Todd Frazier

NL East Injury Notes: Frazier, Foltynewicz

By TC Zencka | April 14, 2019 at 9:57pm CDT

Let’s grab an update on a couple of players who might returning to NL East action…

Todd Frazier has a good chance of making his season debut later this week, per MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo (via Twitter). The Mets third baseman missed the first couple weeks of the 2019 season with a left oblique injury, but he’s on the return trail and could join the team in Philadelphia. J.D. Davis has had his share of moments while playing third in Frazier’s stead, batting .242/.375/.485, including a home run on April 6th – with an exit velocity of 114.6 mph – that was the fourth hardest-hit HR by a Mets player since Statcast started tracking the data in 2015. Both of his home runs this season came in that April 6th contest against the Nationals until he hit his third tonight against the Braves. Given the way Pete Alonso has played at first base, the Mets will face a roster crunch when Frazier does return. Dominic Smith, Luis Guillorme and Davis all have options remaining, making them notably vulnerable.
Braves righty Mike Foltynewicz will make his final scheduled rehab start this week before likely joining the Braves rotation for his 2019 debut, per The Athletic’s David O’Brien (via Twitter). Folty enjoyed a breakout 4.2 rWAR 2018, going 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA over a career high 31 starts. The stellar results were driven by year-over-year improvements in strikeouts per nine innings (from 8.4 K/9 to 9.9 K/9) and home runs allowed per nine (from 1.2 HR/9 to 0.8 HR/9). Both his fastball and sinker gained a full mph or more from 2017 to 2018, while he also relied more heavily on his slider, which excelled as a wipe out pitch (36.8 Whiff%, 42.4 K%). Sean Newcomb’s recent demotion opens up a spot in the rotation, as Monday’s day off will allow a four-man rotation until Folty is likely to return.

Health Notes: Frazier, Lowrie, Perez, Cobb, Folty, Gausman, Minter

By TC Zencka and Ty Bradley | March 30, 2019 at 4:34pm CDT

Some injury updates from around the game . . .

Todd Frazier Diagnosed With Oblique Strain

By Steve Adams | February 26, 2019 at 8:47am CDT

Mets third baseman Todd Frazier has been diagnosed with a strained left oblique muscle following an MRI and is headed back to New York to receive a cortisone shot, tweets MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo. While DiComo cites a Mets official who doesn’t believe the issue is severe, there’s no timetable for a return at present.

Given that oblique strains often keep players on the shelf for a month or more, Frazier’s injury could put his readiness for Opening Day in jeopardy. Paired with a knee issue for offseason signee Jed Lowrie, the Frazier injury tests the Mets’ infield depth before the first week of spring games has even come to a close. New York also acquired J.D. Davis from the Astros this winter and is currently planning to deploy Jeff McNeil in the outfield, so the team has options if Frazier and/or Lowrie does indeed need to sit out long enough to miss some time early in the season.

It’s a tough start to the season for the 33-year-old Frazier, who’ll be looking to rebound at the plate after posting a meager .213/.303/.390 slash with 18 homers and 18 doubles in 472 plate appearances last season. Frazier still turned in solid defensive marks last season (+2 Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating alike), and his walk rate topped 10 percent for the second consecutive season after never having done so in his first six seasons. He’s owed $9MM in 2019 in the second season of a two-year, $17MM deal with the Mets.

NL East Notes: McNeil, Marlins, Braves

By Steve Adams | January 18, 2019 at 11:43am CDT

The Mets’ additions of Robinson Cano and Jed Lowrie have eaten up most of the infield at-bats that would’ve otherwise gone to breakout 2018 rookie Jeff McNeil, writes Anthony DiComo in his latest inbox column. As such, McNeil now looks outfield bound in 2019 — a role he’s only played in a total of nine minor league games. While Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto are locked into outfield spots — likely in center and right field — McNeil will join Juan Lagares and Keon Broxton in the mix for additional outfield playing time. (Yoenis Cespedes’ status for the 2019 season is uncertain following surgery on both heels.) It’s curious to see McNeil to a more limited role after the 26-year-old burst onto the scene with a .329/.381/.471 slash in 248 plate appearances, though surely the organization feels its depth on the position player side is formidable. For those wondering, DiComo notes that Todd Frazier isn’t likely to be moved coming off a career-worst year, adding that GM Brodie Van Wagenen indicated Frazier is expected to receive regular at-bats at the infield corners. It’s somewhat curious, then, that the Mets chose to deepen their infield mix with Lowrie rather than add a reliever like Adam Ottavino, who agreed to a $9MM annual salary on a three-year deal with the Yankees yesterday.

Here’s more from the National League East…

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald provides an update on a sleepy Marlins offseason, explaining that the club is still waiting for some bigger things to fall into place before adding to its roster. Beyond the obvious fact that the rebuilding club is waiting to see what players might fall through the cracks in free agency, the Marlins are not particularly interested in making moves before lining up a hopeful trade involving star catcher J.T. Realmuto. That deal could return some MLB pieces, which would dictate the team’s further needs. Jackson also reports that Miami would like to add a lefty bat who can play both the infield and the outfield — a perplexing target considering the fact that the Marlins cut Derek Dietrich, who fits that description to a tee, rather than pay him a projected $4.8MM salary. Jackson again notes that right-hander Dan Straily is available, though Miami isn’t shopping him and would be happy to have him in the rotation in 2019 if a solid offer doesn’t materialize.
The Braves likely wouldn’t offer Craig Kimbrel more than three years to bring him back to Atlanta, writes Mark Bowman of MLB.com, and even then, the average annual value Kimbrel figures to seek could prove prohibitive. The outfield and the rotation, it seems, are still larger priorities for Atlanta decision-makers. Bowman notes that the Braves have not pursued Adam Jones in free agency despite a clear corner outfield opening, instead citing Nick Markakis as the likeliest free agent for the team to pursue.

Mets To Select Contract Of Bobby Wahl

By Jeff Todd | August 2, 2018 at 11:31am CDT

The Mets will select the contract of reliever Bobby Wahl, assistant GM John Ricco said today in an appearance on MLB Network Radio on Sirius XM (Twitter link). He’s one of the two players acquired in the pre-deadline swap that sent out veteran closer Jeurys Familia.

Wahl, a hard-throwing righty, has continued to rack up the strikeouts at Triple-A in four appearances since coming over from the Oakland organization. On the year, he has retired 73 batters on strikes while issuing 19 walks in 45 frames at the highest level of the minors. In that span, he has permitted just eleven earned runs on a meager twenty base hits.

Of course, Wahl has shown an interesting power arm in the past, and that did not prevent him from clearing waivers after a brief MLB debut in 2017. If the A’s were convinced he is a notable near-term bullpen asset, perhaps they would not have dealt him for the rental rights to Familia. That said, Wahl’s campaign last year was cut short by injury, which explains why he went unclaimed, and he has certainly bounced back with vigor in 2018. Perhaps he’ll provide a glimmer of hope for the Mets down the stretch.

In other news, the Mets are slated to activate third baseman Todd Frazier, per MLB.com’s Todd Frazier (via Twitter). He could perhaps become an August trade candidate, though there has been no rumor of trade talks to this point.

One active roster spot could be opened by sending starter Steven Matz to the DL. While Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets that Matz was cleared of structural concerns after undergoing an MRI, Mike Puma of the New York post suggests on Twitter that the southpaw may still hit the shelf. As Tim Healey of Newsday notes in a tweet, though, the club is still listing Matz as a probable starter this weekend.

New York Notes: Judge, Wheeler, Mesoraco, Frazier

By Kyle Downing | July 28, 2018 at 4:54pm CDT

It seems the Yankees will at least take a peek at the outfield market after losing Aaron Judge for a stretch, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports. The club is in the early stage of considering the possibilities, with GM Brian Cashman believing his front office has not “peeled the onion enough to tell you exactly what we will do.” The obvious internal choice, Clint Frazier, still isn’t available but could be soon. Otherwise, it seems the team may mostly be looking at finding a player who can help bridge the gap and perhaps then function as a fourth outfield or bench bat option once Judge’s wrist heals and he’s ready to take the field again.

Now let’s jump over to Queens…

The Mets are drawing wide interest in righty Zack Wheeler, Andy Martino of SNY.tv tweets. That creates an interesting situation for the organization, as Joel Sherman of the New York Post explores in his latest piece. While Wheeler has been the starter the Amazins have been most willing to deal, they’ve seen a recent transformation in his mental approach to the game that’s resulted in him making good on his excellent potential. Because of that, his value to them has gone up, and now they’re not sure whether they’ll be able to find a taker who will pay an appropriate price for him. Of course, Wheeler’s set to become a free agent after the 2019 season, so there’s little reason to hang onto him unless the Mets feel as though they can get a better package for him this offseason, or on the off-chance that they fancy themselves contenders in 2019.
Though there’s a chance that Wheeler could leave Queens, backstop Devin Mesoraco appears to be the likeliest player left on the roster to be dealt, per Mike Puma of the New York Post (Twitter link). Mesoraco came to New York in the trade that sent Matt Harvey to the Reds, and he’s improved his production since coming over from Cincinnati. Mesoraco sports a .229/.308/.405 slash with the Mets, and has hit seven of his eight homers since the trade. His contract expires at season’s end, however, and there are certainly teams (such as the Yankees) who could use a catcher.
Mets third baseman Todd Frazier is expected to begin a rehab assignment with High-A St. Lucie tonight. The 32-year-old veteran’s decline has continued this season, as he’s hit just .217/.300/.385. Frazier signed a two-year, $17MM deal with the Mets just this past offseason, but has only been able to take the field for 260 plate appearances so far after amassing at least 575 in each of the previous five seasons. He’s dealt with both hamstring and rib issues this season.

Mets Place Todd Frazier On DL Amid Series Of Roster Moves

By Steve Adams | July 9, 2018 at 1:38pm CDT

The Mets announced a series of roster moves today, most notably placing third baseman Todd Frazier on the disabled list due to a left rib cage strain. Additionally, the Mets recalled left-hander P.J. Conlon and right-hander Ty Kelly from Triple-A Las Vegas and optioned righty Chris Flexen to Vegas. Right-hander Jacob Rhame is also up with the team as the 26th man for today’s twin bill, and Tim Britton of The Athletic further reports that right-hander Drew Gagnon will have his contract selected tomorrow and start Tuesday night’s game.

It’s the second DL stint of the season for Frazier, 32, who previously missed nearly a month due to a hamstring strain. It’s not clear just how long he’ll miss at present, but the injury certainly won’t do any favors for Frazier’s already limited trade stock. Through 260 plate appearances on the season, Frazier is hitting .217/.300/.385 with 10 homers. As James Wagner of the New York Times points out (via Twitter), Frazier’s second trip to the DL in 2018 comes after a previous seven-year run in which he avoided the DL entirely.

Frazier has played solid defense at third base, per both Defensive Runs Saved and Ultimate Zone Rating, but Frazier’s walk rate has dropped from 14.4 percent in 2017 to 10.4 percent in 2018, leading to sub-par OBP contributions despite his still-strong power output (.239 ISO). He’s in the first season of a two-year, $17MM contract with the Mets.

The 28-year-old Gagnon will be making his MLB debut when he takes the mound for the Mets on Tuesday. The longtime Brewers farmhand is in his first season with the Mets organization and has pitched to a 4.40 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 with a ground-ball rate just shy of 50 percent. Gagnon’s K/BB numbers and ground-ball tendencies are encouraging, but he’s been plagued by the long ball — perhaps not entirely surprising given the hitter-friendly nature of both the Pacific Coast League in general and his home environment.

Mets To Activate Todd Frazier, Anthony Swarzak

By Jeff Todd | June 5, 2018 at 12:42pm CDT

The Mets have announced that they will activate third baseman Todd Frazier and righty Anthony Swarzak from the disabled list today, as MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo tweets. Corresponding roster moves are not yet known.

Frazier will end up missing just under a month with a hamstring strain. The veteran was off to a solid start to the year before that, slashing .237/.357/.412 with five home runs and a 15.0% walk rate over his first 140 plate appearances with the organization. He inked a two-year, $17MM contract over the winter.

Likewise, Swarzak joined the Mets on a two-year free agent pact; in his case, it came with a $14MM guarantee. But he made only two appearances before going down to an oblique injury.

Both players represent significant pieces of the Mets roster. The news is most welcome given the team’s struggles of late. With a number of players on the DL, the club has carried three catchers and utilized youngster Luis Guillorme quite a lot at second and third.

Given his struggles at the plate, Guillorme could simply be sent down to make way for Frazier. Complicating matters, though, is the fact that Swarzak will require a 40-man spot since he’s coming back from the 60-day DL. Veteran utilityman Jose Reyes has been even worse offensively than Guillorme, and trimming him from the roster would allow the club to maintain greater pitching depth by optioning (rather than designating) a reliever. That said, there are also some reasonable DFA candidates on the current staff and there has been no indication to date that Reyes is at risk.

Injury Notes: Murphy, Archer, T. Frazier, Graveman

By Connor Byrne | June 3, 2018 at 11:53am CDT

Unfortunately for the Nationals, second baseman Daniel Murphy doesn’t seem close to making his 2018 debut. Manager Dave Martinez told Jamal Collier of MLB.com and other reporters Sunday that Murphy remains “a ways” away from coming off the disabled list. What’s more, Murphy – who underwent microfracture surgery in his right knee last October – has not looked healthy during his Double-A rehab assignment, Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post hears. A scout informed Janes that Murphy has been “gimpy,” “struggling to move laterally” and lacking “straight-ahead speed” during action this weekend. Not only is that bad news for the Nats, with whom Murphy starred from 2016-17, but also for the impending free agent. While Murphy did all he could to set himself up for another nice payday over the previous couple seasons, the 33-year-old is now amid a less-than-ideal platform campaign.

Rays right-hander Chris Archer dealt with groin tightness during his start Saturday, helping lead to his exit after five innings of two-run ball, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes. It doesn’t seem to be a major concern, but “he’ll probably get checked out here in the next day or two and see how it is,” manager Kevin Cash said. Thanks in part to Saturday’s performance, Archer has seen his ERA plummet from a season-worst 7.84 on April 14 to 4.24 over his past nine starts. That should help the hard-throwing 29-year-old’s stock if the Rays make him available in advance of the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, as some expect them to do.
Mets third baseman Todd Frazier is primed to come off the DL in time for the team’s series against Baltimore, which begins Tuesday, Matt Ehalt of The Record suggests. Indeed, Frazier tweeted Sunday that he’s on his way back to New York, thus wrapping up a Triple-A rehab assignment. His return will be a rare positive development for the free-falling Mets, who placed Frazier on the DL with a hamstring strain on May 8. Prior to suffering the injury, the offseason free-agent signing opened 2018 with a helpful .237/.357/.412 line and five home runs in 140 plate appearances.
The Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate in Nashville has placed righty Kendall Graveman on the DL with a forearm strain, according to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Fortunately, Graveman doesn’t have any structural damage and should only miss 10 days, Slusser reports. Nevertheless, the injury continues a difficult year for Graveman, who entered 2018 off three straight respectable campaigns but has spent a large portion of the season in the minors. The 27-year-old worked to a 7.60 ERA in 34 1/3 innings prior to his demotion and also hasn’t been great in Nashville, where he has posted a 4.50 ERA in 24 frames.

NL Injury Notes: Acuna, Kershaw, Wright, Mets

By Connor Byrne | May 27, 2018 at 3:22pm CDT

Braves uber-prospect Ronald Acuna left the team’s game Sunday in Boston with knee and lower-back pain, the team announced. The 20-year-old outfielder exited in the seventh inning after suffering a gruesome-looking injury (video via Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports), though he eventually was able to walk off the field on his own power, David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes. Acuna’s currently undergoing an exam at a nearby clinic, O’Brien tweets. The up-and-coming Braves and the baseball world in general are holding their breath that isn’t a serious injury for the exciting Acuna, who has emerged as one of the game’s best rookies and a key part of a playoff contender.

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