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Trevor May To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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TODAY: May will undergo Tommy John surgery tomorrow, the righty announced himself via his Twitter feed (hat tip to SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo).

MARCH 11: Twins right-hander Trevor May has been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He’s slated to receive a second opinion next week, Berardino adds, but certainly Tommy John surgery is now a strong possibility for the 27-year-old.

It’s dejecting news for the Twins and for May, who was in competition to reclaim a spot in the Twins’ rotation after spending the past season and a half in the bullpen. Originally acquired in the trade that sent Ben Revere to the Phillies, May had a solid first half of the 2015 season in the Twins’ rotation before moving to a setup role when Glen Perkins went down with an injury. May thrived in that bullpen role in 2015 but struggled in the same role last season, missing significant time due to back injuries.

May totaled just 44 2/3 innings out of the Twins’ bullpen last season due to the aforementioned back issues, pitching to a 5.00 ERA but posting an impressive 60-to-17 K/BB ratio while averaging 93.9 mph on his fastball. A year prior, May logged a 4.43 ERA in 83 1/3 innings as a starter but delivered a much more encouraging 3.35 FIP and 3.96 xFIP. Upon shifting to the ’pen in July, May turned in a 2.87 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 31 1/3 innings to finish out the season.

Earlier this spring, May suggested to Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the move to a relief role might’ve adversely impacted his health. Now, in the wake of this latest, devastating injury, that question will be up for even further debate. The injury, it seems, occurred during May’s most recent start, when he tossed 3 2/3 innings against Team USA’s World Baseball Classic lineup. As May explains (video link via Berardino), he felt a “grab” in his elbow on a single pitch. “I downplayed it in my head,” said May. “I thought it was some tightness in my flexors, something I’ve felt before.” May went on to throw another 34 pitches after the initial “grab” and felt continued soreness the following day, which prompted an MRI.

It’s of course possible, albeit unlikely, that May can avoid Tommy John surgery. We’ve seen pitchers such as Masahiro Tanaka and Garrett Richards opt for platelet-rich plasma injections and stem cell injections in recent years and avoid the operation. And, depending on the extent of the tear, May could be a candidate for the “primary repair” surgery that Seth Maness underwent last August. However, any of those treatments could very well sideline May for the entire season anyhow, perhaps making the more traditional Tommy John route the most logical course of action.

The loss of May means that the competition for the fifth spot in the Twins’ rotation will now come down to Jose Berrios, Tyler Duffey, Adalberto Mejia and, perhaps, non-roster invitees Ryan Vogelsong and Nick Tepesch.

Minnesota still controls May through the 2020 campaign, so he could play an important role in future Twins clubs should he make a full recovery. May will presumably spend the entire 2017 season on the 60-day disabled list and accrue a full year of service time, making him eligible for arbitration next winter.

NL West Notes: Morse, Dahl, Rockies, Padres

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Mike Morse suffered a hamstring strain that will keep him out of action for at least two weeks, Giants manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including CSNBayArea.com’s Alex Pavlovic).  That timeline essentially eliminates Morse’s chances of making the Giants’ Opening Day roster, bringing a sour end to what had been an impressive spring for the veteran.  After signing a minor league deal with the Giants this offseason, Morse spoke openly about retirement if he didn’t make the team, though he isn’t yet sure if he’ll now pursue a Triple-A rehab assignment.  “If it gets to that point, I’ll think about it, but right now it’s (about) how I feel every day. I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Morse said.  With Morse and Mac Williamson both sidelined with injuries, Jarrett Parker is now the clear favorite for the starting left field job and the Giants’ extensive battle for bench jobs has somewhat narrowed.

Here’s more from around the NL West…

  • David Dahl is still around 10 days away from resuming baseball activities after an MRI revealed that his right rib was still healing, Rockies manager Bud Black told media (including Nick Groke of the Denver Post).  Dahl was revealed to have a stress fracture in his ribcage earlier this month, already leaving him questionable for the start of the season and the latest news should all but confirm Dahl for the 10-day DL come Opening Day.  The 22-year-old was expected to be Colorado’s starting left fielder this season, though Gerardo Parra is slated to handle the job in Dahl’s absence.
  • Could the Rockies go from arguably the league’s worst bullpen in 2016 to a potentially dominant pen in 2017?  Fangraphs’ Jeff Sullivan thinks it could happen, though Colorado will clearly need a lot of bounce-backs and good health from Adam Ottavino, Greg Holland, and Jake McGee.  All three pitchers have high ceilings, however, and with Carlos Estevez, Mike Dunn and others in the mix, the Rockies could make a big turnaround in their relief corps.
  • There’s a small, if unlikely, possibility that the Padres will open the season with four catchers on the roster, MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes.  Austin Hedges is San Diego’s starter behind the plate, and Christian Bethancourt (who is out of options) is being tested out as a hybrid utility player able to catch, play some outfield, and pitch in relief.  With Bethancourt being used differently than a normal backup catcher, that opens the door for Rule 5 pick Luis Torrens or Spring Training star Hector Sanchez to receive some playing time.

NL East Notes: Szczur, Johnson, Coghlan, Nava, Phillies

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Here’s the latest from around the NL East…

  • The Braves have Cubs outfielder Matt Szczur on their list of possible trade candidates, FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports (via Twitter).  Szczur is out of options and the Cubs intend to keep him, though a 25-man roster spot could be hard to manage given Chicago’s multitude of depth options.  Szczur has a career .245/.297/.376 slash line over 346 PA since debuting with the Cubs in 2014, and he is a right-handed hitter who can play all three outfield positions, which fits Atlanta’s known need.  MLB.com’s Mark Bowman recently opined that since the Braves have several out-of-options players, they could deal one such player for another on a rival team.
  • Though Kelly Johnson remains unsigned, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo doesn’t feel there’s any chance of another reunion between he and the Mets, especially not as long as Johnson is still looking for an MLB contract.  The Mets are satisfied with their current backup infield mix, and likely wouldn’t check in on Johnson (either via signing or a midseason trade if he signs elsewhere) unless he’s willing to take a minor league deal or if New York develops a need later in the year.
  • Sunday is the deadline for the Phillies to either release Chris Coghlan upon request, or place him on their 25-man roster within 48 hours, MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports.  In other Phils opt-out news, Daniel Nava can request his release if he isn’t on the Phillies’ Major League roster by June 15.  Coghlan and Nava both signed minor league deals with Philadelphia this winter, though as Zolecki explains, the two veterans are in a tight battle for the Phillies’ two remaining bench spots.
  • Koda Glover is a contender to win the Nationals’ closer job, though as Fangraphs’ Dave Cameron notes, the Nats’ decision to use Glover in the ninth inning of spring games is making it difficult to properly evaluate the hard-throwing righty.  Spring Training performances should be taken with a grain of salt anyway, and in Glover’s case, he has faced very few hitters who actually project to be on MLB rosters this season.

AL East Notes: Britton, Price, Red Sox, Duffy, Pearce

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As a dominant AL East closer that relies on one signature pitch, the Orioles’ Zach Britton has much in common with Mariano Rivera, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark writes.  Obviously Britton has a ways to go before matching Rivera’s incredible track record, though Britton’s sinker (which he threw 92.2% of the time last season) is already being compared to Rivera’s legendary cut fastball.  Without fully explaining his secrets behind the pitch, Britton tells Stark about what makes his sinker unique, and also how he came upon the pitch by accident while trying to learn, ironically, a cutter.

Here’s more from around the AL East…

  • David Price was re-examined by Red Sox team doctors today and the team reported that the ace lefty “has lost enough strength in his arm to where he is weaker than he was when he reported to Spring Training,” Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald writes.  Price still isn’t on a timetable to begin his throwing program, and thus Silverman speculates that Price’s DL stint could now stretch into May, as opposed to the previous theorized return date of late April.  “You don’t really attach yourself to a calendar. You’ve got to listen to the pitcher’s situation, how his body is responding and what the objective tests are telling us. He’s getting closer to getting a ball back in his hand,” manager John Farrell said.
  • Despite the recent spate of injuries to newly-acquired Red Sox, Dave Dombrowski doesn’t feel the team’s medical evaluation process is at fault, CSNNE.com’s Evan Drellich writes.  “I don’t find anything that’s been abnormal this spring compared to any other spring I’ve ever been,” Dombrowski said.  “We’ve focused a great deal on medical. But we’ve been doing that for years and we continually look at that all the time.”  Price, Drew Pomeranz, Tyler Thornburg, Carson Smith and Hector Velazquez have all dealt with some degree of arm issues with joining the Sox since Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations, though he argues that acquiring pitching of any type carries inherent risk.  “With the sophistication of the medical industry nowadays, I don’t know the last time I’ve traded for somebody or signed somebody: nobody has a pristine arm,” Dombrowski said.  “Nobody.  I can’t even tell you the last time — it doesn’t exist.  So you’re going to know that that’s just part of the equation.  And then you have to weigh what type of risk you’re willing to take.”
  • It looks like Rays shortstop Matt Duffy will miss Opening Day, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that the club is still trying to determine a timeline for Duffy’s injury rehab.  Duffy underwent Achilles tendon surgery on his left heel last September, and has been limited to just strengthening exercises and drills this spring, without any running and no baseball activities.  Rays manager Kevin Cash implied that Duffy’s current problems may not be related to his Achilles surgery, which could be a positive in getting him closer to readiness.
  • Steve Pearce declined to tell Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun if the Orioles were in touch about re-signing the veteran utilityman, though he praised the O’s for supporting his decision to undergo elbow surgery late last season when the club was in a pennant race.  Pearce also noted that he decided to sign with the Blue Jays since “they were hard and aggressive” in their pursuit this winter.  “As a player, when you have somebody who wants you that bad and they come after you, they don’t mess around, they’re not trying to low ball — as soon as we got to a number we got comfortable with and they got comfortable with, it was an easy sign,” Pearce said.
  • In other AL East news from earlier today on MLBTR, the Blue Jays are close to a contract extension with manager John Gibbons, the Yankees will be without Didi Gregorius for roughly six weeks due to a shoulder injury and the Rays could still possibly trade a pitcher before Opening Day.

Andre Ethier Doubtful For Opening Day Due To Herniated Disk

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Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has been diagnosed with a “mild” herniated disk in his lower back, and manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick) that “it’s going to be tough” for Ethier to be ready for the start of the season.  Ethier will be held out of baseball activities for the next 7-10 days after receiving an epidural injection in his lower back, so while Roberts said the Dodgers are “definitely not closing that door” on Ethier’s Opening Day availability, they could face a bit of a roster crunch.

If Ethier is indeed headed for a DL stint, it would mark his second consecutive season opener missed due to injury.  Ethier broke his leg during last year’s Spring Training and didn’t return to the field until September, appearing in just 16 games in 2016.  While this back injury doesn’t appear to be nearly as serious, Roberts said the team’s obvious priority is to make sure Ethier is healthy, so there won’t be a rush to get him ready for Opening Day.

L.A. has quite a few extra outfielders to handle left field in Ethier’s absence, with Andrew Toles, Trayce Thompson, Franklin Gutierrez and Enrique Hernandez all on the 25-man roster and Brett Eibner and Scott Van Slyke providing additional depth in the minors.  Even with all this depth, however, the Dodgers were already mixing and matching platoon options to best cover themselves in the outfield.  Ethier is entering his age-35 season and coming off a virtual lost year, center fielder Joc Pederson is best served by having a platoon partner to handle left-handed pitching and right fielder Yasiel Puig is also not a sure thing after his inconsistent play in recent years.

Ethier is entering his 12th season, all with the Dodgers, and 2017 will be the final year of a five-year, $82.5MM extension signed in June 2012.  Los Angeles holds a club option for $17.5MM ($2.5MM buyout) on Ethier’s services for next season.  That option can vest into a guaranteed deal should the outfielder make 550 plate appearances this year, so any significant amount of time missed due to his back injury could be quite costly for Ethier.

Giants Hire Barry Bonds As Special Advisor To CEO

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The Giants have announced that former superstar Barry Bonds will rejoin the organization as a special advisor to CEO Larry Baer. Most recently, the controversial slugger served as the Marlins’ hitting coach, but the team elected not to continue the relationship past the 2016 season.

Bonds, now 52, spent 15 of his 22 major league seasons in San Francisco. Though he was already a two-time MVP winner when he came over from the Pirates, Bonds only elevated his game in his new environs. All told, he provided the Giants with a mind-boggling .312/.477/.666 batting line and 586 home runs in nearly 2,000 games.

Bonds retired as MLB’s all-time home run leader and unquestionably rates as one of the very best players in history. His legacy, though, has long been clouded by his high-profile role in the game’s sordid PED history. And his playing career didn’t exactly come to a happy conclusion; Bonds slashed a hard-to-fathom .276/.480/.565 in his age-42 season, but didn’t suit up after that point and brought an ultimately unsuccessful collusion case.

As per the Giants’ press release, Bonds “will represent the organization at various community and organizational events in San Francisco.”  His duties also involve some baseball-related work, as Bonds will attend the team’s Spring Training camp this week and also work with prospects during visits to the Giants’ minor league affiliates.

“I am excited to be back home with the Giants and join the team in an official capacity,” Bonds said.  “San Francisco has always been my home and the Giants will always be my family.  I look forward to spending time with the team, young players in the system as well as the Bay Area community.”

Twins Release Ryan Vogelsong

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The Twins have granted right-hander Ryan Vogelsong his release, the club announced to reporters, including Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (Twitter links).  Vogelsong asked for an early release from his minor league contract (Minnesota didn’t have to make a decision on his status until March 28) and the Twins granted the request to give the veteran more time to potentially catch on with another team.

The 39-year-old signed a minor league deal with the Twins in January and was competing for a job in the team’s bullpen or potentially as a fifth starter, especially in the wake of Trevor May’s season-ending UCL tear.  According to Berardino, however, other pitchers had moved ahead of Vogelsong in the fifth starter battle, as Vogelsong was hampered by lagging velocity.

Even in his prime, Vogelsong wasn’t much of a power pitcher, relying instead of soft contact rather than missed bats to generate outs.  At his best, Vogelsong was a valuable and durable rotation arm for the Giants from 2011-2014, posting a 3.74 ERA over 657 2/3 IP in that stretch and solidly contributing to San Francisco’s World Series titles in 2012 and 2014.

Vogelsong posted a 4.81 ERA, 6.7 K/9 and 1.53 K/BB rate over 82 1/3 innings for the Pirates in 2016, a season shortened by a frightening injury suffered when Vogelsong was hit in the face by a Jordan Lyles fastball.  Vogelsong underwent surgery to correct an orbital fracture and was worried about losing his vision, though he ended up returning to the field two months later.

Didi Gregorius To Begin Season On DL Due To Shoulder Injury

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Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius has been shut down from baseball activities for two weeks due to a shoulder strain, and thus will be placed on the 10-day DL to begin the season, manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including ESPN.com’s Andrew Marchand and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch).  The injury is serious enough that Gregorius could be sidelined for all of April, Girardi said, with Yankees GM Brian Cashman also estimating a rough timeframe of six weeks.

Gregorius suffered the injury playing for the Netherlands’ World Baseball Classic team during a Spring Training exhibition against the Diamondbacks.  He hurt his shoulder while making a throw as part of turning a double play, with Girardi noting (as per Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald) that Gregorius was playing out of position as a second baseman; the Netherlands is deep at short with Andrelton Simmons and Xander Bogaerts also on the roster.

[updated Yankees roster at Roster Resource]

No replacement was named for Gregorius at short, though Girardi said that second baseman Starlin Castro — who was the Cubs’ regular shortstop before converting to second in 2015 — will see some time at his old position during Spring Training.  Girardi noted that star prospect Gleyber Torres is not under consideration to fill Gregorius’ shoes.  Ronald Torreyes, Ruben Tejada, Donovan Solano, Pete Kozma and Tyler Wade are all candidates to fill in at short or possibly second, should Castro end up moving positions.  Torreyes is the only one of that group currently on the 40-man roster, however, so another move would have to be made to create space.

While New York has some middle infield depth on hand, losing Gregorius is certainly a significant blow.  The 27-year-old has hit .270/.311/.409 over 1175 PA in his first two seasons as Derek Jeter’s heir apparent, showing some impressive pop last season with a career-high 20 home runs.  Gregorius is still a below-average run creator for his career, though his offensive game has been aided by excellent skills on the basepaths (as per Fangraphs’ Baserunning metric).  Defensively, Gregorius has had an up-and-down performance at shortstop over the last two seasons — he went from +5 Defensive Runs Saved and a +7.9 UZR/150 in 2015 to -9 DRS and a -3.4 UZR/150 last season.

Rangers Agree To New Contract With Robinson Chirinos

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2:25pm: Chirinos will earn $2.25MM next year and the option is valued at $2.375MM ($100K buyout), Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tweets. There are also escalators based upon how many times he comes to bat in the upcoming campaign.

2:05pm: The Rangers have announced the extension of a catcher — but not the one who has grabbed headlines thus far over the offseason. Reserve backstop Robinson Chirinos has agreed to a new deal that will guarantee his 2018 salary and tack on a club option for the following campaign. Salary terms have not yet been reported.

While Texas may yet agree to a new deal with starter Jonathan Lucroy, who’ll be a free agent after they season, the club now has some insurance — or, at least, a reserve option — in place. Chirinos was eligible for arbitration for the final time in 2018 after agreeing to a $1.95MM salary for the upcoming campaign. The deal gives the Rangers control over him for an additional season.

Certainly, there’s cause to think that the 32-year-old Chirinos could be a semi-regular option if Lucroy ends up moving on. Over the past three seasons, he has compiled a .233/.307/.437 batting line and contributed 32 long balls over 781 plate appearances. That’s solidly average offensive production, which is better than can be said for most catchers.

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