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Yankees Activate Corey Kluber, Transfer Zack Britton To 60-Day Injured List

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AUGUST 30, 6:22 pm: Britton is likely to undergo a procedure to remove bone chips from his elbow, reports Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (Twitter link).

AUGUST 30, 6:10 pm: Kluber has officially been reinstated from the 60-day IL, the team announced. Right-hander Albert Abreu was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last night to open an active roster spot. To create space on the 40-man roster, New York transferred reliever Zack Britton from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list.

Britton just landed on the 10-day IL on August 23. Today’s transfer rules him out for sixty days from that date — in all likelihood marking an end to his season. That’s a disappointing but not entirely surprising development, as Britton has been dealing with an elbow sprain that might require surgical repair.

AUGUST 26: The Yankees are planning to activate Corey Kluber in time to start Monday’s game. Luis Severino has also been cleared to begin throwing again, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com (Twitter links).

Getting Kluber back for the stretch run would be a significant boon for a Yankees team that’s definitively trending upward. There will be a ripple effect in the rotation, however. For the short term, Andrew Heaney will likely piggyback with Kluber’s start, adds The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler. The pairing should benefit both hurlers as Kluber works himself up to full speed and Heaney attempts to re-calibrate after a difficult start to his Yankee career.

Kluber has been out since May 26th, but he posted a solid 10 starts prior to going down — most notably, of course, the no-hitter he threw against his former team, the Rangers, on May 19th. Kluber would start just one more game after that effort in Texas, however.

Hoch provided an update on another injured Yankee: Gleyber Torres will look to begin a rehab assignment shortly. The hope is that he could be ready to re-join the team at the start of their home stand on September 3rd.

Injury Notes: Realmuto, Torres, Bieber

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J.T. Realmuto is day-to-day with left ankle soreness after the Phillies star made an early exit from today’s 7-4 win over the Diamondbacks.  Phillies manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury) that Realmuto hurt his ankle during a fifth inning at-bat, which forced Realmuto be replaced in the field to begin the sixth inning.

The Phils can only hope that Realmuto’s injury isn’t too serious, as the All-Star is perhaps the indispensable member of the roster.  Though Realmuto has been ticketed for most time at first base, he is still the team’s primary catcher, and his absence will further test a position already thinned by the absence of Andrew Knapp (positive COVID-19 test).  Rafael Marchan is the only other available backstop, and the Phillies would have to create a 40-man roster spot to add the contract of Tyler Heineman from Triple-A.

More injury updates from around baseball…

  • The Yankees announced that Gleyber Torres will begin a minor league rehab assignment today at Double-A Somerset.  A left thumb sprain sent Torres to the 10-day injured list on August 9.  Assuming no setbacks, New York manager Aaron Boone told ESPN’s Marly Rivera and other reporters that the hope is Torres can be activated when the Yankees begin a home series with the Orioles on Friday.  While Torres has been hitting well since the All-Star break, his overall numbers haven’t been very impressive this year, with a .253/.328/.351 slash line and six home runs over 407 plate appearances.
  • Shane Bieber threw a 36-pitch, up-and-down bullpen session on Friday, Indians pitching coach Carl Willis told The Akron Beacon Journal’s Ryan Lewis and other reporters.  Bieber tossed another bullpen earlier this week and is in line for one more on Tuesday, and a simulated game could be the next step in Bieber’s rehab.  The ace has been on the injured list since June 14 due to a shoulder strain, and while there is still a ways to go in Bieber’s recovery, he seems to be on pace to return to the mound before the season is through.

Yankees Activate Gio Urshela

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The Yankees activated third baseman Gio Urshela for tonight’s ballgame. Urshela joins the surging Yankees in the midst of an 11-game winning streak. Though the Yanks couldn’t be trending much better right now, Urshela does have the potential to be an impactful addition for the stretch run.

Urshela should slot right back into his regular role at third base, pushing Rougned Odor to a bench role for which he’s probably better suited. Give Odor his due, however, as he’s put up 1.0 WAR as a Yankee by measure of baseball-reference’s or Fangraphs’ WAR.

That value has largely come from his glovework at the hot corner. Odor has logged 2.0 DRS/1.3 UZR over 169 innings while providing decent pop in the form of .194 ISO. Urshela is still probably the preferred gloveman at third, but Odor’s performance could allow manager Aaron Boone to continue using Urshela at shortstop on occasion — as he had done before Urshela’s latest injury. A hamstring strain has kept Urshela out of action for almost a month now, however, so Boone could choose a more conservative approach to ease Ushela back into regular gameplay.

In terms of the logistics, Jonathan Davis was optioned back to Triple-A yesterday to make room on the active roster. Brody Koerner was outrighted to Triple-A today as well. Koerner, 27, had made just two appearances with the big league club this season.

Yankees Place Gleyber Torres On Injured List

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5:12 pm: The Yankees were relieved by the MRI results on Torres, according to Boone, who estimates the shortstop could be back within 10-20 days (via Marly Rivera of ESPN). Urshela, though, suffered some form of setback that’ll push back his expected return date for at least a few days (relays Lindsey Adler of the Athletic).

3:15 pm: The Yankees announced they’re placing shortstop Gleyber Torres on the 10-day injured list with a left thumb sprain. Utilityman Andrew Velazquez has been selected to the roster in a corresponding move.

Torres suffered the injury diving into the second base bag during the fourth inning of yesterday’s game against the Mariners. He stayed in for a few frames before being removed for a defensive replacement in the top of the ninth. Torres was sent for an MRI after the game, with manager Aaron Boone acknowledging the team had some concern it was a noteworthy issue. There’s no indication at this point that Torres will have to miss anything beyond the ten day minimum, but the injury is apparently severe enough for the organization to shut him down for the next week-plus.

It comes at an unfortunate time for Torres, who had heated up at the plate over the past couple weeks after a subpar first half. Altogether, the 24-year-old has a .253/.328/.351 mark with six home runs across 407 plate appearances this season. Torres’ power production has largely evaporated over the past couple years, but he’d shown signs of life coming out of the All-Star Break. Torres has popped three home runs and hit .300/.337/.500 over his past 90 plate appearances.

With Torres landing on the IL, the Yankees rather incredibly have twenty players on the injured list at the moment. A few of those players figure to return in the coming days after testing positive for COVID-19, but New York will have to make due for now without lineup regulars such as Torres, Gio Urshela, Gary Sánchez and Anthony Rizzo — as well as key starters Gerrit Cole and Jordan Montgomery. It’s particularly poor fortune for a Yankee club 2.5 games back of the Red Sox for the American League’s final playoff spot.

Torres, Urshela and Tyler Wade are the only players to see action at shortstop for the Yankees this season. It now seems Wade and the switch-hitting Velazquez could cover the position. Velazquez, signed to a minor league deal over the offseason, has a .156/.257/.219 line in 113 big league plate appearances between 2018-20. He’s had a very strong season at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, though, slashing .283/.367/.471 while logging significant action at each of shortstop, second and third base.

Gleyber Torres To Receive MRI On Left Thumb

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Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres injured his left thumb during today’s 2-0 loss to the Mariners, and manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Lindsey Adler) that Torres will receive an MRI to determine the extent of the problem.  For now, Boone indicated there is some concern that Torres has suffered a notable injury.

Torres hurt his thumb in the fourth inning while making a headfirst slide on a steal of second base.  Trainers checked on Torres but he remained on the field for most of the game, even hitting a single in his next plate appearance.  Torres kept playing until the top of the ninth, when Tyler Wade replaced him at shortstop.

Even with today’s 3-for-4 performance, Torres is still hitting only .253/.328/.351 over 407 plate appearances, representing below-average offensive production (92 wRC+).  That slash line does include an improved .833 OPS over his 82 PA prior to today’s game, however, so an injury just when Torres has been starting to heat up would be particularly inopportune.

Besides Torres and the injured Gio Urshela, Wade is the only other player who has seen time at shortstop for the Yankees this season.  Wade can cover the position if Torres only needs a game or two off, but a potential trip to the injured list for Torres would further test the depth of a New York club that has already been drastically shorthanded due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

AL Injury Notes: Gleyber, Boyd, Turnbull, White

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Gleyber Torres made an early exit from tonight’s game due to what the Yankees described as stiffness in his left lower back.  The shortstop will receive further examination tomorrow, when the Yankees return to the Bronx to open a three-game series with the Athletics.  Torres took an awkward fall while fielding a Bo Bichette grounder in the third inning, and was replaced for a pinch-hitter in the top half of the fourth.

Torres has hit .260/.342/.344 over 244 plate appearances this season, working his way back up to close to league-average production (96 wRC+) after a rough April, and also a week-long absence in May due to a positive COVID-19 test.  He also has a +3.7 UZR/150 and -2 Defensive Runs Saved over 505 2/3 innings at shortstop, a significant improvement with the glove after his shortstop defense has been such a point of criticism.  If Torres’ back problem is serious enough to merit a visit to the injured list, Tyler Wade or Gio Urshela are the likely choices to step in at shortstop, with DJ LeMahieu or Miguel Andujar capable of stepping in at third base if Urshela changes positions.

More on other injury situations from around the American League…

  • Matt Boyd will visit Dr. Neal ElAttrache for an examination of the Tigers southpaw’s ailing left arm, manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including Chris McCosky of The Detroit News).  More will be known once the exam takes place, though the team is already considering holding Boyd and Spencer Turnbull back until after the All-Star break.  “Are we going to push these guys before the All-Star break versus utilizing the time (the four-day break) and targeting them back after the break?  That’s the assessment that’s going to be done over the next couple of weeks on how we’re going to ramp these guys back up,” Hinch said.  A forearm strain sent Turnbull to the IL on June 5, and while his injury wasn’t though to be overly serious, naturally the Tigers will be cautious with any forearm issue.  Boyd — and perhaps Turnbull as well — figure to be trade chips for Detroit at the deadline, so while the team would surely want both hurlers to prove they’re healthy prior to July 30, there is no point in rushing them back and risking further injury.
  • After missing a month due to strained left hip flexor, Mariners first baseman Evan White has halted his rehab due to a setback.  (Jen Mueller of Root Sports was among those to report the news.)  While White could potentially return to Triple-A Tacoma within a week, it represents another delay in his sophomore season.  Though White won the Gold Glove for his excellent first base defense in 2020, he has yet to hit at the big league level, with only a .165/.235/.308 slash line in 306 career plate appearances in the majors.

Yankees Reinstate Gleyber Torres From Injured List

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Before this evening’s game against the Rangers, the Yankees announced they reinstated shortstop Gleyber Torres from the injured list. Torres is in the starting lineup tonight, hitting fifth. To create active roster space, fellow infielder Rougned Odor was placed on the paternity list.

Torres has been out of action since May 11 after testing positive for COVID-19. The 24-year-old had previously been fully vaccinated and was fortunately said to be asymptomatic. He’ll now look to turn around his season line, which currently sits at .240/.331/.304 across 142 plate appearances. It’s the second consecutive year in which Torres has reached base a fair amount but not hit for power, a surprising development after he slugged .535 and popped 38 homers during his age-22 season in 2019.

Odor had just returned from an IL stint himself- in his case, due to a left knee sprain. The 27-year-old has just a .182/.280/.379 line over his first 75 plate appearances in the Bronx. Nevertheless, the Yankees have been intrigued enough by Odor to give him 19 starts at second base, and he figures to get some more work at the position when he returns. Players on the paternity list can miss between one and three games.

Gleyber Torres Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres has tested positive for COVID-19, Lindsey Adler of The Athletic was among those to report. The Yankees placed Torres on the COVID-19 injured list as a result, and they recalled infielder/outfielder Miguel Andujar to fill his roster spot.

“He was fully vaccinated and previously had COVID-19 during the most recent baseball offseason,” the team said of Torres.

Torres is the eighth member of the Yankees’ traveling party to test positive this week, joining coaches Phil Nevin, Reggie Willits, Matt Blake and four non-coaches on their staff.

Quick Hits: Sanchez, Correa, Torres

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Anibal Sanchez continues to prepare himself for the 2021 season. This upcoming Saturday in Miami, he will throw a bullpen session for a few teams, per Jon Heyman of the MLB Network (via Twitter). The Phillies were linked to Sanchez this winter, while the Nationals have more recently expressed an interest in bringing the 37-year-old back to DC for a third season. Given the level of comfort between the two sides, the Nats certainly make for a logical match. Their need is clear enough with Patrick Corbin and Jon Lester on the injured list as part of the COVID-19 protocols. The team has not revealed whether either player tested positive or if they are currently out because of contact tracing protocols. Either way, the organization lacks rotation depth. It’s worth mentioning that one of the reasons that Sanchez didn’t sign one of the Major League offers he received this winter was because of concern about COVID, however. Even so, given the need for pitching around the game and Sanchez’s 15-year career as a Major League starter, a signing shortly after Saturday’s bullpen certainly seems on the table. Let’s check in elsewhere around the game…

  • There are few issues more central to the Astros’ future than Carlos Correa’s impending free agency. The Athletic’s Jake Kaplan addresses some of the complexities facing the Astros’ future at short. If Correa were to leave in free agency, prospect Jeremy Pena “is an excellent defender and he’s improved enough offensively in the last two years that he has everyday player potential,” writes Kaplan. Pena has not yet appeared above High-A, so his performance this season will provide a key data point. Given the plethora of shortstops about to hit the open market, however, the Astros could considering trying to snag one of them as a one-year stopgap as the Twins did this winter with Andrelton Simmons and the Blue Jays did with Marcus Semien. Banking on one of those players being available at that price point is risky, however. Still, now that Francisco Lindor has tied his long-term future to the Mets, there may be even more uncertainty for those shortstops behind him in the pecking order. To dig in further, definitely check out Kaplan’s full piece here.
  • Thinking about that future shortstop market, one has to wonder if the Yankees might be a prime player in next year’s shortstop market. Questions persist about Gleyber Torres’ ability to stick defensively at shortstop, per Ken Davidoff of the New York Post. The Yankees chose to bring back DJ LeMahieu this winter, thereby blocking Torres’ most natural position and locking him into shortstop. That said, there are always ways to re-assemble a roster, especially with a player as malleable as LeMahieu. Still, keep an eye on the 24-year-old Torres this season. If he’s not able to pick up his defensive play, the Yankees might find themselves in a position to exploit a robust shortstop market next winter.

Reds Rumors: Torres, Gregorius, Castillo

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Shortstop stands out as an area of need for the Reds at the moment, and owner Bob Castellini has indeed pushed the front office to address it this offseason, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports. The Reds even asked the Yankees for shortstop Gleyber Torres and then some in talks centering on right-hander Luis Castillo, but New York turned Cincinnati down, according to Jon Heyman of MLB Network.

Cincy’s shortstop reps primarily went to Freddy Galvis and Jose Garcia in 2020, but the team can’t count on either as its solution in 2021. Galvis is a free agent, after all, while the 22-year-old Garcia may not be ready for prime time just yet. Garcia hadn’t advanced past High-A ball before the Reds promoted him last year, when he batted .194/.206/.194 without a home run in 68 plate appearances. He also notched far more strikeouts than walks (26 to one), and his 3 wRC+ ranked second to last among 388 major leaguers who amassed at least 60 trips to the plate.

Garcia’s first-year struggles seemingly set the stage for the Reds to at least find a veteran stopgap at short, though it’s unclear how aggressive they’ll be during what has so far been a payroll-cutting offseason in which they’ve already said goodbye to the likes of Raisel Iglesias and Archie Bradley. Moreover, several of their notable players – Castillo, Sonny Gray, Mike Moustakas, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez among them – have come up in trade speculation, while reigning Cy Young winner Trevor Bauer is a free agent who seems likely to sign with another team before next season.

The good news for the Reds is that this offseason’s free-agent class features a few proven starting shortstops, with Galvis, ex-Red Didi Gregorius, Marcus Semien and Andrelton Simmons leading the charge. Gregorius is a possibility for the team at this point, Rosenthal relays. Reuniting with Gregorius would be a significant move in an NL Central division whose teams have made more notable subtractions than additions this offseason. As of now, aside from the last-place Pirates, it seems like just about anyone’s division to win.

Castillo, meanwhile, will “very likely” remain a Red, Heyman writes. There’s no reason for the Reds to part with Castillo for anything but an enormous offer, as he’ll make just $4.2MM in 2021 and has two more years of team control remaining after that.

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