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Ryan Yarbrough

Dodgers Acquire Kevin Kiermaier

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The Dodgers acquired Kevin Kiermaier and cash considerations from the Blue Jays for lefty reliever Ryan Yarbrough. Toronto is reportedly paying down $1.66MM of Kiermaier’s remaining salary.

Kiermaier, 34, is in the midst of a thoroughly disappointing season, batting .195 with a .546 OPS. While his defense in the outfield has been stellar as always (10 OAA, 9 DRS), it has not been enough to make up for his career-worst offensive numbers. He has been worth just 0.2 Wins Above Replacement according to FanGraphs. The four-time Gold Glove winner went unclaimed on waivers earlier this month, with no team willing to claim him and take the remaining portion of his $10.5MM salary off of the Blue Jays’ books. Now, however, just over two weeks later, the Jays found a club willing to take Kiermaier off their hands, and they got a left-handed long-man for the bullpen in return.

The Dodgers have not gotten much production from the center field position this year, ranking 27th in OPS and wRC+ and dead last in FanGraphs WAR. James Outman has struggled to replicate his success from his excellent rookie season in 2023, while top prospect Andy Pages has underwhelmed at the plate (.675 OPS, 92 wRC+) and in the field (-8 DRS, -1 OAA). Kiermaier won’t help the offense, but he will be a terrific defensive replacement off the bench. What’s more, if there is any team that can put up with his bat in the starting lineup on occasion, it’s the Dodgers, who lead the NL in OPS and wRC+ despite mediocre production from center field all season.

Kiermaier has already announced his intention to retire following the 2024 campaign. Joining the powerhouse Dodgers will give him one more chance to compete for a World Series championship, an accomplishment that has eluded him throughout his 12-year career with the Rays and Blue Jays. Kiermaier went 7-for-19 with a 1.137 OPS in the 2020 World Series, but despite his efforts, the Rays fell to the Dodgers in six games.

As for the Blue Jays, they have elite defender Daulton Varsho to slide into center field, and Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports that lefty batting outfielder/first baseman Joey Loperfido, acquired from the Astros in the Yusei Kikuchi deal, will take Kiermaier’s spot on the active roster. Presumably, Loperfido will take over from Varsho in left field, at least in games with a right-handed starting pitcher. Meanwhile, Yarbrough should slot in as a reinforcement for a Blue Jays bullpen that has lost several contributors in recent days, including Yimi García, Trevor Richards, and Nate Pearson. Toronto may be out of contention this year, but the team still needs live arms to get through the season.

Yarbrough, 32, was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on Monday. While his 3.74 ERA this season is respectable, he has the lowest strikeout rate (13.9%) and the highest walk rate (8.9%) of his career. His 4.98 SIERA would also be a career-worst. That said, his ability to pitch multiple innings and his recent work as a starter (he started nine games in 2023, nine in 2022, and 21 in 2021) will make him an asset for a last-place Blue Jays team that is simply looking to get through the rest of the season without further embarrassment. Like Kiermaier, Yarbrough will be a free agent at the end of the year.

Robert Murray of FanSided reported the Dodgers and Jays were swapping Kiermaier and Yarbrough. Ronald Blum of the Associated Press reported the cash considerations.

Dodgers Acquire Amed Rosario

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The Dodgers and Rays continue to be two of the deadline’s more active teams, as Los Angeles reacquired Amed Rosario from Tampa Bay.  Minor league righty Michael Flynn heads to the Rays in return in a one-for-one swap.  To create roster space for Rosario, the Dodgers have designated Ryan Yarbrough for assignment

Rosario has now been a deadline pickup for the Dodgers in consecutive years, after L.A. acquired him from the Guardians in exchange for Noah Syndergaard last July.  Rosario hit .256/.301/.408 over 133 plate appearances for the Dodgers following the trade, primarily playing second base with a few appearances at his old shortstop position, after primarily playing short in his previous six seasons with the Guardians and Mets.

After signing a one-year, $1.5MM deal with the Rays last winter, Rosario moved into more of a full utility role, spending most of his time at second base and left field while still getting substantial playing time at shortstop and third base.  The initial expectation was that the right-handed hitting Rosario would mostly face left-handed pitching, but between injuries and his respectable splits, Rosario ended up facing more right-handers than southpaws while hitting an overall .307/.331/.417 across 275 PA for Tampa Bay.  Rosario has a 115 wRC+, which would be a career high if he can keep it going over the rest of the season.

Rosario could just slot back right back into regular second-base duty in a platoon with Gavin Lux, but a larger role is probably in store for Rosario while the Dodgers try to manage several injuries.  With Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor, and the newly-acquired Tommy Edman all on the mend, Rosario figures to get a decent dose of playing time all over the infield.

With only around $500K still owed to Rosario in salary for the rest of the season, the trade is a cost-effective move for the Dodgers that might pay big dividends, considering Rosario’s quality numbers and his familiarity with playing in Los Angeles.  The deal also continues Andrew Friedman’s long history of trading with his former team, as the L.A. president of baseball operations has swung several deals since leaving the Rays for the Dodgers back in 2014.

Flynn is just over a week away from his 28th birthday, and he’ll get to celebrate by once more changing organizations during his pro career.  A sixth-round pick for the Pirates in 2018, Flynn also spent time in the Mariners’ farm system before joining the Dodgers this season, and he has a 4.95 ERA over 36 1/3 relief innings for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

As with most Pacific Coast League numbers, a look behind the ERA is necessary in the hitter-friendly league, and Flynn has a 32.1% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate.  His strikeout numbers have increased exponentially over his last two seasons, and given the Rays’ penchant for uncovering hidden gems, it stands to reason that Tampa has seen something in Flynn that might put him in line for his Major League debut.

Since the Dodgers’ injury woes also extend to their pitching staff, Yarbrough’s DFA counts as a bit of a surprise, as he has been a fairly effective arm for L.A. since being picked up from the Royals at last year’s trade deadline.  This season Yarbrough has a 3.74 ERA in 67 1/3 innings while working as a long reliever and occasional bulk pitcher, albeit with such unimpressive metrics as an 8.9% walk rate and a 13.9% strikeout rate.  That latter number is one of the lowest K-rates in the sport, though he has also been one of the league’s best at limiting hard contact, albeit with some significant help from a .214 BABIP.

Yarbrough’s 4.96 SIERA apparently carried more weight for the Dodgers than his ERA of over a run lower, so Los Angeles has now sent the veteran to the DFA wire.  The left-hander’s ability to eat innings out of the pen could make him a candidate for a waiver claim, particularly since several teams might have holes to fill in their relief corps if other relievers are traded by the deadline.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic first reported the Dodgers were acquiring Rosario. Robert Murray of FanSided reported Flynn was going back to Tampa. Juan Toribio of MLB.com first reported the Yarbrough DFA.

Dodgers Acquire Ryan Yarbrough

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The Dodgers have acquired left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the Royals, according to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and Juan C. Toribio (Twitter link).  Kansas City is receiving minor league infielders Devin Mann and Derlin Figueroa, Feinsand reports in a follow-up tweet.

While the Dodgers made bids for such high-profile pitchers as Justin Verlander and Eduardo Rodriguez prior to the deadline, they’ll still come away with some rotation help in Yarbrough, who has a 3.08 ERA over 38 innings and seven games as a starter for Kansas City this season.  Of course, that also comes with a 7.62 ERA over 13 innings as a reliever, but Yarbrough has looked very sharp since he was moved into the K.C. rotation in April.

On-field performance has been a secondary story to Yarbrough’s 2023 season, as the southpaw suffered multiple facial fractures after being struck by a Ryan Noda line drive back on May 7.  The injuries sent Yarbrough to the 60-day IL, but he thankfully returned in good health and has been in great form on the mound, with a 2.19 ERA over 24 2/3 innings since being activated off the injured list.

Yarbrough’s secondary metrics are the definition of a mixed bag.  On the one hand, his 86.9% fastball velocity, fastball spin rate, and 13.7% strikeout rate are near the very bottom of the league.  His 3.8% walk rate, however, is among the league’s elite, and he has done an excellent job of inducing soft contact.  His 4.24 ERA is much lower than his 4.97 SIERA, which perhaps better reflects this curious set of Statcast numbers and the move from relief pitching to starting pitching.

The Dodgers have long had a knack for both helping pitchers find a new level of performance or helping them revive their careers altogether, so there’s plenty of promise for Yarbrough in this change of scenery.  The left-hander is likely to get some more starts in an L.A. rotation that includes another new face in Lance Lynn, and the Dodgers now technically have seven healthy starting options in Lynn, Yarbrough, Tony Gonsolin, Julio Urias, and rookies Bobby Miller, Emmet Sheehan, and Michael Grove.

At least two of the youngsters will be moved to Triple-A or to the bullpen in the aftermath of the deadline, and once Clayton Kershaw returned from the 15-day injured list.  Yarbrough could also work as a reliever himself, or in a swingman capacity as the situation warrants.  He is quite familiar with such a role, both with the Royals this season and from his previous time as a starter, reliever, opener, and bulk pitcher with the Rays from 2018-22.

It’s a rental move for Los Angeles, as Yarbrough is a free agent after the season.  He is still owed roughly $1.1MM as the remainder of his $3MM salary for the 2023 season, putting a bit of extra money on the ledger of a Dodgers team already well over the first luxury tax tier ($233MM).  With much still to be settled in the wake of the deadline, Roster Resource projects the Dodgers as just narrowly under the $253MM second tier, and staying under that threshold would at least mean a slightly lesser financial penalty for the Dodgers as they pay into the tax for the third consecutive season.

With a one-year deal, Yarbrough was seen as a potential deadline trade chip from basically the moment he signed with the Royals, and Kansas City’s disastrous season only made a deal even more likely.  The latest of K.C’s many swaps brings in two more prospects, including a player in Mann ranked by both Baseball America (24th) and MLB Pipeline (29th) within the top 30 of the Los Angeles farm system.

Mann was a fifth-round pick for the Dodgers in 2018, and might be ready for a big league look after hitting .307/.402/.541 with 14 homers over 386 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this season.  While the hitter-friendly nature of the Pacific Coast League brings some pause to Mann’s numbers, the 26-year-old has hit pretty well over the course of his minor league career.  “Mann is a well-rounded player who does a little bit of everything,” according to Baseball America’s scouting report, and his “bat and defensive versatility give him a chance to carve out a career as a lefty-mashing reserve.”  Mann has played all four infield positions and left field this season, and he has logged some time in the other two outfield positions in past years.

The 19-year-old Figueroa was an international signing for L.A. in 2021, and he has hit .237/.372/.376 over 113 PA at the rookie ball level this season.  While still very early in his pro career, Figueroa has at least shown a knack for getting on base, even if his overall hitting ability needs some polish.  Like Mann, Figueroa is a multi-positional player — he has seen time at first base and both outfield corners this season, and played all the other infield positions in his first two seasons.

Royals Fielding Offers On Several Veterans

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The Royals have been talking to other clubs about potential trades involving veteran pitchers Scott Barlow, Taylor Clarke and Ryan Yarbrough, tweets Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. Outfielder Edward Olivares has also been discussed in potential deals.

Of the bunch, Barlow is the most obvious and straightforward trade candidate. The 30-year-old righty thrived as the primary closer in Kansas City from 2021-22, pitching 148 2/3 innings of 2.30 ERA ball with 40 saves, a hefty 28.2% strikeout rate and a solid 8.4% walk rate. The 2023 season has been far more troublesome. Barlow’s average fastball sat at 95.3 mph in ’21 but has dipped to 92.9 mph this season. His walk rate has also spiked, and the right-hander’s 5.35 ERA is a career-worst mark.

That said, Barlow still figures to hold appeal to other clubs. Dip in velocity notwithstanding, he still has well above-average strikeout (26.2%), swinging-strike (12.6%) and opponents chase (37.6%) rates. His $5.3MM salary is generally affordable, and Barlow is controllable through 2024 via arbitration. This year’s struggles are at least in part due to a .340 average on balls in play and 61.6% strand rate, both worse-than-average marks which should eventually trend toward his career marks of .306 and 76.1%. Barlow had a solid 3.97 ERA as recently as July 16, but he’s been tagged for eight runs through 4 2/3 innings over his past five outings.

Clarke, also 30, has a shorter track record and more pronounced struggles in 2023. The right-hander has been tagged for a 6.00 ERA in 45 innings this year, thanks to a particularly dreadful slump dating back to mid-June. Clarke had a 2.70 ERA through his first 30 innings but has been tattooed for 22 runs in his past 15 innings. A season-long .374 BABIP isn’t helping his cause, but that alone doesn’t explain the extent of the right-hander’s struggles. From 2020-22, he pitched to a respectable, if unspectacular 4.44 ERA with solid strikeout and walk rates.

The 31-year-old Yarbrough inked a one-year deal with Kansas City after spending his entire big league career with the Rays organization. He’s earning $3MM this season and, although he missed time after a frightening incident where he was struck by a comebacker, the lefty has been decent when on the field. In 51 innings — seven starts, seven relief outings — he’s posted a 4.24 ERA. Yarbrough has one of the lowest strikeout rates in MLB (13.7%) but also one of the lowest walk rates (4.2%) among pitchers with at least 50 innings.

While Yarbrough started the season in Kansas City’s bullpen, he moved into the rotation not long before his injury and has continued starting since returning in early July. He’s made four starts since coming off the IL, pitching to a 2.19 ERA with a 15-to-2 K/BB ratio in 24 2/3 innings. He’s a pure rental and could help round out the back of someone’s rotation in the season’s final two months.

Olivares, 27, came to the Royals from the Padres organization in the 2020 trade that sent Trevor Rosenthal to San Diego. He looked solid at the plate in 2022 when he hit .286/.333/.410 with four homers, eight doubles and a pair of steals in 174 trips to the plate. His 2023 output has taken a step back. He’s logged a career-high 274 plate appearances but turned in a tepid .246/.299/.409 batting line.

The right-handed-hitting Olivares has even platoon splits this year but has generally been better against righties than lefties, when looking at his career as a whole. He’s played all three outfield spots in his career but has primarily worked in the corners; he doesn’t have above-average grades at any of the three positions, though. Olivares would be controllable for three more years beyond the current season, but he hasn’t developed as the Royals had hoped and is more of a change-of-scenery candidate than someone who’d fetch them meaningful prospect depth.

Royals Designate Amir Garrett For Assignment

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The Royals announced a series of roster moves this morning. The club has reinstated left-hander Ryan Yarbrough from the 60-day injured list and recalled infielder Samad Taylor from Triple-A Omaha. Yarbrough is slated to start this afternoon’s game against the Guardians. In corresponding moves, left-hander Amir Garrett has been designated for assignment while outfielder Edward Olivares was placed on the 10-day IL (retroactive to July 8) with a mild left oblique strain.

It will be Yarbrough’s first start since he was struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of A’s first baseman Ryan Noda back in May. In all, Yarbrough missed just over two months with the resulting injuries. It had been a difficult start to the season for Yarbrough even before he suffered the injury. The 31-year-old lefty owns a 6.15 ERA, 28% worse than league average, with a 5.19 FIP in 26 1/3 innings of work for the Royals this season across ten appearances (three starts). For now, Yarbrough is ticketed for a return to the rotation, but the lefty has swung between the rotation and the bullpen all throughout his career, with 75 of his 137 career appearances in the big league coming in relief.

Taylor, meanwhile, made his big league debut with the Royals earlier this season. Across 38 plate appearances in the majors, Taylor owns a .133/.270/.133 slash line. His performance has been much better across 308 plate appearances with Omaha as he’s slashed .306/.412/.460. Taylor figures to join a bench mix in Kansas City that currently includes infielder Matt Duffy and outfielder Dairon Blanco. He’ll replace Olivares on the roster, who has slashed .242/.296/.410 in the club while mostly playing left field for the club.

Garrett’s Royals tenure comes to an end a season and a half after the club acquired him from the Reds in a deal that sent left-hander Mike Minor to Cincinnati. Garrett’s time in Kansas City was fraught with struggles. In 2022, the lefty posted a 4.96 ERA that was 18% worse than league average. While his 3.40 FIP was solid, Garrett saw his strikeout rate dip from 28.4% the previous year down to 25% while his walk rate crept up from 13.5% to a more untenable 16.3% during the 2022 campaign. The results have been better in 2023, with a 3.33 ERA in 24 1/3 innings, but Garrett’s issues with the free pass have gotten even worse as his walk rate has reached a whopping 17.9% this season.

Going forward, the Royals will have a week to trade, waive, or release Garrett. While it’s doubtful Garrett would bring back much in trade, it’s possible some clubs would have sufficient interest in acquiring the 31-year-old lefty and seeing if they can iron out his control problems that they would be willing to take on the remaining half of Garrett’s $2.65MM salary this season.

Central Notes: Cardinals, Yarbrough, Pirates

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The Cardinals could activate outfielder Lars Nootbaar from the injured list as soon as tomorrow, according to John Denton of MLB.com. Nootbaar, who has been on the IL since the beginning of the month with a lower back contusion, has slashed .266/.380/.390 in 184 plate appearances for St. Louis this season, good for a 118 wRC+.

As discussed by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Nootbaar’s return will create something of a conundrum for Cardinals manager Oli Marmol, who has moved Tommy Edman from shortstop to the outfield in recent weeks, a change the switch-hitter has taken well to. Goold suggests that the return of Nootbaar, who can play quality defense in all three outfield spots, would give Marmol the option to shift Edman back to the infield, with Nootbaar taking over center and Nolan Gorman spending most days at DH. Otherwise, Marmol could leave Edman in the center and use Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson in the corners while allowing Jordan Walker, who has struggled to adjust to outfield work after spending most of his minor league career on the infield dirt, to DH.

Whatever defensive alignment the Cardinals end up with, Nootbaar’s return figures to help boost the club as it struggles to stay relevant in the NL Central. Despite an abysmal 29-43 record leaving them 8.5 games back in the NL Central, St. Louis still has a 12.1% chance to make the playoffs, per Fangraphs, thanks to their weak competition in the division.

More from around the Central divisions…

  • Royals left-hander Ryan Yarbrough is set to begin a rehab assignment in the Arizona Complex League tomorrow, per a club announcement. That’s fantastic news for not only fans in Kansas City, but all around baseball considering the circumstances of Yarbrough’s injury. The lefty was placed on the injured list in early May with multiple head fractures after being struck in the face by a line drive off the bat of Oakland slugger Ryan Noda. Prior to his injury, Yarbrough had struggled badly across ten appearances with the Royals, posting a 6.15 ERA and 5.17 FIP in 26 1/3 innings of work.
  • Following today’s news that the Pirates are poised to promote 2021 first overall pick Henry Davis to the majors tomorrow, manager Derek Shelton told reporters, including MLB.com’s Justice delos Santos, that the club’s current catching tandem of Austin Hedges and Jason Delay would remain on the roster. With Pittsburgh planning to carry three catchers as Davis breaks into the majors, it’s worth wondering how the club plans to use Davis. While the youngster was drafted and has been used primarily as a catcher, he’s also started 15 games in right field over the past two seasons while mixing in starts at DH. Of course, the DH slot in Pittsburgh is largely occupied by Andrew McCutchen, leaving right field as Davis’s most likely home on days where Hedges or Delay start behind the plate. Connor Joe and Josh Palacios are currently manning right for the Pirates in a timeshare.

Royals Notes: Lynch, Yarbrough, Hosmer, Pasquantino

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Daniel Lynch is ready for his first appearance of the 2023 season, as the Royals announced the left-hander as their scheduled starter for Sunday’s game with the Nationals.  Lynch suffered a left rotator cuff strain in the final few days of Spring Training, and after a brief shutdown period returned to action in a minor league rehab assignment in early May.

Lynch tossed six shutout innings last Tuesday in what ended up being his final rehab outing, as he looked a lot shakier in posting a 5.65 ERA over 14 1/3 innings of work in his previous four outings.  As he told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters, Lynch felt he had “to do something to show them that I’m 100 percent ready.  There were some conversations that weren’t easy to have, some conversations that I didn’t necessarily want to have.  But [I] ended up going and stepping up.”

A struggling rotation has been one of many reasons behind the Royals’ dismal 15-37 start, and if Lynch is able to provide help, it would be a huge boost to both Kansas City’s pitching staff and Lynch’s bigger-picture future.  The 34th overall pick of the 2018 draft has yet to deliver much at either the MLB level or even at Triple-A (5.16 ERA over 82 innings), and his 2 1/3 innings of Double-A rehab work this season represents his only experience in Double-A ball.  Lynch’s work at the team’s alternate training site in 2020 made the Royals confident that they could fast-track him to Triple-A in 2021, but the southpaw has yet to deliver on his top-100 prospect potential.

There hasn’t been much to like about Lynch’s 199 2/3 innings in the big leagues, as he has allowed a ton of hard contact en route to a 5.32 ERA, 19.4% strikeout rate, and 9.1% walk rate.  The Royals completely overhauled their pitching development team (including the hiring of Brian Sweeney as pitching coach) during the offseason in the hopes of getting more from Lynch and other high draft picks like Lynch, Kris Bubic, or Jackson Kowar, but the results haven’t been there with the youngsters or even the more veteran members of the K.C. staff.  Brady Singer looked to have broken out in 2022, but he has struggled to a 7.48 ERA over his first 49 1/3 innings of 2023.

Beyond any on-field struggles, the pitching staff was also dealt a scarier blow when Ryan Yarbrough was hit in the face by a Ryan Noda line drive on May 7.  Yarbrough sustained multiple facial fractures and was placed on the 60-day injured list, but fortunately, the left-hander gave a positive update when visiting teammates and the media today.

“I have a four-week appointment to see where I’m at with the healing process and just kind of go from there,” Yarbrough told the Kansas City Star’s Jaylon Thompson and other reporters.  “Until then, just kind of staying active and doing everything I can….It’s one of those freak accidents and something that is really out of everyone’s control.  It wasn’t something you can really avoid.  It’s an unfortunate part of the game and luckily it doesn’t happen very often.  I’m very blessed to be here right now and feeling a lot better and progressing in the right direction.”

In other Royals news, manager Matt Quatraro said the Royals “haven’t even discussed” the possibility of bringing Eric Hosmer back to Kansas City after the veteran first baseman was recently released by the Cubs.  Speaking during a radio interview with KCSP 610AM (hat tip to Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star), Quatraro noted that the Royals don’t really have space for Hosmer, as Vinnie Pasquantino and Nick Pratto have the first base and DH positions covered.

“So, you bring somebody in, then what you’re talking about is not as an everyday player that’s going to take somebody else’s spot that needs the at-bats or need the innings pitched, so that’s the kind of thing you have to balance,” Quatraro said.

After a strong rookie performance in 2022, Pasquantino has kept things going this year by hitting .260/.344/.474 with nine home runs over his first 219 plate appearances of the 2023 campaign.  The 25-year-old certainly looks like a nice building block for K.C. going forward, though it isn’t really known if the Royals have made any attempt to lock Pasquantino up to an extension.  Pasquantino told Grathoff that he had “no information” about any contract talks, and Royals GM J.J. Picollo also declined comment.

Pasquantino is already under team control through the 2028 season, so the Royals don’t have to be in any kind of real rush to sign the first baseman to an extension, and might simply prefer to wait to see what they have in Pasquantino before exploring a longer-term deal.  Reiterated an earlier point he made on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM, Pasquantino said that for his part, he wants to remain with the Royals, saying “I think for every player, you dream of playing for the same team your entire career.  I really enjoy this organization.  So on the surface, yes, I’d love to stay here.”

Royals Select Mike Mayers

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The Royals announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of veteran right-hander Mike Mayers from Triple-A Omaha. Lefty Amir Garrett was placed on the family medical emergency list in a corresponding 26-man roster move, while left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was transferred to the 60-day IL in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster.

Yarbrough has been on the 15-day IL since May 7, when he was struck in the face by a comeback line-drive off the bat of A’s first baseman Ryan Noda. The Royals announced on May 9 that Yarbrough would not require surgery but had sustained multiple facial fractures and was entering concussion protocol. Today’s shift to the 60-day IL means he’ll be out until at least early July.

Mayers, 31, has seen big league time in seven prior MLB seasons — all split between the Cardinals and Angels. He posted strong numbers with the 2020-21 Halos, logging a combined 3.34 ERA with a 30.5% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate, 35.9% ground-ball rate and 1.11 HR/9 in 105 innings — picking up four saves and 22 holds along the way.

Unfortunately, Mayers’ 2022 campaign more closely mirrored his rough four-year stretch with the Cardinals; in 50 2/3 innings last year, Mayers was tagged for a 5.68 ERA with diminished strikeout abilities and fastball velocity. He also yielded a career-worst 2.66 homers per nine frames with lofty opponents’ exit velocity and hard-hit rate marks (91.2 mph and 48.1%).

The Royals inked Mayers to a minor league contract over the winter, and he’s spent the 2023 season in their Triple-A rotation, where he’s been hit hard. In eight starts, Mayers has lasted just 34 innings with a 6.88 ERA, a sub-par 18.1% strikeout rate and an elevated 10.6% walk rate.

Kansas City has an off-day today and, as such, won’t need a starter in the near future. They’re lined up with Zack Greinke, Jordan Lyles, Brad Keller and Brady Singer to make their scheduled turns Friday through Monday, so it seems likely that Mayers will step into the bullpen and provide some length. The Royals’ pitching staff as a whole has flopped in 2023, as their collective 5.32 ERA ranks 28th in the sport and leads only the White Sox (5.44) and Athletics (7.18).

Ryan Yarbrough Placed On IL With Head Fractures

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May 8: The Royals today placed Yarbrough on the 15-day injured list, listing his ailment as head fractures. The severity of his injuries is still not publicly known, nor has the club provided an expected recovery timeline. Right-hander Jose Cuas was recalled in a corresponding move.

May 7: Royals left-hander Ryan Yarbrough was struck in the face by a Ryan Noda line drive, naturally resulting in Yarbrough’s removal from the game.  In the sixth inning of Kansas City’s 5-1 victory over Oakland, Yarbrough’s pitch was driven back to the mound with a 106.2 mph exit velocity off of Noda’s bat, knocking Yarbrough immediately to the ground.  Fortunately, Yarbrough was able to leave the mound on his own feet, albeit with some assistance from team trainers.

Post-game, Royals manager Matt Quatraro told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers that Yarbrough “was talking and aware of what was going on” when team personnel quickly visited the mound in the wake of the injury.  Quatraro said Yarbrough would get further testing done at a local hospital.

More will be known when Yarbrough’s testing is complete, but it tentatively seems as though the southpaw has thankfully avoided any serious damage from a very scary moment.  It seems possible that the Royals might put Yarbrough on the seven-day concussion-related injured list for precautionary reasons, just to give him more time to fully recover.

Today’s incident spoils what had been a positive day on the mound, as Yarbrough earned his first win of the season after limiting the Athletics to one run on three hits over 5 2/3 innings.  Yarbrough still has a 6.15 ERA over 26 1/3 innings, and today’s game marked his third start after beginning the year in Kansas City’s bullpen.  The swingman moved into the rotation once Kris Bubic was lost for the season due to Tommy John surgery, but the Royals will have to look for another fill-in starter if Yarbrough does indeed have to miss any time.

Injury Notes: Peterson, Yarbrough, Garcia,

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Mets starter David Peterson will get an x-ray on his left foot after being struck by a ball there, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including Tim Healey of Newsday). Peterson tossed two innings in the Mets 15-4 win over Miami today.

Peterson isn’t expected to crack New York’s opening day rotation, although there’s a good chance he’d be one of the first options they called on in the event of an injury to any of the other starters. We’re obviously short on detail until the results of Peterson’s x-ray come back, but any serious injury would be a blow to the Mets’ pitching depth. Peterson worked to a 3.83 ERA over 105 2/3 innings for the Mets last year, combining a 27.8% strikeout rate with a 10.6% walk rate. The 27-year-old does have minor league options remaining, so he could either operate as a starter at Triple-A or out of New York’s bullpen. The Mets do have solid pitching depth behind their projected rotation of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Kodai Senga, Carlos Carrasco and Jose Quintana, with Peterson, Tylor Megill and Joey Lucchesi all shaping up as solid depth options. [UPDATE May 5: Peterson’s x-rays were inconclusive, and he will now get a CT scan, Showalter told Healey and other reporters.]

Here’s a couple of other injury notes from around the game:

  • Royals starter Ryan Yarbrough is dealing with a “slight groin strain” that doesn’t appear to be too serious, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Yarbrough is scheduled to throw a bullpen session tomorrow to see how he feels. Yarbrough tossed 80 innings of 4.50 ERA ball for the Rays last year across nine starts and 11 relief appearances. Tampa Bay designated Yarbrough for assignment and then non-tendered him this winter, and he latched on with the Royals on a one-year, $3MM deal. The leftie owns a career 4.33 ERA over five seasons in the bigs, all for the Rays.
  • Pirates left-hander Jarlin Garcia left today’s 4-3 loss to the Phillies with what the team describes as left arm tightness, Justice delos Santos of MLB.com relays. Garcia gave up four earned runs on a walk and four hits in 1/3 of an inning of work. Unsurprisingly, the language used to describe the injury is very vague, and the outcome could range from a serious injury to nothing at all, and we should know more once the Pirates have evaluated him. Garcia joined the Pirates on a one-year, $2.5MM deal this winter. He’d been a successful member of the Giants bullpen for the past few seasons, working to a 2.84 ERA over 152 innings of work between 2020-22. Like many southpaws, he worked especially well against left-handed hitters, restricting them to a .192/.245/.364 line in 2022, against a .275/.327/.450 line against right-handed hitters. Rule 5 pick Jose Hernandez is the only other left-handed reliever currently projected to be on the Pirates active roster to start the year, although the team does have a number of non-roster invitees, including Caleb Smith, Daniel Zamora and Rob Zastryzny, who could come into the picture should Garcia’s tightness turn into anything that puts him in doubt for opening day.
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