MLB Daily Roster Roundup: Davies, Donaldson, Ryu, Souza
ROSTER MOVES BY TEAM
(May 3rd)
NATIONAL LEAGUE
- ARIZONA DIAMONDBACKS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Steven Souza Jr.
- Souza played RF and batted 5th in his Diamondbacks debut.
- Optioned: 1B Christian Walker
- Activated from 10-Day DL: OF Steven Souza Jr.
- ATLANTA BRAVES | Depth Chart
- Acquisition: INF/OF Phil Gosselin (claimed off waivers from the Braves)
- Gosselin was optioned to Triple-A.
- Acquisition: INF/OF Phil Gosselin (claimed off waivers from the Braves)
- CINCINNATI REDS | Depth Chart
- Placed on Bereavement List: RP Amir Garrett
- Corresponding move will be made on Friday.
- Placed on Bereavement List: RP Amir Garrett
- LOS ANGELES DODGERS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Hyun-Jin Ryu (strained groin)
- Ryu is out through at least mid-July.
- Promoted: OF/INF Tim Locastro, RP Yimi Garcia
- Locastro played CF and batted 8th on Thursday.
- Optioned: INF/OF Breyvic Valera
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Hyun-Jin Ryu (strained groin)
- MIAMI MARLINS | Depth Chart
- Reinstated from Paternity List: RP Tyler Cloyd
- Optioned: SP/RP Dillon Peters
- MILWAUKEE BREWERS | Depth Chart
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Zach Davies (rotator cuff inflammation)
- With two upcoming off days, Davies is expected to miss only one start.
- Placed on 10-Day DL: SP Zach Davies (rotator cuff inflammation)
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AMERICAN LEAGUE
- CLEVELAND INDIANS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: SP Adam Plutko (26th man), Evan Marshall (contract purchased)
- Plutko started Game 2 of Thursday’s double-header
- Placed on 10-Day DL: RP Nick Goody (elbow inflammation)
- Goody pitched in Game 1 and was placed on the disabled list prior to Game 2.
- Transferred to 60-Day DL: SP Danny Salazar
- Promoted: SP Adam Plutko (26th man), Evan Marshall (contract purchased)
- KANSAS CITY ROYALS | Depth Chart
- Outrighted: RP Brandon Maurer
- LOS ANGELES ANGELS | Depth Chart
- Promoted: SP Jaime Barria
- Optioned: INF/OF Ryan Schimpf
- SEATTLE MARINERS | Depth Chart
- Released: OF Ichiro Suzuki
- Suzuki has been named Special Assistant to the Chairman. He will not play in 2018, but has not officially retired.
- Optioned: RP Erik Goeddel (contract purchased)
- Released: OF Ichiro Suzuki
- TEXAS RANGERS | Depth Chart
- Added to 25-man roster: C Carlos Perez (claimed off waivers from Braves on Wednesday)
- Promoted: RP Yohander Mendez
- Mendez is available out of the bullpen. He is a starting candidate if the Rangers return to a six-man rotation with Martin Perez on the disabled list.
- Designated for assignment: C Juan Centeno
- Optioned: RP Nick Gardewine
- TORONTO BLUE JAYS | Depth Chart
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 3B Josh Donaldson
- Donaldson hit 2nd in both games of Thursday’s double-header. He played 3B in Game 1 and DH in Game 2.
- Placed on Paternity List: 1B Justin Smoak
- Placed on 10-Day DL: INF/OF Steve Pearce (strained oblique)
- Pearce started at 1B in Game 1 and was placed on the disabled list prior to Game 2.
- Promoted: OF Dwight Smith Jr., SP Joe Biagini, RP Tim Mayza (26th man), RP Luis Santos (contract purchased)
- Smith played LF and batted 7th in Game 2.
- Biagini started Game 2.
- Optioned: RP Danny Barnes
- Barnes was optioned to Triple-A prior to Game 2.
- Designated for assignment: INF Gift Ngoepe
- Activated from 10-Day DL: 3B Josh Donaldson
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FUTURE EXPECTED MOVES
- ARZ: SP Kris Medlen will have his contract purchased from the minors on Friday May 4th, the team announced. Medlen will be making his first MLB start since May 2016 with the Royals.
- LAD: SP Walker Buehler will be recalled from the minors on Friday May 4th, according to J.P. Hoornstra of the Southern California News Group. SP Rich Hill will be activated from the 10-Day DL on Sunday May 6th, also according to Hoornstra.
Blue Jays Designate Gift Ngoepe, Place Steve Pearce On DL
As part of a series of roster moves, the Blue Jays have designated infielder Gift Ngoepe for assignment, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports (Twitter links). Toronto purchased the contract of righty Luis Santos, necessitating a 40-man spot, while fellow right-hander Joe Biagini is also being called up.
One of the active roster spots needed was opened by optioning righty reliever Danny Barnes. The other came free with the club placing utilityman Steve Pearce on the 10-day with a strained oblique.
Ngoepe, 28, was acquired from the over the winter. He has long been seen as a quality defender with a questionable bat, and he has not done much to dispel that perception with a dozen strikeouts in just 19 MLB plate appearances this year.
As for Santos, he re-joined the organization on a minors deal over the winter. The 27-year-old turned in solid results in his first taste of the majors last year and has gotten results thus far in 2018 at Triple-A. Santos has thrown 9 1/3 innings over five relief appearances this year at Buffalo, allowing just two earned runs on six hits — but with a less-than-promising 8:6 K/BB ratio.
The bad news here for the Jays is that they’ll have to go without Pearce for a stretch — the anticipated duration of which is not yet known. Propensity for injury has long been the knock on the 35-year-old, who has slashed a robust .270/.333/.492 through 69 plate appearances on the season to date.
Indians Select Contract Of Evan Marshall, Put Nick Goody On DL
The Indians have not wasted any time in moving righty Nick Goody to the 10-day DL after he exited tonight’s contest in obvious pain. As MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian tweets, Goody been diagnosed with elbow inflammation for the time being, but will undergo further testing.
To take his place on the active roster, the Indians will select the contract of right-hander Evan Marshall. That requires a 40-man spot, which has been created by shifting Danny Salazar to the 60-day DL.
The 26-year-old Goody had turned in a breakout 2017 season, working to a 2.80 ERA with 11.9 K/9 and 3.3 BB/9 over 54 2/3 innings. But he had stumbled a bit early this year, allowing seven earned runs on 13 hits (including three home runs) and five walks in 11 innings, over which he compiled 11 strikeouts.
Marshall, 28, has struggled badly in the majors ever since his strong 2014 debut campaign. Since that time, he has allowed 32 earned runs — with a 20:18 K/BB ratio — in 36 1/3 frames. That said, he’s also throwing the ball well at present at Triple-A, allowing just one earned run and issuing only a single free pass in his 10 2/3 innings.
The move on Salazar, meanwhile, is not terribly surprising given that he has yet to begin a rehab assignment. It’s not clear what kind of timeline he’s on at present in working back from shoulder problems, but it already seemed likely he’d miss at least the first two months of the season.
Rangers Designate Juan Centeno
The Rangers have designated catcher Juan Centeno for assignment, per a club announcement. His roster spot will go to just-claimed backstop Carlos Perez.
Texas had already cleared a 40-man spot when they claimed Perez, but needed a place on the active roster. The moves, taken together, create an additional opening on the 40-man.
Centeno, a 28-year-old who hits from the left side, has played at the MLB level with five different organizations over the past six years. In 353 career plate appearances at the game’s highest level, he’s a .227/.278/.331 hitter.
Royals Outright Brandon Maurer
The Royals have outrighted right-hander Brandon Maurer, per a club announcement. He’ll join the organization’s Triple-A affiliate.
Maurer, 27, looked to be an interesting buy-low piece when he was acquired last year in a multi-player swap. But things have not gone well for him since he landed in Kansas City.
Through 24 1/3 innings with the Royals, most of them coming down the stretch in 2017, Maurer owns an 8.88 ERA with 24 strikeouts and 14 free passes. He has continued to be bombed in his six Triple-A frames since being optioned earlier this season, recording an 8:1 K/BB ratio but coughing up 11 earned runs on 11 hits.
Yonny Chirinos Expected To Miss One Month; Nathan Eovaldi Progressing
Rays righty Yonny Chirinos is expected to be sidelined for about a month after a full examination of his elbow, per a report from Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Meanwhile, fellow right-hander Nathan Eovaldi appears to be making good progress from elbow surgery.
Chirinos had already been put on the 10-day DL; at the time of the placement, though, it was not clear how long he would miss. While it’s certainly sub-optimal for the Tampa Bay organization to lose him at all, Topkin writes that the Rays were left feeling fortunate with the prognosis.
Elbow issues for young pitchers obviously tend to set off alarm bells. In this case, though, the medical opinion is that Chirinos is not dealing with any “structural damage,” per the report. Still, it seems the club has charted a cautious course for the rookie hurler, who has impressed (3.71 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 3.0 BB/9) in his first 26 2/3 MLB innings.
The loss of Chirinos is balanced somewhat by the optimism on Eovaldi, who required work to address bone chips after nearly making it all the way back from Tommy John surgery. But he won’t be available right away, and the Rays would obviously prefer to be able to call upon both pitchers, particularly with the ballclub showing some life after a rough opening few weeks.
Eovaldi is aiming to make it back up to the majors after about three weeks of work on the minor-league mound, with a target of the Rays’ series against the Red Sox beginning May 22nd. He is already pumping upper-nineties heat, Topkin reports (Twitter links), and will begin a rehab assignment tomorrow. Eovaldi’s anticipated timeline reflects the fact that he needs to ramp fully back up after going down just before the start of the season.
Mets To Sign Cody Asche
The Mets have struck a minor-league deal with infielder/outfielder Cody Asche, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). He’ll head to Triple-A Las Vegas.
Asche, who spent camp with the Royals, landed with the Yankees via trade at the start of April. But he was released recently by the Yanks after a brutal start to the Triple-A season. Asche put up a .169/.258/.237 slash with 21 strikeouts in 66 trips to the plate with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
A veteran of five MLB campaigns, the former Phillies third baseman and outfielder appeared only briefly in the majors last year with the White Sox. He carries a lifetime .234/.293/.376 bating line in 1,349 trips tot he plate in the majors.
MLBTR Chat Transcript: Harvey, Phils, Cubs, More
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Braves Claim Phil Gosselin From Reds
The Braves announced this afternoon that they’ve claimed infielder Phil Gosselin off waivers from the Reds and assigned him to Triple-A Gwinnett. Atlanta had open space on its 40-man roster, so there’s no corresponding move necessary with Gosselin’s claim.
This will mark Gosselin’s second stint with the Atlanta organization, as the Braves were the club to initially select him out of the University of Virginia in the fifth round of the 2010 draft. Gosselin went on to make his Major League debut for the Braves three years later, and in parts of three seasons with Atlanta, he slashed .282/.321/.345 through 185 trips to the plate.
Since being traded to the Braves in the deal that saw Atlanta effectively purchase pitching prospect Touki Toussaint from the D-backs by absorbing the remainder of Bronson Arroyo‘s contract, Gosselin has spent time in Arizona, Pittsburgh, Texas and Cincinnati. All told, he’s a lifetime .263/.314/.361 hitter that’ll provide the Braves with some depth at second base, shortstop and third base while playing at the Triple-A level.
Ichiro Suzuki Moves To Front Office Role, Will Not Continue Playing In 2018
The Mariners announced today that future Hall of Famer Ichiro Suzuki has is moving to a front office role where he’ll serve as a special assistant to the chairman, effective immediately. While the Mariners’ release does not formally declare that Ichiro is retiring, the new role precludes him from returning to the active roster in 2018, per the team. The Mariners have selected the contract of right-handed reliever Erik Goeddel from Triple-A Tacoma to take Ichiro’s spot on the 40-man and 25-man rosters.
“We want to make sure we capture all of the value that Ichiro brings to this team off the field,” Marines general manager Jerry Dipoto said in a press release announcing the news. “This new role is a way to accomplish that. While it will evolve over time, the key is that Ichiro’s presence in our clubhouse and with our players and staff improves our opportunity to win games. That is our number-one priority and Ichiro’s number-one priority.”
The plan for the current season appears to be that Ichiro will remain with the MLB club, but will not be on the roster. As MLB.com’s Greg Johns explains things (in a tweet), Ichiro will “continue doing everything he’s doing now (taking BP, mentoring, working with teammates, advising, etc.),” but won’t be utilized in a playing capacity. But that’s not to say the arrangement will continue in that precise form past the current season.
Dipoto goes on to add that the Mariners hope to retain Ichiro in some capacity into the 2019 season and beyond, noting that the remainder of the current season will “inform the team and Ichiro on his best fit” with the organization moving forward. However, Ichiro’s agent, John Boggs, tells Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic that his client is not yet retiring as a player (Twitter link).
“He is not retiring,” says Boggs. “He’s taking on a different role for 2018, and 2019 has yet to evolve.” Asked by Rosenthal if Ichiro could potentially return to make an appearance next year, when the Mariners and A’s will kick off the 2019 season in Tokyo, Boggs replied: “There is always that possibility. … The future has yet to be determined.”
Though Ichiro clearly remains open to continuing his playing career, it nonetheless seems possible that this could mark the end of the road for one of the game’s most beloved figures. The 44-year-old debuted with the Mariners back in 2001 and promptly won both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors, kickstarting what will unequivocally go down as one of the greatest careers of this generation or any other. In parts of 18 Major League seasons, Ichiro batted .311/.355/.402 with a whopping 3,089 hits, including 362 doubles, 96 triples and 117 home runs. He went 509-for-626 in career stolen-base attempts (81.3 percent success), scored 1420 runs and 780 RBIs despite roughly 80 percent of his MLB plate appearances coming out of the leadoff spot.
That, of course, only covers Ichiro’s career in North America. Prior to coming to the United States, Ichiro had already achieved legendary status in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, where he debuted as an 18-year-old and went on to spend nine seasons starring for the Orix Blue Wave. Ichiro batted .353/.421/.522 in 4098 NPB plate appearances, tallying 1278 hits in establishing himself as one of the most gifted players on the planet and a generational talent that is nearly peerless.
Ichiro’s accolades are virtually limitless. Before even coming to Major League Baseball, he’d racked up seven NPB All-Star appearances, three Pacific League MVP Awards, seven Pacific League batting titles and seven Gold Glove Awards. His achievements in MLB closely mirror that mountain of hardware, as in addition to Rookie of the Year and MVP honors in 2001, Ichiro made 10 MLB All-Star Games, won 10 Gold Gloves, collected three Silver Slugger Awards and won a pair of American League batting titles as well.
Ultimately, while the 2018 season may not have been as productive as either team or player would’ve hoped, it’s still all too fitting that Ichiro received an opportunity to once again don a Mariners jersey and to receive a hero’s welcome upon being introduced at Safeco Field on Opening Day. And whether Ichiro plays another game in MLB or NPB again — he did have interest from multiple Japanese clubs this offseason — he’s already ensured that Hall of Fame enshrinement awaits him on two different continents.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.