamson – will come calling, though the overseas market is never easy to predict.
Red Sox Place Steve Pearce On Injured List, Sam Travis Recalled
The Red Sox have placed Steve Pearce on the 10-day injured list, with Sam Travis being recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take his roster spot, the team announced.
Pearce was removed from yesterday’s game in the second inning after experiencing back spasms. The rest itself may not be the worst thing for Pearce, who has struggled to get going after being crowned World Series MVP to end 2018. While rarely an everyday player throughout his career, more was certainly expected from Pearce than the .180/.245/.258 line he currently owns – and that’s after some improvement of late.
It’s not a lost season for Pearce, who with only 89 at-bats has more than enough time to raise his numbers, even if his stint on the injured list proves lengthy. A rehab assignment wherein he has the opportunity to play everyday and get into a rhythm could do Pearce some good as well, should they take that route upon his return.
For Travis, the 25-year-old Chicagoan is no stranger to the Red Sox, for whom he has appeared in every season since 2017. This will be his second stint with the club this year after going 2-7 in Boston’s opening series of the year against Seattle. Since then, Travis has slashed .251/.359/.371 in 49 games with Pawtucket. As a right-handed hitter, Travis can slot right into Pearce’s role on the lesser half of a platoon with regular first baseman Mitch Moreland.
Injury Notes: Zimmermann, Eovaldi, Pollock
Let’s check in on the rehab status of a few players around the league…
- Jordan Zimmermann threw a simulated game on Friday as he works his way back from a UCL sprain. He has another bullpen session on Sunday, followed by a rehab start with High-A Lakeland on Wednesday, per Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. The Tigers are likely disillusioned of any notions for contention in 2019, but getting Zimmermann back in action could still provide dividends, either as a veteran influence in a young locker room, as an innings eater in the rotation, or the best case scenario, as trade bait. Zimmermann is owed $25MM next season, but that’s likely a sunk cost even if they could drum up some interest in the veteran righty. Given the 5.29 ERA that marks Zimmermann’s Detroit tenure, there may not be a “return to form” for the 33-year-old, but if there’s anything to spark hope in a Zimmermann revival, it would be good health.
- The Red Sox Nathan Eovaldi is on a similar timetable after pitching a simulated game this Friday, per The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham. He could be back in the Red Sox rotation by mid-June. The Red Sox are not considering a move to the bullpen at this stage for Eovaldi, whom they view as a starter, despite a 6.00 ERA in his first four starts to start the year. Of course, much of the Red Sox roster started slowly, and there’s no reason to think Eovaldi won’t be able to return to form. For his part, Eovaldi wants and expects to be a starter.
- A.J. Pollock continues to work his way back from an infection in his elbow. Pollock eventually needed surgery on his right elbow to remove a plate and screws from a previous surgery. With injury troubles hounding Pollock at nearly every turn, there’s not much positivity to glean here. The stitches are out of his right elbow, however, allowing him to increase the range of exercises, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. A catheter remains in his left arm, completing a six-week course of antibiotics on June 12th. These are positive signs for Pollock, but there’s still no timetable for his return. The Dodgers have a firm hold on the NL West, so there’s no rush to return Pollock to action until he is 100% ready – depth was one of the things that pointed to a match between Pollock and the Dodgers in the first place. If Pollock can get healthy and up to speed by the playoffs, both sides should be pleased with the union, despite the rough start for their free agent prize, owner of a .223/.287/.330 slash line in 2019.