Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Edward Olivares

Injury Notes: Olivares, Greene, Wheeler

By | at

The Royals announced today that outfielder Edward Olivares was reinstated from the 60-day injured list, with first baseman Nick Pratto getting optioned in a corresponding move. Olivares went on the IL in mid-July due to a left quad strain. The club already had a vacancy on its 40-man roster, meaning no corresponding move was required in that department.

The injury was ill-timed for Olivares, 26, as he seemed on the verge of a breakout prior to that. In 36 games this year, he’s hit .303/.358/.434 for a 125 wRC+. With just over two weeks remaining until the offseason, he will try to get back into a groove and go into the winter with a strong finish. He’ll jump into the outfield mix with Michael A. Taylor, Drew Waters, Kyle Isbel, Hunter Dozier and Nate Eaton, with catcher MJ Melendez occasionally heading onto the grass as well.

Other injury updates from around the league…

  • The Reds announced that right-hander Hunter Greene was reinstated from the 15-day injured list. He is slated to start the second game of today’s doubleheader. Fellow righty Raynel Espinal was optioned in a corresponding move, while righty Kyle Dowdy is serving as the “29th man” for the twin bill. One of the top prospects in the game coming into this year, Greene hasn’t exactly been dominant in his MLB debut. He has a 5.26 ERA through his first 102 2/3 innings in the big leagues, though with a very strong 28.8% strikeout rate. Since the Reds have traded away established pitchers like Sonny Gray, Luis Castillo and Tyler Mahle this year, they will need the prospects to step up and form the core of the next rotation. It’s possible there’s already a decent nucleus in place, with Greene, Nick Lodolo and Graham Ashcraft all showing some signs of promise this year.
  • The Phillies have been without Zack Wheeler for almost a month but he could return this week without a rehab assignment, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The tentative plan is for the righty to start Wednesday’s game against the Blue Jays, though probably not for very long. His most recent work was throwing two innings in a simulated game, which he will be gradually building on over the final two weeks of the regular season. As Gelb notes, Wheeler could potentially be lined up to start the first game of the Wild Card playoff round, but the Phils will have to make it there first. The club is in decent position to make the postseason since they are currently in possession of the second of three NL Wild Card spots, 1.5 games ahead of the Padres and 3 ahead of the Brewers. Getting Wheeler back will be tremendously helpful, assuming he doesn’t have any rust from his absence. Through 138 innings on the season, he has a 3.07 ERA, 26.7% strikeout rate, 5.9% walk rate and 44.1% ground ball rate.

Royals Select Nate Eaton

By | at

The Royals have selected Nate Eaton onto the big league roster, per a club announcement. Maikel García was optioned to Triple-A Omaha to open an active roster spot, while the team transferred outfielder Edward Olivares from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to create a spot on the 40-man roster.

Eaton is up for the second time this season, although this promotion should be more lasting than his previous stint. The 25-year-old was called up as one of a swath of virus substitutes during the Royals road series in Toronto. He collected two hits (including his first MLB home run) in 12 at-bats. As a designated substitute, he was returned to the minors without occupying a 40-man roster spot at the end of the series.

This time, Eaton’s promotion involves the more typical contract selection. He’d now have to pass through waivers for Kansas City to remove him from the 40-man, although it’s likely the retooling club will give him a decent leash for the stretch run. The former 21st-rounder is having a breakout year in the upper minors. He started the season relatively slowly, hitting .271/.331/.400 through 37 games at Double-A Northwest Arkansas. He nevertheless received a bump to Triple-A Omaha at the end of May, and he’s taken to the minors highest level well. Through 209 plate appearances there, Eaton is hitting .303/.373/.524 with nine home runs and stolen bases apiece.

Eaton would’ve been eligible for the Rule 5 draft this winter, and Kansas City will give him a 40-man spot a couple months early to get a look at him down the stretch. He’s played primarily third base and right field in the minors, with brief stints in left and center field. That bit of defensive flexibility should give manager Mike Matheny a few possibilities to get his bat into the lineup.

Olivares just landed on the IL a few weeks ago with a left quad strain. It’s evidently a severe injury, as the Royals rather quickly ruled him out for a couple months. He’ll be eligible to return 60 days from the time of his original placement on July 22, but even a best-case scenario would see him log around more weeks of action this year. The righty-hitting outfielder has had a nice showing in 36 games this season, hitting .303/.358/.434 with a trio of longballs.

Injured List Returns: Hoerner, Benintendi, Villar, Snell

By | at

The Cubs activated Nico Hoerner off the 10-day injured list prior to today’s 3-2 loss to the Reds, with infielder Sergio Alcantara optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.  Hoerner has been out of action since May 26 due to a left hamstring strain, and that was after already missing time earlier in May with a left forearm strain.  Since Hoerner wasn’t called up from the alternate training site until April 22, today marked only the 22nd game of the season for the former top prospect.

Hoerner only showed flashes of his promise during the 2019-20 seasons, but was off to a strong start this year, hitting .338/.405/.432 in his first 84 plate appearances of the 2021 campaign.  The Cubs are desperate for any sort of reinforcements, as a nine-game losing streak has sent them spiraling down the NL Central standings and down to an even 42-42 record.

More on some notable names returning to action today…

  • Andrew Benintendi was activated off the Royals’ 10-day IL prior to the team’s 6-2 loss to the Twins.  A right rib fracture sent Benintendi to the IL on June 14, and the relatively quick return is a particularly good sign considering that rib injuries essentially ruined the outfielder’s 2020 season.  Benintendi had done a good job of bouncing back from that down year, hitting .283/.340/.429 with eight home runs over 241 plate appearances.  The Royals optioned Edward Olivares to Triple-A to make room for Benintendi’s activation.
  • In between games of their doubleheader with the Yankees, the Mets activated infielder Jonathan Villar off the 10-day IL, with outfielder Albert Almora Jr. going down to Triple-A.  Villar had a retroactive placement of June 22 with a right calf strain, so he’ll miss only slightly beyond the 10-day minimum.  Amidst multiple injuries within the Mets’ infield this season, Villar has ended up being a major contributor, hitting .246/.333/.410 with six homers in 208 PA while seeing the bulk of action as New York’s starting third baseman.
  • Blake Snell tossed four shutout innings in the Padres’ 11-1 rout of the Phillies today, as Snell was activated off the injured list in time for the start.  Snell was technically placed on the COVID-related IL while battling a case of food poisoning, which is why he was able to be activated today despite landing on the injured list on June 30.  (Snell tested negative for COVID-19.)  While Snell has a 4.99 ERA for the season, he has now tossed nine scoreless innings over his last two outings, hinting at a potential turnaround for the lefty’s first season in San Diego.  Right-hander Mason Thompson was optioned to Triple-A to create roster space for Snell.

Royals Place Andrew Benintendi On 10-Day Injured List

By | at

The Royals have placed outfielder Andrew Benintendi on the 10-day injured list due to a right rib injury, manager Mike Matheny told reporters (including MLB.com’s Anne Rogers).  Outfielder Edward Olivares is being called up to take Benintendi’s 26-man roster spot.

The specific injury occurred during a throw Benintendi made during yesterday’s 6-3 Royals loss to the Athletics, though Matheny said Benintendi has “felt something for a bit” beforehand.  This could potentially indicate a longer stay than just 10 days on the IL for the outfielder, especially since a broken rib led to an early shutdown of Benintendi’s 2020 season with the Red Sox.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for both Benintendi and the Royals, as the 26-year-old is in the midst of a quality bounce-back season.  Benintendi has hit .283/.340/.429 over 241 plate appearances for Kansas City, good for a 110 OPS+ and 112 wRC+.  After a slow start over the first three weeks, Benintendi has posted an .880 OPS over his last 174 PA.

Kansas City acquired Benintendi as part of a three-team trade with the Red Sox and Mets in February, with the Royals ultimately parting ways with Franchy Cordero, Khalil Lee, and minor league righties Grant Gambrell and Luis De La Rosa in their share of the deal.  It was one of multiple aggressive moves by the Royals front office to make the team more competitive, though the club is now 30-34 after an early surge in April.  While K.C. plans on becoming full-fledged contenders as soon as 2022, Benintendi’s injury (depending on how long he’s sidelined) might point the club towards selling at this year’s trade deadline.

With Benintendi out of action, Olivares might get the chance at an extended look at the big league level.  Acquired from the Padres in the Trevor Rosenthal trade last August, Olivares hasn’t hit much in 120 PA in the majors, but he has been shredding Triple-A pitching this season (a .370/.452/.610 slash line and six homers over 115 PA).

Royals Designate Randy Rosario For Assignment, Promote Edward Olivares

By | at

The Royals have designated left-hander Randy Rosario for assignment in order to open a spot on the active roster for outfielder Edward Olivares, who has been recalled from the alternate training site and will start tonight’s game in center field, manager Mike Matheny announced to reporters (Twitter link via Alec Lewis of The Athletic). Olivares was acquired in the trade that sent closer Trevor Rosenthal to the Padres.

Rosario, 26, was a somewhat promising bullpen prospect as he rose through the Twins’ system several years back, posting quality numbers in the upper minors before getting hit hard in a brief debut look in 2017. The new Minnesota front office took him off the 40-man roster, and upon landing with the Cubs, Rosario turned in a 3.66 ERA in 46 2/3 frames of work as a rookie in 2018. However, his 30-to-22 K/BB ratio in that time didn’t inspire much confidence, and Rosario has indeed been hit hard in subsequent seasons. Dating back to 2019, he has a 5.09 ERA in just 17 2/3 innings.

The Royals had spoken favorably of the hard-throwing Rosenthal, with GM Dayton Moore expressing a desire to keep him long-term, but the addition of Olivares to the Padres’ offer likely made it too tempting to overlook. The 24-year-old got out to a poor .176/.224/.294 start in his debut season this year, but that ugly line came in a tiny sample of just 36 plate appearances.

The overall body of work for Olivares in the minors is much more favorable, highlighted by a .283/.349/.453 showing in the Double-A Texas League last year. That production may not appear especially potent at first glance, but it was 23 percent better than that of a league-average hitter in an extremely pitcher-friendly environment, per wRC+, and Olivares adds plenty of value on the bases and in the field as well.

Beyond the 18 homers on which he connected last year, Olivares collected 25 doubles and a pair of triples while going 35-for-45 in stolen base attempts. Olivares has fanned in a relatively low 17.6 percent of his career minor league plate appearances and is considered an average or better outfielder capable of playing all three spots. At the very least, he seems capable of stepping in as a quality fourth outfielder, but the rebuilding Royals will likely give him ample opportunity to seize an everyday spot in their outfield moving forward.

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows FOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top