Michael Brantley

Astros Acquire Spenser Watkins From Orioles

By Anthony Franco | June 23, 2023 at 4:40pm CDT

The Astros announced this afternoon they’ve acquired righty Spenser Watkins from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Baltimore receives cash in return. Houston also selected outfielder Bligh Madris onto the big league roster, as previously reported. In order to create 40-man roster space, they transferred Michael Brantley and José Urquidy to the 60-day injured list.

Watkins has had a tough year in Triple-A. He’s started six of eight games and worked to a 7.27 ERA through 26 innings. The former 30th-round pick has a modest 15.7% strikeout percentage and has walked a lofty 13.4% of opponents. Watkins has kept the ball on the ground at a massive 55.3% clip, but the strikeout and walk numbers and overall ERA pushed him off Baltimore’s 40-man roster on Tuesday.

The Astros will take a change of scenery flier to add some experienced rotation depth to the upper minors. Injuries to Lance McCullers Jr., Luis Garcia and Urquidy have pushed depth arms J.P. France and Ronel Blanco into the rotation. Brandon Bielak and Bryan Garcia are the most experienced Triple-A starters, so Watkins is a sensible acquisition.

Now 30, Watkins has appeared in two big league seasons with the O’s. He’s made 30 starts in 39 outings, posting a 5.85 ERA across 160 frames. Watkins hasn’t missed many bats, but he’d walked just under 7% of opponents at the MLB level. He had a quality 6.1% walk percentage in Triple-A last season.

His control has been erratic this season, but his broader track record is that of a strike-throwing depth arm. This is Watkins’ final minor league option year; the Astros can keep him in Triple-A for the rest of the season but would have to carry him on next year’s Opening Day roster if he holds his 40-man spot until then.

Brantley’s and Urquidy’s IL moves are procedural transactions. Brantley has already been on the IL for well past 60 days as he works back from last summer’s shoulder surgery. Urquidy landed on the shelf on May 1 with discomfort in his throwing shoulder. He’s not expected to return until next month.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Astros’ acquisition of Watkins.

Yordan Alvarez Out At Least Four Weeks

By Steve Adams | June 14, 2023 at 11:29am CDT

Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez is likely to miss at least four weeks of action with his current oblique strain, general manager Dana Brown said in this morning’s appearance on the Sean Salisbury Show on SportsTalk 790 AM (audio link).

“It’s going to take at least two weeks for us to get a feel for how it’s healing,” said Brown. “You take those two weeks and then another week to figure out when he starts to have some activity, and OK, how’s his body responding? That’s three weeks right there. You’re looking at, once he’s starting to swing a bat, maybe it’s four weeks or so.”

Brown went on to note that the Astros will be cautious with Alvarez’s return, as they want to avoid a scenario where he rushes back and quickly requires another IL stint and an additional four weeks away from the lineup. Brown declined to put a specific timeline on the return, noting that the team won’t know exactly how quickly Alvarez can return until they see how his body responds to the current shutdown.

There’s no replacing a hitter of Alvarez’s caliber in any team’s lineup. The 25-year-old slugger is on the short list of MLB’s best hitters, batting .277/.388/.589 with 17 home runs this season and .293/.384/.590 with 115 home runs in just 1779 career plate appearances (an average of nearly 44 homers per 162 games played). The Astros currently rank 15th in the Majors both in runs scored (304) and in home runs (76). They’re hitting .246/.316/.401 as a team.

Brown also indicated that Michael Brantley is running, throwing and hitting without any pain at the moment. The 36-year-old veteran can’t replicate Alvarez’s production but could help soften the blow if he’s able to return from the injured list before Alvarez. Brantley hasn’t suited up for the Astros yet in 2023 as he continues to rehab from last year’s shoulder surgery, but he hit .288/.370/.416 with Houston last year and is a .306/.368/.464 hitter in his four prior seasons with the team.

AL Notes: Astros, Fleming, Hendriks, Rucinski

By Nick Deeds | June 11, 2023 at 1:20pm CDT

In a radio appearance today, Astros GM Dana Brown provided updates on the club’s pair of injured, lefty-swinging outfielders, as relayed by Chandler Rome of The Athletic and Mark Berman of Fox 26. Brown notes that there’s currently no timetable for the return of slugger Yordan Alvarez to Houston’s lineup, and that one isn’t expected to crystalize in the coming days, with the GM suggesting that it will take “at least a week” for the club to have confidence in a timetable for Alvarez. Any missed time for Alvarez is a severe blow to the Astros, as the slugger has posted another phenomenal season so far in 2023, slashing .277/.388/.589 in 57 games before hitting the injured list with what has been described as “right oblique discomfort.”

In more optimistic news, Brown notes that veteran outfielder Michael Brantley is making good progress in his rehab from shoulder inflammation after he was shut down last month. Brantley has yet to appear in a game this season after undergoing shoulder surgery last summer, but Brown notes that the veteran is playing catch and taking pain-free swings in the batting cage. While the update is certainly a positive one, it sounds as though Brantley is still a ways away from returning to the Astros, who would surely benefit from the boost the 36-year old could provide to their lineup.

More from around the AL…

The Rays placed left-hander Josh Fleming on the 60-day injured list yesterday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times notes that Fleming is scheduled to meet with specialist Dr. Keith Meister later this week. When asked about the appointment, Fleming acknowledged to reporters that a ligament issue is possible, leaving a worst case scenario of Tommy John surgery on the table. That’s certainly a worrisome possibility for Tampa, as the club has seen their starting depth tested with as each of Jeffrey Springs, Drew Rasmussen, and Tyler Glasnow have spent significant portions of the season on the injured list.
White Sox reliever Liam Hendriks was placed on the 15-day IL with elbow inflammation earlier today, temporarily halting the closer’s inspiring return to the big leagues following his recovery from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. As relayed by James Fegan of The Athletic, GM Rick Hahn said that Hendriks’s current ailment has similarities to a flexor strain he dealt with last season that left him on the shelf for just under a month. The club is hopeful that this current injury will have a similar timeline, though Hendriks will undergo an MRI to confirm that timetable. After a difficult first outing back from the injured list, Hendriks has posted a 2.25 ERA with a save and three strikeouts in his last four appearances.
The Athletics provided an update on right-hander Drew Rucinski, who has been on the injured list with a stomach illness since late last month. As noted by MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos, Rucinski’s stomach ailment has improved, but the right-hander is dealing with a low-grade MCL sprain in his right knee that occurred during a bullpen session. The injury will leave him shut down from throwing for 2 to 3 weeks. Rucinski signed with the A’s on a one-year deal with a club option for 2024 this past offseason, but has managed just four starts for the club, pitching to a 9.00 ERA in 18 innings of work with a whopping 14 walks allowed compared to jut six strikeouts.

Astros Shut Down Michael Brantley Due To Shoulder Inflammation

By Anthony Franco | May 12, 2023 at 5:30pm CDT

Astros outfielder Michael Brantley was diagnosed with inflammation in his surgically repaired right shoulder, skipper Dusty Baker told reporters this evening (relayed by Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle). The veteran hitter will be shut down for an indeterminate period of time.

It’s an obvious setback that’ll keep him from making his season debut as expected. The Astros had hinted last weekend that Brantley could be back in the lineup early in the week. That didn’t come to fruition, and while the Astros were typically reticent with any substantive injury updates, they announced that Brantley had left the team for further evaluation a couple days ago. That examination apparently revealed the new concern.

Brantley hasn’t appeared in a major league game in over ten months. His last appearance came on June 26, 2022. Brantley landed on the injured list with a shoulder problem and underwent season-ending surgery to repair a labrum tear in August. He hit free agency but returned for a fifth season in Houston on a one-year, $12MM guarantee over the winter. The contract contains up to $4MM in additional plate appearance incentives, beginning at 400 trips to the dish.

Unfortunately, the five-time All-Star hasn’t been able to get back to the diamond yet. He opened this season on the IL as he continued working back from the shoulder procedure. Houston sent him on a rehab stint with Triple-A Sugar Land on April 23. Brantley played in nine games and tallied 37 plate appearances for the Space Cowboys. That appeared to set him up for a major league return until the shoulder inflammation that arose on the cusp of his reinstatement.

Houston had planned for Brantley and Yordan Alvarez to split their reps between left field and designated hitter. Alvarez has divided his time almost evenly between the two positions, appearing 16 times at DH and on 15 occasions in left. Corey Julks and David Hensley have picked up the most extra playing time in Brantley’s absence. Neither rookie hitter has performed well. Julks carries a .260/.265/.365 batting line, while Hensley is hitting .145/.244/.203.

The Astros have also had to weather an injury to center fielder Chas McCormick, pushing Jake Meyers into the lineup a bit more than anticipated. McCormick was activated after a month-long IL stint on Monday but has only played once since then as he’s experienced renewed back discomfort.

AL Notes: Rodon, Walsh, Brantley, Martin

By Anthony Franco | May 10, 2023 at 7:47pm CDT

The Yankees have been without Carlos Rodón to this point. New York’s big offseason acquisition was sidelined by a minor forearm strain in Spring Training and subsequently bothered by back issues. The back has kept him out of action and raised particular concern last week when Rodón told reporters that doctors had called his injury a “chronic” problem.

While that cast plenty of uncertainty as to when the star southpaw would be able to take the mound, it’s possible he starts ramping up in the coming days. Chris Kirschner of the Athletic tweeted yesterday that Rodón will work out on Friday after receiving a cortisone injection. It’s possible he progresses back to mound work as soon as this weekend, which would enable him to begin building strength via a throwing program.

The Yankees have also been without Frankie Montas and Luis Severino due to injuries. Montas is going to be out until late in the year, but Severino threw 3 1/3 innings for Triple-A Scranton Wilkes/Barre to start a rehab assignment this afternoon. Those injuries have forced the Yankees to rely on the likes of Domingo Germán, Jhony Brito and Clarke Schmidt out of the rotation to middling results.

Checking in on some other injury situations around the AL:

Jared Walsh will head on a rehab stint with the Angels’ top affiliate in Salt Lake this weekend, the team informed reporters (including Sam Blum of the Athletic). He’ll play at least three games with the Bees before the Halos determine whether he’s ready for his first MLB action of the season. Walsh lost the first six weeks to insomnia and recurring headaches. Now that he’s put that behind him, he’ll try to get on track offensively. An All-Star in 2021, the lefty-swinging first baseman slumped to a .215/.269/.374 showing last year before his season was cut short by thoracic outlet syndrome. The Angels have divided first base reps almost evenly between Brandon Drury, Gio Urshela and Jake Lamb. The left-handed hitting Lamb has struggled in the early going and could be the odd man out once Walsh is ready to return.
Michael Brantley has yet to make his season debut for the Astros. Over the weekend, Houston had hinted he could be back for their three-game set in Anaheim to start the week. That didn’t happen and manager Dusty Baker said today the veteran outfielder departed the team to go for some testing (via Chandler Rome of the Athletic). The Astros were customarily reluctant to divulge specifics, but it’s no longer entirely clear when they expect Brantley to be ready for activation. He’d been ramping up from last year’s season-ending shoulder surgery and had played in nine rehab games with Triple-A Sugar Land through last Saturday.
The White Sox placed right-hander Davis Martin on the minor league injured list last week. Scott Merkin of MLB.com tweets that Martin has a forearm strain in his throwing arm. The issue’s severity isn’t clear, though forearm strains can sometimes be precursors for more serious injuries. At the very least, it seems he’ll be out of the short-term mix should the team need to tap into its rotation depth. Martin started nine of 14 MLB games last year, working to a 4.83 ERA across 63 1/3 innings. He entered 2023 as the #6 starter on the depth chart. Martin had been pitching well for Charlotte, allowing only five runs with 20 strikeouts and seven walks over 16 innings. Chicago has avoided rotation injuries at the big league level; the group of Dylan Cease, Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Michael Kopech and Mike Clevinger has taken all 38 starts thus far.

AL West Notes: Seager, Miller, McCormick, Silseth

By Anthony Franco | May 8, 2023 at 8:01pm CDT

The Rangers look as if they’ll soon welcome back their star shortstop. Corey Seager is tentatively scheduled to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Thursday, reports Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). That’d be a month to the day from when Seager strained his left hamstring while running the bases on April 11. The injury came with an initial four-week timeline and it seems that estimate will more or less be borne out.

Seager had been off to a fantastic start to the season. He was hitting .359/.469/.538 with more walks than strikeouts through his first 11 games. While it’s certainly unfortunate to lose a player of that caliber, the Rangers’ lineup has picked up the slack in his absence. Texas leads the majors in runs since Seager went down. That’s in part thanks to Ezequiel Durán, who seized the interim shortstop job with a .343/.378/.521 line in that time. While Seager is sure to return to shortstop after his minor league tune-up, Durán is likely to get plenty of run at designated hitter and in left field given that offensive outburst.

Elsewhere in the AL West:

A’s rookie starter Mason Miller is headed for evaluation after experiencing some tightness in his throwing elbow, manager Mark Kotsay told the team’s beat (relayed by Martín Gallegos of MLB.com). According to Kotsay, initial indications are the discomfort is tied to the flexor muscle rather than a ligament issue, although further testing will provide more clarity. Miller has been one of the lone bright spots for the A’s in a dreary season. Through his first four major league starts, he’s worked to a 3.38 ERA while punching out just under 26% of batters faced. One of the sport’s hardest throwers, Miller has a strong prospect reputation but he’s thrown only 50 professional innings dating back to the 2021 draft because of various injuries.
Astros outfielder Chas McCormick returns to the lineup after being reinstated from the 10-day injured list. Houston optioned infielder Rylan Bannon to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. McCormick missed just under a month with a back issue. Before the injury, the right-handed hitter had been off to a quality .275/.383/.500 showing in 11 games. He’ll get the nod in center field for tonight’s game in Anaheim, hitting seventh against Angels starter Patrick Sandoval. Houston has yet to activate Michael Brantley for his season debut, though manager Dusty Baker reiterated tonight that the veteran left fielder isn’t far off (via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com).
The Angels lost starter José Suarez to the injured list this afternoon. That leaves a vacancy in their six-man rotation, one which seems likely to be filled by Chase Silseth. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register tweets that Silseth is expected to step into the starting staff when the club first needs a sixth starter next week in Baltimore. (A Thursday off day this week delays that decision.) Silseth has pitched out of the bullpen thus far but started seven games as a rookie last season. He threw 72 pitches in relief of Suarez yesterday and has worked two-plus innings in three of his four outings. Lefty Tucker Davidson, who’d been in consideration for a rotation spot at the start of the season, has worked in somewhat shorter relief stints in recent weeks. According to Fletcher, the organization views it as less of an adjustment for Silseth to stretch into rotation work given his comparatively higher pitch counts out of the bullpen.

Astros Notes: Brantley, McCormick, Altuve, Urquidy

By Mark Polishuk and Nick Deeds | May 7, 2023 at 4:09pm CDT

The Astros are expected to get lineup reinforcements during their upcoming series in Anaheim, as outfielders Michael Brantley and Chas McCormick could both be back as early as Monday, according to MLB.com. While the pair were on the shelf, the club has relied on Jake Meyers and Corey Julks to fill in alongside Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez in Houston’s outfield mix. Meyers has been a solid stopgap option with a 104 wRC+ in 93 trips to the plate and excellent defense in center field, but Julks has struggled to an 80 wRC+ with a 27.6% strikeout rate in 87 plate appearances.

Of course, Brantley also did some work at first base during his rehab stint, so the Astros could be looking at the veteran as a possible complement to the struggling Jose Abreu. Brantley (who turns 36 next week) hasn’t played since June 26 due to shoulder problems that eventually required surgery in August, and thus Brantley missed out on the Astros’ World Series run.

Houston general manager Dana Brown discussed several injury situations during a radio interview on SportsTalk 790 (hat tip to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart), and noted that “McCormick is maybe a day ahead of” Brantley, so McCormick is the surer bet to be activated from the injured list during the Angels series. While McCormick doesn’t have Brantley’s lengthy track record of offense, he was off to a phenomenal start this season prior to being sidelined by a back injury, with a .275/.383/.500 slash line in 11 games.

Jose Altuve continues to make excellent progress in his recovery from thumb surgery, as the eight-time All-Star has progressed to both taking batting practice on the field and running the bases. After Altuve underwent his surgery in late March, it was initially expected to take at least eight weeks before the second baseman could even resume baseball activities, so he is already a few weeks ahead of schedule. Brown said that Altuve might even begin a minor league rehab assignment within the week, so that original late-May date might now be a more feasible target for Altuve’s return to the Astros lineup altogether.

The news isn’t as good about Jose Urquidy, as Brown said (Twitter links from McTaggart) “there’s a chance we could get him back somewhere around the All-Star break.” This represents a step back from some seemingly more positive reports from earlier this week, which suggested that Urquidy would be shut down from throwing until mid-May but could potentially return by early June. The right-hander was placed on the 15-day IL on May 1 with shoulder discomfort, though Urquidy has apparently avoided any structural damage since an MRI only revealed inflammation.

Still, Brown’s comments indicate a much longer absence is in store for Urquidy, as even the All-Star break might be more of a fluid target date than a firm timeline. It hasn’t been a banner week for Astros pitching, as Urquidy went to the IL and Luis Garcia was lost for the season entirely due to Tommy John surgery. With a rotation now thinned out, Brown noted that the Astros may have to rely on internal arms for now, given that the starting pitching market won’t really materialize until much closer to the trade deadline.

Brandon Bielak and rookie J.P. France have filled in for Urquidy and Garcia, joining Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, and rookie Hunter Brown in the starting five. Lance McCullers Jr. is also still a ways away from returning, though he did throw a full bullpen session on Saturday. McCullers has yet to pitch this season after suffering a muscle strain in his right arm during Spring Training.

AL Notes: Story, Brantley, Rays

By Nick Deeds | April 2, 2023 at 1:21pm CDT

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, including Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic, today that Trevor Story is doing well in his rehab, and providing an update about his progress. Story has begun regularly fielding groundballs in the infield dating back to camp this spring, and will begin throwing in two weeks. He’ll advance to hitting next month, sixteen weeks after his elbow surgery. That’s great news for Boston fans, as it means Story is still on track to make his season debut sometime around the middle of the season. As things stand, the Red Sox are relying on Enrique Hernandez, Christian Arroyo and Yu Chang for middle infield duties, with offseason acquisition Adalberto Mondesi joining Story on the IL.

The return of Story would potentially relieve Hernandez of his duties as an everyday shortstop, allowing him to bounce between second base and center field as he did during his past two seasons in Boston. 2023 is the second year of Story’s six-year, $140MM deal with the Red Sox. In his first year in Boston, Story slashed just .238/.303/.434 (100 wRC+) in 94 games, though he did post an elite defensive season by Outs Above Average, which gave him a +10 mark for his work at second base. While that sort of production didn’t quite match the expectations associated with the contract he signed, a steady presence like that would be a huge boon to the Red Sox in the second half, given the uncertainty of their middle infield situation.

Astros Notes: Baker, Brantley, McCullers

By Anthony Franco | March 30, 2023 at 9:51pm CDT

Dusty Baker enters his fourth season as Astros manager. Fresh off the first World Series title of his illustrious career, the 73-year-old skipper discussed his future with Bob Nightengale of USA Today. He was noncommittal about the possibility of continuing beyond this season.

“I don’t know man. I just don’t know. You got to go home some day,” Baker told Nightengale. While that’s a rather equivocal stance, it seems it’s the approach Baker has taken throughout his tenure there. He’s signed a series of one-year contracts with the organization — even this past offseason on the heels of a championship — noting that the shorter term won’t “force (him) to come or go.” Baker said he has no plans of announcing his retirement in advance, preferring to wait until he’s absolutely sure he wants to step away before making that call.

The Astros went 230-154 in Baker’s first three seasons at the helm. They’ve advanced at least as far as the AL Championship Series in all three years, culminating in the second World Series in franchise history last season. Baker has obviously had the fortune of overseeing excellent rosters, yet the organization couldn’t have hoped for more when tabbing him in the wake of the revelation of the sign-stealing scandal.

Turning to this year’s roster, general manager Dana Brown offered a couple injury updates prior to the club’s loss to the White Sox this evening. The Astros placed Michael Brantley on the 10-day injured list as he rehabs from last year’s season-ending shoulder procedure.

Brown provided some specificity on the timetable, telling reporters that Brantley would miss at least three weeks of game action (relayed by Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle). The veteran outfielder didn’t make an appearance this spring as Houston slowly brought him along. Once healthy, he’s expected to share left field/designated hitter reps with Yordan Alvarez.

Brown also provided an update on starter Lance McCullers Jr., who’s opening the season on the 15-day IL due to an elbow strain. The GM said McCullers is now pain-free, indicating some optimism about his status (via Mark Berman of Fox 26). There doesn’t seem to be a firm timetable for his return, though the righty was playing catch during Spring Training. While McCullers slowly builds toward game shape, Houston opens the year with a front five of Framber Valdez, Cristian Javier, Luis Garcia, José Urquidy and rookie Hunter Brown.

AL West Notes: Angels, Astros, Brantley

By Nick Deeds | March 26, 2023 at 7:11am CDT

Angels manager Phil Nevin indicated to reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register) that the club would not be naming right-hander Carlos Estevez as the closer to open the season, instead opting for a committee approach to open the season. Estevez signed with the Angels earlier this offseason on a two-year deal and was expected to step into the closer role to open the season, but that does not appear to be the plan, at least for the start of the 2023 campaign.

Still, Nevin told reporters that Estevez “is definitely going to get some big outs late in the game most of the year for us,” leaving the door open to the right-hander remaining the conversation to close games for the Angels this season. The Angels have a fairly deep group of pitchers with late inning experience at the back of their bullpen in addition to Estevez that includes Ryan Tepera, Matt Moore, Aaron Loup and Jimmy Herget.

The Angels were aggressive in acquiring shorter-term assets this offseason in order to immediately improve the club during two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani’s final year of club control. The additions of Hunter Renfroe, Gio Urshela, and Brandon Drury lengthened the lineup and provided depth in case of injuries while the club signed Tyler Anderson to deepen the starting rotation. The additions of Estevez and Moore to the bullpen this offseason certainly improved upon the group of relievers the Angels would’ve otherwise had, but it’s an open question whether or not they did enough to make up for the still-lingering loss of Raisel Iglesias, who was dealt to the Braves at the last trade deadline.

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