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Trade Chatter: Darvish, Alonso, Red Sox, Ramos, Stanton, Cahill, Nunez

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Yu Darvish is pitching tonight for the Rangers, so clearly there’s nothing imminent. Indeed, Texas seems likely to take its decision on the ace to the latest possible moment, even as it begins to solicit interest. As that process begins to take place, it’s important to note that Darvish possesses partial no-trade rights. While it’s not at all clear whether he’d get in the way of a deal, particularly given that he’ll be a free agent in a few months regardless, that adds another potential hurdle. Per Jim Bowden of Sirius XM, via Twitter, Darvish currently can block trades to the Cubs, Indians, Pirates, Red Sox, and Rockies (along with five other teams that are in no position to consider a rental starter).

Here’s the latest trade deadline chatter:

  • While the Athletics continue to weigh their options with first baseman Yonder Alonso, the club has not actually engaged in any extension talks with his reps, per ESPN.com’s Buster Olney (Twitter link). While a new deal seems unlikely to come to fruition (yet more than it did already), the A’s are struggling to drum up interest in the breakout performer. Indeed, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com suggests on Twitter that the Yankees are the only team firmly pursuing Alonso at this time. Trouble is, it seems, Oakland isn’t enamored of the Yanks’ offers to date.
  • Meanwhile, the division-rival Red Sox could conceivably look into some outside-the-box possibilities to improve their offense, Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes. He bases that assessment on the difficulty of finding a significant offensive threat capable of playing third as well as the ongoing struggles of Mitch Moreland since he suffered a toe injury. Boston might consider a first baseman, Speier says, or perhaps even an outfielder that could lineup at DH — if Hanley Ramirez is capable of spending more time at first. While it doesn’t seem there’s any indication of internal interest at this point, Speier cites Alonso, Lucas Duda, and Jay Bruce as rental players that could hold some appeal.
  • Marlins closer A.J. Ramos is drawing interest from as many as eight to ten teams, MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro tweets. With momentum perhaps building toward a deal, Ramos tells MLB.com’s Jeremy Vernon that he hears the rumors, but is trying to stay focused on his current job. “It’s good, but also it’s a little bit bittersweet,” he said of the fact other teams are looking to deal for him.
  • A handful of clubs have reached out to the Marlins about high-priced slugger Giancarlo Stanton, Jon Heyman of Fan Rag reports, but the expectation remains that he will not be seriously marketed this summer. Still, the club is keeping Stanton “apprised of every contact” it receives, which evidently was a commitment made to the star. With full no-trade protection, he can control his destiny.
  • Interest in Padres righty Trevor Cahill is increasing as the deadline draws near, a team source tells MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell (via Twitter). While the possible introduction of Darvish to the market would knock Cahill down a peg among rental arms, it likely wouldn’t reduce the demand. After all, he’s still exceptionally cheap and has been one of the game’s most productive starters when healthy in 2017. For teams that want to take a shot at a continuation of that surprising success, Cahill should hold quite a lot of appeal.
  • Interestingly, in his recent run-down of the market for Athletics righty Sonny Gray, Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network noted that even the Padres have asked about the hotly pursued starter. That may be chalked up mostly to due diligence; though the Pads no doubt would love to install such an arm into their rotation for the next two years, it’s hard to see sufficient motivation to beat the offers of other organizations that will highly value the ability to utilize Gray for the next several months.
  • Among Giants players, infielder Eduardo Nunez is drawing the most interest, Olney tweets. That’s hardly surprising, as he’s a pending free agent who can play all over the infield. It still seems a bit difficult to imagine that the Giants won’t find a worthwhile arrangement involving Nunez, who could fit with quite a few different contenders.

Trade Rumblings: Darvish, Marlins, Starters, Tigers, Astros, Iglesias, Hand

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There’s “increasing buzz” that the Rangers will listen to offers on top starters Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels if they don’t open the second half of the season with strong play, tweets ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick. It’s been previously reported that the Rangers will hold onto Darvish even if they fall out of the race, so that’d represent something of a change of mindset for GM Jon Daniels & Co. Darvish is set to hit the open market at season’s end, so if the Rangers are out of the race and don’t trade him, they run the risk of losing him to free agency (though he’d obviously receive and reject a qualifying offer, affording Texas some draft compensation). Hamels, meanwhile, hasn’t been listed as a potential trade target to date. He’s earning $23.5MM this year and next, and he’s owed at least $6MM as the buyout on a $20MM club option for the 2019 campaign. That contract and a bizarrely low strikeout rate (4.9 K/9) could complicate Hamels’ market, though he’s shown recent improvement with 12 strikeouts in his past 14 1/3 innings of work.

More trade chatter from around the league…

  • The Marlins have told other clubs that they’re ready to sell off assets, a rival executive tells Bleacher Report’s Scott Miller. According to Miller, the Marlins have spoken to more than 10 teams about right-hander David Phelps, and there are two or three clubs that are showing “serious” interest in closer AJ Ramos. “They’re working on it and talking to clubs,” the exec tells Miller. “But the conversations always end with one caveat, that they don’t know that the owner won’t bail at the last minute.” Miller adds that Giancarlo Stanton isn’t likely to move until the Marlins accept that they won’t get someone to take his salary and give prospects back. The industry feeling is that it’d have to be almost a straight salary dump. (Stanton can also veto any deal via his no-trade clause.) Miller’s column features a look at all 30 teams and their possible deadline course as well.
  • Sonny Gray, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole are available in trades, writes Jon Morosi of MLB.com, but the Athletics, Tigers and Pirates have each set a lofty asking price. Perhaps more interestingly, Morosi adds that the Braves have said right-hander Julio Teheran isn’t available, though he’s reportedly been drawing interest and others (including David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports) have said that Atlanta would at least consider offers. In addition to that overview of the market for pitchers, Morosi runs down a position-by-position preview of the market for bats.
  • Heyman reports that there’s little to no genuine interest in Justin Verlander at this time due to his huge contract and underwhelming numbers. Furthermore, he notes that due to Verlander’s status as a legend in Detroit, they can’t accept an underwhelming return and effectively signal to Tigers fans that his trade was a salary dump. There’s also very little interest in Ian Kinsler, according to Heyman, as the he’s struggled in 2017 and few teams are on the hunt for second base help. He adds that Alex Avila, J.D. Martinez and Justin Wilson are all drawing strong interest, however, so GM Al Avila should make some deals in the next 18 days.
  • In his weekly AL Notes column, Heyman reports that with few top starters left on the market, the Astros may instead pursue high-end bullpen help in an effort to shorten the game and load up the relief corps for the postseason. Unsurprisingly, their list of targets would include Zach Britton, if he’s available. (Most clubs in the league would perk up at the notion of acquiring a healthy Britton.)
  • Heyman also notes that Braves left-hander Jaime Garcia is one rental pitcher that interests the Royals. On the subject of Kansas City, he also notes that while the team does have interest in Marlins second baseman Dee Gordon, K.C. would want Miami to pay down some of the roughly $41MM remaining on Gordon’s contract, which the Fish aren’t willing to do. The same is true of the Angels and Blue Jays, he adds, both of whom like the player but not his current salary.
  • Meanwhile, in his NL Notes column, Heyman writes that the Reds are believed to be willing to listen to offers on closer Raisel Iglesias but would only move him for a package that would “blow them away.” The 27-year-old Iglesias has emerged as one of baseball’s best relievers and is controllable through the 2020 season. He’s affordable at the moment ($3.5MM in 2017), but his contract allows him to opt into arbitration once eligible, so his salary is going to balloon quite a bit between now and 2020. Heyman also notes that the Reds would be interested in a two- or possibly three-year deal with Zack Cozart but recognize that he can earn more than they’re willing to pay when he gets to free agency.
  • The Yankees, Nationals, Dodgers, Cubs, Brewers, Royals, Angels and Mariners could all be in the mix for lefty Brad Hand, Heyman reports. Regarding the Dodgers, Heyman and Robert Murray report that San Diego asked Los Angeles for top prospect Alex Verdugo in return, though there’s “no likelihood” of L.A. meeting that price. The Padres are also getting calls on cheap starters Trevor Cahill, Clayton Richard and Jhoulys Chacin, each of whom inked a one-year deal worth $1.75MM this past offseason.

Sherman’s Latest: Matz, Padres, Maurer, Yankees, Rangers, Smith, Mariners

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Officials from several teams tell Joel Sherman of the New York Post that this year’s deadline market is lacking in top-tier starting pitching.  Jose Quintana and Sonny Gray are the top names available, though both have their share of flaws; Quintana’s rather shaky performance this year and Gray’s long-term health are concerns.  With the market thin on aces, Sherman wonder if the Cardinals and Tigers would consider shopping controllable young stars Carlos Martinez or Michael Fulmer, each of whom would score an enormous return at the deadline.  The Cards and Tigers could get more than the prospect package the White Sox landed for Chris Sale last winter since so many teams would be vying for those stars.  It should be noted, however, that “there is no indication whatsoever” that either St. Louis or Detroit would even consider moving either pitcher.

Here’s more from Sherman in the previously-linked article and in two other pieces (first link, second link)…

  • Mets officials dismissed any notion of trading Steven Matz, in relation to Sherman’s consideration of teams trading controllable young arms.  Elbow problems kept Matz from debuting until June, and he has a 2.12 ERA through five starts, though advanced metrics paint a much less impressive view of Matz’s performance.  While the lefty would be a big trade chip if made available, it’s also certainly understandable why the Mets see him as a future building block, especially since Matz hasn’t even reached arbitration eligibility yet.
  • The Padres have received interest in starters Trevor Cahill, Jhoulys Chacin and Clayton Richard, as well as relievers Craig Stammen and Jose Torres.
  • The Yankees have already been linked to Padres reliever Brad Hand, but Sherman reports that closer Brandon Maurer’s name has also come up in talks between the two teams.  Maurer has a 5.60 ERA over 35 1/3 IP for San Diego this year but he has been victimized by a inordinately low 52.9% strand rate.  ERA indicators (2.95 FIP, 3.56 xFIP, 3.31 SIERA) and his peripheral numbers (8.92 K/9, 5.00 K/BB rate) paint a much more positive view of his 2017 performance.  San Diego had interest in Gleyber Torres prior to his Tommy John surgery, though officials from the Padres and other teams believe that the Yankees’ farm system is deep enough that they’ll be able to make deals without moving any of their top prospects.
  • Control may be more of a commodity than pure talent in the reliever market, according to one NL executive.  “My sense is that if you have a reliever who is under control through at least next year, you can expect more interest and a greater return than for a slightly better reliever who is a free agent after this season,” the executive said.
  • One team is looking to add controllable pieces both its bullpen and in general is the Rangers, in a return to their strategy from the 2015 deadline.  One AL official feels Texas will add one or two relievers, and whomever the Rangers may add, “I would be shocked if that player did not have control through at least next season.”
  • The Red Sox are still waiting to see if Carson Smith can be a bullpen asset for them this season before fully exploring the relief market.  Smith is expected to start mound work this week as he continues his rehab from Tommy John surgery, though his process was already delayed when he was shut down from throwing for a spell last month.  Given that it would surprising to see Smith even return to action before July 31, one would think Boston will end up looking at relief help and counting on Smith only as a potential bonus down the stretch.
  • The Mariners are one of only a few teams open to adding payroll in deadline trades, which one official describes as not “as good as having prospects, but it is an asset.”  The M’s began 2017 with a record payroll of more than $155.2MM, so with such a major financial investment already made, it makes sense that GM Jerry Dipoto and company are willing to spend a bit more to get the team over the hump.  Dipoto recently stated that the team is still planning to add at the deadline, though Seattle ends the first half with a 43-47 record (albeit four games out of a wild card spot).

Padres Designate Chase D’Arnaud For Assignment

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The Padres have designated infielder Chase d’Arnaud for assignment, Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports (Twitter link).  The move was made to create roster space for Trevor Cahill, who has been activated from the DL to start tonight’s game against the Indians.

[Updated Padres depth chart at Roster Resource]

This is the third time that d’Arnaud has entered DFA limbo this season, as he was previously designated by the Braves in April and then claimed by the Red Sox, only to be designated by Boston in May and then claimed by the Padres.  In 62 combined plate appearances with all three clubs, d’Arnaud is hitting .190/.242/.276 while starting games at shortstop, second base, third base and left field.

Cahill returns to the San Diego rotation with plenty of time to impress potential suitors in the three weeks remaining before the trade deadline, though proving his health will be the first priority.  Cahill has been limited to seven starts and 41 1/3 IP thanks to two separate DL stints due to back and shoulder injuries.  When Cahill has been on the mound, he has looked impressive, posting a 3.27 ERA, 11.1 K/9, 3.00 K/BB rate and 60.2% grounder rate.  With only around $825K owed to him for the remainder of the year, several teams could have interest in Cahill as low-cost help for the back end of a rotation or as bullpen depth.

Pitching Notes: Rangers, A’s, Yanks, Padres, Twins

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Matt Bush hasn’t been a shutdown closer for the Rangers, so they’ve stripped him of the job and will deploy a ninth-inning committee, writes T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. “We’ll use multiple pitchers based on who is available and the set of hitters coming up,” said manager Jeff Banister. “We are not set on one single guy.” Each of Keone Kela, Alex Claudio and Jose Leclerc could get save opportunities, notes Sullivan. All three have outperformed Bush, who had a nightmarish June in which he blew three of seven save chances and allowed 10 earned runs on 21 hits in 9 1/3 innings. He’s the second Rangers closer to struggle mightily this season, joining predecessor and now-Giant Sam Dyson. (To keep tabs on all teams’ ninth-inning situations, follow MLBTR’s affiliate Twitter site, @CloserNews.)

  • Athletics right-hander Andrew Triggs could undergo season-ending surgery if his ailing left hip doesn’t respond to treatment by the end of the month, reports Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. Triggs received a cortisone shot two weeks ago, but there hasn’t been much progress in his recovery since then. The 28-year-old is optimistic he’ll avoid surgery, but he’ll face a six-month recovery if he does go under the knife. Triggs has been on the disabled list since June 10, before which he posted a 4.27 ERA, 6.89 K/9, 2.62 BB/9  and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate across 65 1/3 innings.
  • Left-hander C.C. Sabathia is on track to return to the Yankees’ rotation Tuesday, per Andrew Marchand of ESPN.com. Sabathia hasn’t pitched since suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain in mid-June. Before that, the impending free agent helped his stock, not to mention New York’s playoff chances, with a 3.46 ERA and a 49.8 percent ground-ball rate over 75 1/3 frames.
  • Meanwhile, righty Trevor Cahill will slot back into the Padres’ starting staff Tuesday, tweets Dennis Lin of the San Diego Union-Tribune. With the trade deadline approaching, Cahill’s return will come at a good time for the rebuilding Padres. Cahill, out since mid-May with a shoulder strain, pitched like a front-line starter over 41 1/3 innings in the early going, logging a 3.27 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and a 60.2 percent ground-ball rate.
  • One of the Twins’ top prospects, Double-A lefty Tyler Jay, is likely headed for season-ending surgery, according to Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press. Jay is being evaluated for thoracic outlet syndrome, which is not an easy injury from which to return (as the Twins’ Phil Hughes and the Mets’ Matt Harvey have shown). Jay, whom the Twins chose sixth overall in 2015, battled neck issues as a Double-A last season and entered 2017 as a reliever. His latest ailment has limited him to two innings this year.

Taking Inventory: San Diego Padres

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This is the sixth entry in MLBTR’s Taking Inventory series. Click for entries on the White Sox, Royals, Phillies, Pirates and Giants.

After trading Derek Norris this past offseason, the part of the Padres’ rebuild that involved trading away veterans to shed salary and/or make room for younger players had come to an end. But that didn’t close the door on general manager A.J. Preller’s ability to wheel and deal during the 2017 season. By signing a quartet of free agent starting pitchers to help bridge the gap until the team’s younger pitchers were ready to contribute—Trevor Cahill, Jhoulys Chacin, Clayton Richard and Jered Weaver were each signed to one-year deals for a combined total of $8.25MM— they also added some potential trade chips to go along with any other players on the roster with less than three years of club control.

With three of the four veteran starters having established some trade value and several other players expected to draw strong interest, the only question is how long Preller waits before pulling the trigger on his first trade of 2017. Let’s break down who could become available…

Rentals

Clayton Richard, LHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM

Richard has had a career resurgence since joining the Padres last August, posting a 3.64 ERA over 141.2 innings. The 33-year-old was one out away from a complete game shutout on Tuesday before allowing a 2-run double on his 127th pitch of the game. It was the third time this season he’s flirted with that rare feat. He allowed one earned run in a complete game win against the D’backs on May 21st and pitched eight shutout innings against the Dodgers in his 2017 debut in April. He’s also completed at least six innings in nine of his 14 starts. A reliable lefty starter who can pitch deep into games can be very useful on a playoff contender.

Jhoulys Chacin, RHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM

Aside from three disastrous starts, which account for 23 earned runs over 10 innings, Chacin has been pretty good for the Padres. The 29-year-old hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in his other 10 starts and has completed at least six innings on eight different occasions. A reunion with the Rockies would make a lot of sense as their young pitching staff will need some help down the stretch.

Trevor Cahill, RHP (starter) | Salary: $1.75MM

A pair of disabled list stints due to back and shoulder injuries will likely keep Cahill’s trade value to a minimum, but he’s been impressive in a seven-start sample with a 3.27 ERA and 11.1 K/9 in 41.1 innings pitched. If he can return to health—he’s on track to be activated in the next few weeks—the 29-year-old should have at least 4 or 5 starts to showcase his talent to a contending team. He could also draw interest as a reliever based on his strong 2016 season out of the bullpen for the World Champion Cubs.

Erick Aybar, SS | Salary: $1.5MM

There’s not much of a market for shortstops and Aybar has been a disappointment, anyways, with a .215/.282/.328 slash line in 196 plate appearances. Nevertheless, he can be had for very little if a team is looking to add some veteran infield depth. At this rate, he’s more likely to be released than traded.

Craig Stammen, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $900K 

Stammen’s ERA is a bit inflated (4.25) due to a three-appearance stretch in April when he allowed 10 earned runs in three innings. Aside from that, his numbers (36 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 9.0 K/9) look very similar to his those he posted as a very effective multi-inning reliever with the Washington Nationals from 2012-2014. The 33-year-old has pitched at least two innings in 10 of his 22 appearances and has held right-handed hitters to a .610 OPS.

 

Controlled Through 2019

Brad Hand, LHP (reliever) | Salary: $1.375MM (arbitration-eligible this winter)

While there was some early-season trade buzz surrounding Hand after a dominant first month, his more recent struggles—he has a 4.57 ERA over his last 18 appearances with two blown saves and four losses—have most likely scared off any suitors who would’ve been willing to strike early and meet what would’ve been a very high asking price. Still, the 27-year-old has emerged as one of the better lefty setup men in baseball over the past year. The Red Sox were able to flip two-and-a-half months of Andrew Miller for a Top 100 prospect (Eduardo Rodriguez) at the 2014 trade deadline. Hand isn’t Miller, but he’s under team control for two-and-a-half years so it wouldn’t be a surprise if the Padres could net a fairly significant return.

Brandon Maurer, RHP (reliever) | Salary: $1.9MM in 2017, (arbitration-eligible this winter)

Maurer could be a tough sell with his 6.15 ERA, but he’s saved 12 of 14 games, throws a sinking fastball that reaches the upper 90s and is averaging 9.6 K/9. He was also very good after taking over as the Padres’ closer last July, converting 13 of 15 save chances while posting a 3.09 ERA. A team would have to be willing to pay the price for what Maurer has been aside from a handful of bad games—he has a 2.45 ERA if you throw out three awful appearances. Otherwise, the Padres will be happy to hold on to him until at least the upcoming offseason.

Yangervis Solarte, 2B/3B | Salary: $2.625MM in 2017, $4.125MM in 2018, $5.5MM club option for 2019, not eligible for free agency if declined (plus $750K buyout of $8MM club option for 2020)

The 29-year-old, who was rewarded with a two-year contract extension after a breakout season in 2016, has finally heated up after struggling through the first month-and-a-half of 2017. As a result—Solarte is slashing .333/.429/.474 over his last 21 games—trade interest could soon pick up for the switch-hitting infielder. His team-friendly contract, defensive versatility and ability to come through in the clutch—he has a .956 OPS with runners in scoring position—could make him a nice under-the-radar acquisition for a contending team.

 

Longer-Term Assets

Wil Myers, 1B (starter) | Salary: $4.5MM in 2017, $4.5MM in 2018, $5.5MM in 2019, $22.5MM in 2020, 2021 and 2022 (plus $1MM buyout of $20MM club option for 2023)

The Padres made it clear that Myers was a player they wanted to build around when they gave him a franchise-record $83MM contract extension in January. That doesn’t mean they’re not willing to listen if a team was interested in trading for the 26-year-old All-Star, who had 29 homers and 28 stolen bases in 2016. Teams probably won’t be willing to take on that big contract, however, until he’s proven that he can be an MVP-caliber player since he’ll be paid like one in a few years. Based on his current slump (.547 OPS, HR, 37 strikeouts in 97 plate appearances), I’m guessing that he’s not quite ready to make the jump from “very good” player to “great” player.

Injury Notes: Sanchez, Chen, Cahill, Hughes, Beltre

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Aaron Sanchez won’t resume throwing until the blister/fingernail issues that have plagued him this season have completely subsided, reports Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. The Blue Jays ace and 2016 American League ERA champ has already had three separate 10-day DL stints due to the issue, and at this point, he’s not even going to play catch until his finger is fully healthy. “I can’t keep having this issue every inning and have to go check,” Sanchez tells Nicholson-Smith. “This game’s already hard enough to have to go out there and compete. I’m beating myself up trying to go in there and pitch through it. It’s not doing me any good, it’s not doing the team any good.” There’s no timetable on his return at this point, though Sanchez says that if he needs to wait “30 days to find an answer for the rest of my career, then so be it.”

A few other notable injury scenarios from around the league…

  • Marlins manager Don Mattingly told reporters today that left-hander Wei-Yin Chen has undergone another platelet-rich plasma injection in his ailing left elbow (Twitter link via the South Florida Sun Sentinel’s Tim Healey). Chen had a PRP in that same elbow last summer and was able to return after an absence of about two months. At this point, however, the Marlins still don’t have any idea when the southpaw will be cleared to rejoin the rotation. As I noted yesterday when running down the various opt-out decisions that will impact the upcoming class of free agents, Chen’s injury makes it nearly impossible to fathom a scenario where he opts out of the remaining three years on his five-year, $80MM contract.
  • The Padres sent Trevor Cahill for an MRI on his injured right shoulder, but the test revealed no structural damage, tweets MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell. Cahill will nonetheless be shut down from throwing for the next 10 to 14 days, though, after experiencing continued discomfort in a weekend throwing session. Getting Cahill back to full health will be critical for a rebuilding Padres club that could look to cash in on his perhaps surprisingly excellent start to the season. The 29-year-old’s return to a starting role has yielded a 3.27 ERA with 11.1 K/9, 3.7 BB/9 and a 60.2 percent ground-ball rate through 41 1/3 innings this season. Between that spike in strikeouts and Cahill’s modest $1.75MM salary, he’d generate plenty of interest if healthy.
  • Twins right-hander Phil Hughes also underwent an MRI to have his right shoulder checked out, but GM Thad Levine tells Phil Miller of the Minneapolis Star Tribune that doctors are still evaluating the results (Twitter link). Hughes is slated to undergo further testing tomorrow, Miller adds. Hughes saw his 2016 season end early due to shoulder troubles that led to surgery to alleviate thoracic outlet syndrome, but he hasn’t regained his velocity thus far in 2017. The 30-year-old has demonstrated his characteristically excellent control (2.1 BB/9), but his 5.7 K/9 rate is a far cry from the 8.0 mark Hughes turned in during his stellar first year with Minnesota.
  • MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan tweets that Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre could head to extended Spring Training this weekend to begin taking some at-bats in games. If that goes well, Beltre will still need a minor league rehab stint to ramp up after missing the entire season to date, though it’s a positive sign that he’s progressed to the point of getting in some extended spring work. It would seem that an early June return for Beltre is possible, barring any further setbacks in his recovery from a calf injury.

Injury Notes: Hughes, Cano, Cahill, Karns

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Here are a few quick injury notes from around the league:

  • The Twins have placed righty Phil Hughes on the DL with shoulder trouble, Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press writes (all Twitter links). The extent of his current troubles aren’t yet known, although it’s worth noting that last year Hughes had season-ending shoulder surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome. Hughes reported a “dead feeling” after allowing three home runs against Kansas City on Sunday. Kyle Gibson, who struggled in six starts with the Twins earlier this season, has been promoted from Triple-A Rochester to take Hughes’ place in the rotation; he will start Monday.
  • Mariners second baseman Robinson Cano is set to return from a DL stint on Tuesday, writes MLB.com’s Greg Johns. Cano went to the DL last week with a strained quad; his placement was retroactive to May 13, so Tuesday is the earliest he’s eligible to return. Cano took batting and fielding practice on Saturday, and reported that he felt fine. The Mariners will count on Cano, who was hitting .296/.362/.533, to aid an offense that struggled in this weekend’s series against the White Sox.
  • Padres starter Trevor Cahill underwent an MRI on his ailing right shoulder today, MLB.com’s Ryan Posner writes. Cahill headed to the DL last week, and he didn’t feel well after throwing on Saturday, according to manager Andy Green. It’s unclear how long Cahill will be out, but it’s clear he won’t be able to return after the minimum 10 days. Cahill, of course, has been a pleasant surprise for the Friars this season, posting a 3.27 ERA, 3.7 BB/9 and a terrific 11.1 K/9 over seven starts.
  • Royals righty Nate Karns could wind up on the 10-day DL despite tests revealing no serious trouble with his right forearm, writes Rustin Dodd of the Kansas City Star. “We’ll see what everyone feels comfortable with and go from there,” says Karns. “But I’m not alarmed by it. I don’t think it’s a season-ending injury or something that’s going to be an extended period of time. If I do go on the DL, I think it’ll be short term and then right back out there.” Karns has been reliable in his first nine starts as a Royal, posting a 4.17 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 2.6 BB/9 over 45 1/3 innings this season.

NL West Notes: Bettis, Rox, Cahill, Cosart, Melancon

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Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis shared some good news today, via Instagram, announcing that he’s wrapped up his final session of chemotherapy. Bettis has yet to pitch this season after learning in Spring Training that the testicular cancer for which he underwent surgery this offseason had unexpectedly spread. While it’s not clear when he’ll be ready to return to a big league mound, Bettis noted that he’s now “excited to move forward and start the process of getting back.” Best wishes to Chad in his continued recovery.

A bit more out of the NL West…

  • In other Rockies news, Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post writes that David Dahl, Tom Murphy and Trevor Story are all progressing toward a return to the lineup. Dahl is now cleared to take batting practice and will move to full baseball activities if that goes well. He’ll obviously require a notable minor league rehab stint before returning from a stress reaction in his ribcage, as he’s been out since early Spring Training. Murphy, meanwhile, has been throwing and is also nearing clearance to take “legit” batting practice, per manager Bud Black. And Story recently took ground-balls and is on the brink of baseball activities as well. After being shut down for a few days, Story tells Saunders that his ailing shoulder once again feels normal.
  • The Padres announced today that right-hander Trevor Cahill has been placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right shoulder strain. Shoulder injuries in pitchers are often ominous, but as MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell writes, there’s optimism that Cahill won’t be out long in this particular instance. Cahill experienced some soreness near the back of his shoulder in the final couple innings of his most recent start, and the hope is that a few days without throwing will alleviate the pain. Cahill has been nothing short of a revelation in San Diego. Given another chance to work as a starter after spending most of 2015-16 in a relief role, Cahill has turned in 41 1/3 innings of 3.27 ERA ball with an eye-popping 11.1 K/9 rate against 3.7 BB/9 with a brilliant 60.2 percent ground-ball rate. Given those numbers and his minimal $1.75MM salary, a healthy Cahill would be an in-demand trade chip this summer.
  • Cassavell also notes that right-hander Jarred Cosart will step into the rotation in Cahill’s place for the time being, and if he performs well, it could become a more permanent move. “It’s time for him to rise up and claim something that you really want as a Major Leaguer,” Padres manager Andy Green said of Cosart. “You don’t get endless supply of opportunities. Sometimes things happen you can’t control, whatsoever. But where he is with us: Go run with it. We want to see him do great. We believe in what he has in his right arm.” Given the shaky performances elsewhere in the San Diego rotation, Cosart certainly seems to have the opportunity to earn a larger role with Cahill on the shelf. The soon-to-be-27-year-old former top prospect has had numerous chances to solidify himself in the past, however, and has yet to do so.
  • The Giants had planned to activate Mark Melancon from the disabled list this Friday but chose to bring him back two days earlier than expected, writes Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area. San Francisco entered the day with the opportunity to close out a sweep of the division-rival Dodgers but knew that interim closer Derek Law wouldn’t be available after pitching four out of five days. The Giants were shut down by Clayton Kershaw, however, rendering Melancon’s early activation a bit of a moot point. The Giants entered the day with five straight wins under their belts (six in their past seven games), however, and the return of Melancon should only deepen the relief corps. Even after their recent improvements, though, the Giants are still in a 17-25 hole — nine games back from the division lead. Kelby Tomlinson was optioned to Triple-A to clear room for Melancon.

Injury Notes: Mets, Jays, Red Sox, Nats, Padres

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Mets left-hander Steven Matz announced Monday that he has a flexor strain, but members of the organization are skeptical of the diagnosis, reports Bob Klapisch of NorthJersey.com. The Mets’ two orthopedists “found nothing wrong” with Matz, a source told Klapisch, who writes that the team doesn’t believe the 25-year-old is faking the injury. They are under the impression, though, that Matz received another opinion from outside the organization – which he’s allowed to do – thus leading to the flexor strain diagnosis. Regardless, New York’s hope is that Matz will be healthy enough to make his season debut in May.

More injury updates:

  • The right calf tightness that forced Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson to exit Sunday’s loss to the Rays early doesn’t appear to be a serious issue. After the game, Donaldson told reporters, including Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, that it’s “realistic” to think he’ll play in the Jays’ home opener Tuesday (Twitter link). That’s certainly a relief for Toronto, which went without Donaldson because of a calf strain for most of spring training and has started the regular season 1-5.
  • An MRI on Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. revealed a sprained right knee, according to manager John Farrell (Twitter link via Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal). The team will send Bradley back to Boston for further evaluation, meaning he’ll sit out Monday’s game in Detroit after missing Sunday’s contest. Bradley noted, however, that he’s able to move his knee without experiencing any pain, tweets Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe.
  • Nationals shortstop Trea Turner left Saturday’s loss to the Phillies with hamstring trouble, but manager Dusty Baker indicated afterward that the speedster wouldn’t miss much time. Baker wasn’t as confident when discussing Turner’s status Sunday, describing his hamstring as “so-so,” per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com (Twitter link). The Nats will reevaluate Turner on Monday.
  • The Padres have placed right-hander Trevor Cahill on the disabled list, retroactive to April 6, with a lower back strain and recalled Zach Lee from Triple-A El Paso. Either Lee or Jarred Cosart could start in place of Cahill against the Rockies on Monday, as Jason Martinez of MLBTR and Roster Resource points out (Twitter link). In his first start of the year, a 3-1 loss to the Dodgers on Wednesday, Cahill allowed two earned runs on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, also notching seven strikeouts.
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