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DL Placements: Logan Morrison, Rafael Devers, Shelby Miller

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With the All-Star break at hand, we may well continue to see more disabled list placements than usual as teams attempt to get players extended rest, with a minimal number of actual games missed, to address minor ailments. Here are the day’s notable placements:

  • The Twins added first baseman/DH Logan Morrison to the 10-day DL owing to a left hip impingement. The seriousness of the injury isn’t yet clear, but it surely won’t help Morrison’s trade value — not that there was much likelihood of him being moved by the upcoming non-waiver deadline. He has struggled to a .193/.287/.367 batting line through exactly three hundred plate appearances this year while earning $5.5MM under a deal that includes a $1MM buyout on a 2019 option. Perhaps there’s still a chance that Morrison could be dealt in August if he gets healthy and finds his stroke at the plate. Infielder Ehire Adrianza has been activated from the DL to take the open roster spot.
  • Also hitting the shelf is Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, who’ll be replaced by Tzu-Wei Lin. The official cause of the placement for Devers is left shoulder inflammation, though it doesn’t seem there’s much reason to anticipate that he’s at risk of a more significant underlying problem. Still just 21 years of age, Devers has compiled 367 plate appearances of .241/.292/.424 hitting this year. He had been heating up over the month of June but is back in a lull through eight games in July, which perhaps helped motivate the club to give him a rest.
  • Unsurprisingly, the Diamondbacks have moved righty Shelby Miller to the DL with inflammation in his pitching elbow. Joining him is reliever T.J. McFarland, who has a strained neck. They’ll be replaced by Matt Koch and Silvino Bracho. There’s still no indication as to the results of Miller’s medical evaluation today.

Phillies Among Teams With Interest In Zach Britton

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The Phillies have joined a growing list of clubs with interest in Orioles lefty Zach Britton, according to Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. It does not appear, however, that there’s any particular momentum toward a deal.

Quite a few organizations surely see Britton as a potential deadline target. We’ve heard recently that the Red Sox and Yankees are among them. There has also been quite a lot of chatter surrounding the possibility that he’ll be included in a deal involving Orioles star Manny Machado, another player that the Phillies have interest in.

There’s no reasonable way to handicap the chase for Britton at this point. After all, most contenders need relief pitching and the southpaw has a history of high-leverage excellence. He’s a rental player earning a hefty $12MM salary, which certainly limits his value but hardly means a trade can’t be sorted out.

The real question in the pursuit of Britton is how teams will truly evaluate his present ability level. He dealt with injuries for much of last year and only recently returned from offseason surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon, meaning the recent track record is relatively thin.

Through 13 appearances this season for Britton, there have been some worrying indications. He’s handing out about five free passes per nine innings while recording a pedestrian 7.8 K/9 and has allowed six earned runs through 12 2/3 frames. The O’s have only asked Britton to work back to back days on two occasions, and only once went to him for more than three outs, so they are handling him with some care.

On the other hand, he’s surely still getting his feet back under him. All of the earned runs have come in just two appearances, with three of his seven walks attributed to his first time taking the hill this year. Britton’s sinker is still drawing grounders, though he’s “only” getting them at a 60.6% rate — a figure that’s well above league average but isn’t quite to par for a hurler who generated worm burners on more than three of every four balls in play for the preceding four seasons. His swinging-strike rate is up to 12.9%. Most intriguingly, Britton’s velocity has trended upward over his month of MLB action this year.

Notably, the market is not exactly loaded with alternatives. There are some high-end lefty relievers with future control rights that might be had, but only at huge prices. The best alternative rental pieces are pitchers like Zach Duke of the Twins, Jake Diekman of the Rangers, and Jerry Blevins of the Mets, none of whom has an established ceiling nearly so lofty as Britton’s.

Shelby Miller Undergoing Testing After Leaving With Elbow Tightness

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Diamondbacks righty Shelby Miller departed his outing yesterday after just one inning of work. After the game, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports, Miller left the club to receive a full medical evaluation for what has been labeled as “right elbow tightness.”

Clearly, there’s cause for concern for a pitcher who had only just returned from Tommy John surgery. “You could definitely tell something was wrong,” catcher Alex Avila said of Miller. The team’s immediate decision to send the starter back to Phoenix for review certainly reflects that sentiment.

That’s not to say, of course, that Miller is necessarily dealing with another serious injury. Seemingly ominous situations have resolved favorably plenty of times in the past, so there’s still reason to hope for the best.

Regardless, it’s surely a frustrating time for the 27-year-old Miller. The TJ rehab process, after all, is not a short one. He has generally been hit hard in his four starts this year, but there are promising signs as well. Miller has managed a 19:7 K/BB ratio through 15 innings and is back at his typical mid-nineties velocity.

Miller is earning $4.9MM this year, with one more year of arbitration control remaining. The Snakes have two starters (Matt Koch and Braden Shipley) available on the 40-man roster if it turns out that Miller will need to miss time.

MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Bryant, Giles, Kennedy, Velasquez

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ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(July 11th)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES

Yankees Reportedly Make “Strong” Offer For Machado; Other Clubs Still In Play

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10:00pm: Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic also hears that the Yankees’ interest in Machado is “serious,” though he describes the interest of both the Dodgers and Brewers the same way (Twitter link). The Diamondbacks and Phillies, he adds, are still “keeping in touch” regarding Machado but don’t appear to be as aggressive as the others.

6:07pm: Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that Sheffield is not in the Yankees’ current offer for Machado (Twitter link).

5:53pm: The Yankees have made a “strong” offer for Manny Machado to the Orioles, tweets Fancred’s Jon Heyman. While he notes that he’s yet to receive indication that the Yankees are the favorites to land Machado, they very much look to be a serious player in the vast field of teams vying to acquire his services.

It’s not clear just what the Yankees have put forth, though earlier today, Jon Morosi of MLB.com reported that the Orioles would be willing to send Machado to the Bronx if the Yankees would be willing to part with top left-handed pitching prospect Justus Sheffield.

Exactly where Machado would line up with the Yankees isn’t clear at the moment. The left side of the infield has been a strength in the Bronx, with Miguel Andujar stepping up as a respectable contributor at the hot corner while Didi Gregorius enjoys a solid overall season himself (even if he’s slumped since a torrid April showing). Morosi has previously speculated that Andujar could be utilized as a piece in attempting to acquire a controllable arm for the rotation, though to this point there’s no indication that that sort of multi-layered scenario is at play. It also seems unlikely that the Yankees would send Andujar to the Orioles as part of a trade to acquire a few months of Machado.

That said, New York has slipped to 3.5 games back of the division lead in the AL East as the Red Sox have ridden an eight-game winning streak to one of their most comfortable leads in recent memory. With the Red Sox pulling away while also scouring the trade market for a significant boost to their bullpen, the Yankees could, in theory, feel that a proactive strike to upgrade the roster is prudent — even if the upgrade in question doesn’t serve to fill a glaring area of need.

Furthermore, it stands to reason that the Yankees are unlikely to be the only club to make a formal offer to the Orioles at this point. Machado has been widely known to be available for weeks, and trade talks surrounding him reportedly began to accelerate last week. As such, it’s likely that the Yankees’ offer is one of multiple packages being mulled over by the Baltimore front office at present.

Trade Chatter: Marlins, Yates, Brewers, Twins, Rays

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The Marlins are drawing interest in relievers Kyle Barraclough, Drew Steckenrider, Adam Conley and Brad Ziegler, writes Joe Frisaro of MLB.com, but president of baseball operations Michael Hill acknowledges that he’s placed a lofty price on the former three, each of whom has at least three years of control beyond 2018. “You’re talking about trading one-pluses and two-pluses [years of service time],” says Hill. “If I call and I’m trying to acquire a one-plus, or two-plus, I know it’s going to be costly. Our game is about maximizing value, and control of players.” Hill adds that despite the Marlins’ rebuild — or “build” as the organization is terming it — his goal is to win as often as possible. The Indians, Astros, Red Sox and Dodgers have all been previously linked to Miami’s bullpen.

Furthermore, Frisaro notes that while teams will inquire about catcher J.T. Realmuto in the coming weeks, the asking price remain extremely high. Realmuto may even be approached about a contract extension this offseason, per Frisaro, though that may be a tough sell after the Fish shipped out the Marlins’ entire core last offseason.

More trade rumblings from around the league…

  • Padres reliever Kirby Yates has emerged as a terrific setup option in San Diego, but ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick spoke to one scout who expressed doubts that the Padres would find someone willing to meet their asking price in a trade (Twitter link). “He’s been really good. But he’s not going to get the return they’re asking for, because he kind of came out of nowhere,” the scout said. “It’s hard to give up a pretty good prospect for a guy who’s had three good months.” Of course, it’s worth noting that Yates performed well for the Friars all through the 2017 season as well. However, he didn’t adopt the splitter that has become a wipeout pitch for him until the current season, which is likely the point to which that unnamed scout was alluding. Yates has a ridiculous 1.51 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 2.8 BB/9, 0.25 HR/9 and a 49.4 percent grounder rate in 35 2/3 innings this season. The 31-year-old can be controlled through 2020.
  • The Brewers have been in contact with the Twins about infielders Brian Dozier and Eduardo Escobar, tweets Jon Morosi of MLB.com. There’s no indication that talks are serious or have extended beyond preliminary stages, though the Milwaukee middle infield has been a weak point in 2018. Brewers second basemen entered play hitting a combined .248/.299/.376, while their shortstops have batted just .202/.255/.300. Milwaukee has been heavily linked to Manny Machado, of course, but either Minnesota slugger would represent a less expensive option — both in terms of prospect capital and salary. Reports have suggested that the Twins are open to selling off pieces, but the Twins have also won six of their past seven and play in a weak division.
  • To that end, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN chatted with Minnesota GM Thad Levine about the team’s deadline strategy (Twitter link, with video). Levine acknowledges that the Twins have received interest on numerous players, which he says is to be expected given the number of expiring contracts on the club. However, he doesn’t definitively state that the Twins will be active sellers on the market. If anything, the Twins may move some short-term pieces while also looking to acquire some big league players controllable beyond the current campaign. Levine concedes that “there’ll be opportunities for [the Twins] to make some deals.” Levine also notes, though, that trading pending free agents only creates new holes to fill. “We have numerous times to try to address some of those holes,” he says. “It’s now at this deadline, and it’s this offseason and it’s next Spring Training. We may try to do some of that across all three platforms so we don’t have to do all of our heavy lifting this offseason.”
  • Though the Rays have surprised and as of Tuesday sit four games over .500, they’re still buried in the AL East, and Peter Gammons of the Athletic tweets that their goal this month is to extract as much as they can in trades for Wilson Ramos, Nathan Eovaldi and Adeiny Hechavarria. Gammons notes that the Rays have also been getting inquiries on right-hander Matt Andriese, though, as teams scour the market for relief help. Andriese, 28, is controlled through 2021 and has a 3.63 ERA with 8.1 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.87 HR/9 and a 51 percent grounder rate. He’s capable of working both in the rotation and ’pen, as well, so teams likely have interest in him in a variety of roles.

Miguel Gonzalez Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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White Sox right-hander Miguel Gonzalez underwent right shoulder surgery and will require a recovery period of nine to 12 months, the team announced tonight. Per the announcement, doctors “performed a labral repair and debridement” on Gonzalez.

It’s a tough blow for the 34-year-old Gonzalez, who made just three starts and totaled just 12 1/3 innings in what is now an injury-ruined season. He’d performed nicely with the Sox in 45 starts from 2016-17, pitching to a 4.02 ERA with 6.0 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9 in 268 2/3 innings before being traded over to the Rangers at the end of August. Gonzalez’s time with Texas didn’t go well, and he ultimately returned to the ChiSox on a one-year pact this offseason.

Gonzalez now, in a best-case scenario, wouldn’t be ready until mid-April of 2019, though the operation could effectively wipe out the first half of the 2019 season for the veteran right-hander as well. He’ll likely generate some minor league offers if not over the winter than early in the ’19 season as teams look to add veteran depth options to their organizations. In 883 2/3 innings between the O’s, White Sox and Rangers, Gonzalez has a 4.06 ERA with 6.3 K/9 against 2.9 BB/9.

Garrett Richards’ MRI Reveals UCL Damage In Right Elbow

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The Angels announced tonight that an MRI performed on right-hander Garrett Richards has revealed damage to the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Unlike the case of Shohei Ohtani, the Angels added that Richards has already been presented with “both conservative care and surgical options to treat the injury.” Richards, it seems, is mulling those options. The Angels added that they’ll provide an update on his treatment plan “when appropriate.”

Richards, 30, exited last night’s start after three innings due to what was initially termed forearm irritation, though forearm issues are often a precursor to ligament damage in the elbow. He’s been in a similar spot in the past, having been diagnosed with a partial tear of the UCL in his right elbow back in 2016. At the time, however, he opted for stem-cell and platelet-rich plasma injections in addition to a long period of rest and rehab as a means of avoiding Tommy John surgery.

That proved effective in sparing him from Tommy John, but the rest and rehab program cost him most of the 2016 season. In 2017, he was sidelined by a biceps injury for most of the year and limited to 27 2/3 innings.

The extent of the damage to Richards’ elbow ligament wasn’t specified by the Angels’ announcement, but it’s of note that the club announced that Ohtani had a Grade 2 UCL strain, and GM Billy Eppler has persistently said that surgery has not been recommended by medical professionals. That the Angels immediately announced surgery to be an option for Richards, then, doesn’t paint an optimistic picture moving forward.

Regardless of whether he opts for surgery, this type of injury calls into question his availability for the remainder of the season at a time when the Angels can ill afford to lose one of their best arms. The Halos are 14 games out of first place in the AL West and 10 games behind the Mariners for a Wild Card spot after topping the M’s last night (despite Richards’ abbreviated start and injury). The loss of Richards makes it all the more improbable that the Halos will be able to surmount that deficit.

Furthermore, with Richards’ status as an impending free agent, he’d have been a logical and highly attractive trade chip had the Angels eventually decided to sell off pieces. The Halos won’t be fielding offers on Mike Trout anytime soon, so Richards would’ve been arguably their most appealing commodity to shop around to other teams. He’s pitched to a 3.66 ERA with 10.3 K/9, 4.0 BB/9, 1.3 HR/9 and a 49.3 percent ground-ball rate so far in 2018. That’s a moot point at this juncture, however, as the injury all but eliminates the possibility of him factoring into the trade market.

And from a personal standpoint, the injury to Richards is devastating for his future earning potential. While his lengthy injury history would’ve no doubt given teams pause on the open market even if he’d pitched a healthy season in 2018, a UCL injury at this stage of his career will torpedo perhaps his best chance at a sizable multi-year deal. It’s true that some pitchers — Drew Smyly  (Cubs) and Michael Pineda (Twins), for instance — have landed multi-year deals while recovering from Tommy John surgery, but those $10MM guarantees, which could be a best-case scenario, pale in comparison to what a healthier Richards would have earned in free agency.

Beyond all of that, the Angels will continue to face scrutiny for the rampant injury troubles that have permeated their rotation in recent seasons. In the last three years alone, the Angels have had Andrew Heaney, Tyler Skaggs, Nick Tropeano, J.C. Ramirez, Keynan Middleton, Blake Wood and John Lamb undergo Tommy John surgery, while others such as Alex Meyer, Nate Smith and Matt Shoemaker have gone under the knife for various other reasons.

Certainly not all of those injuries can be pinned on the Angels. Meyer’s shoulder troubles, for example, date back to his days with the Twins, while Lamb has had injuries of his own and was only briefly in the organization before requiring surgery. But the barrage of pitching injuries the Angels have faced in recent years if undoubtedly something that’ll prompt a deep dive from the front office as it seeks to determine if there’s something more than sheer coincidence and misfortune at play.

Mets Release Marcos Molina

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The Mets have released right-hander Marcos Molina in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for the previously announced selection of outfielder Matt den Dekker, tweets Tim Britton of The Athletic. He’d recently been placed on the disabled list in Double-A, which prevents the Mets from placing him on outright waivers or designating him. The organization could yet try to re-sign Molina to a new minor league pact to keep him in the organization while clearing some 40-man space; such moves are fairly common practice throughout the league.

Molina, 23, has battled arm injuries throughout his career, most notably missing the bulk of the 2015-16 seasons while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned with a solid effort in 2017, pitching to a 3.21 ERA with 7.3 K/9, 2.2 BB/9 and 0.5 HR/9 to go along with a 46 percent ground-ball rate through 106 2/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A.

Heading into the 2018 season, in fact, Molina ranked seventh among Mets farmhands, per Baseball America, and eighth per MLB.com. But he’s struggled through a disastrous year between Double-A and Triple-A, as opponents have hammered him for a combined 6.94 ERA (with the vast majority of that work coming at the lower of those two levels). Molina had never averaged higher than 2.4 BB/9 prior to the 2018 season, but he’s issuing 3.7 walks per nine frames in the minors in 2018 (15) than he had in his entire professional career combined prior to this season (13). There’s been no announcement as to exactly what injury had landed Molina on the DL, though his results are certainly indicative of a pitcher who hasn’t been fully healthy.

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