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AL Notes: Orioles, Yandy, BoSox, Wilson, Mariners

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Orioles executive VP John Angelos seemingly put an end to any speculation that the team could be moved, as he told a collection of Baltimore business leaders today that the O’s would remain in the city “as long as Fort McHenry is standing watch over the Inner Harbor.”  After the panel discussion was over, Angelos reiterated to Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun that “our partnership group is all local, people that are heavily invested now and indefinitely in the city and the future of this city, and that’s just real. The Orioles are a Baltimore institution. The Orioles will be in Baltimore, be in Maryland. That’s the beginning and the end as far as I’m concerned.”

John and Peter Angelos, the sons of Orioles managing partner Peter Angelos, have mostly taken over the regular operations of the franchise as their father is in advanced age and is reportedly dealing with health issues.  Rumors swirled that the family could be looking to sell the team to a buyer that could potentially take the Orioles to a new city, with Nashville mentioned as a potential destination.  Technically, Angelos’ comments didn’t address the possibility that his family could still sell the Orioles, though even if this avenue was pursued, it seems clear that the club would only be sold to someone committed to remaining in Baltimore.

Some more from the American League…

  • Yandy Diaz is hoping to return from the injured list for either the postseason or for the tail end of the Rays’ regular season, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter link).  Diaz hit .270/.343/.480 with 14 homers over 344 plate appearances this year, but he has been out since July 22 due to a hairline fracture in his left foot.  Diaz has already suffered one setback in his recovery from the injury, though he worked out at Tropicana Field today.  The Rays would have to make a 40-man roster move if they did activate Diaz, as he has been on the 60-day IL.
  • The Red Sox are “aiming for the biggest names” in their search for a new general manager/head of baseball operations, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes (subscription required).  The major pressure and seemingly very short leash associated with the job, however, could make some executives hesitate about taking one of the sport’s marquee jobs.  Both Dave Dombrowski and Ben Cherington were fired after less than four years on the job, despite the fact that both men built World Series-winning rosters.  That lack of long-term security (even in the face of on-field success) might not appeal to executives who would have to move their families to, and perhaps from Boston, in short order.  There’s also the challenge of having to juggle the team’s big payroll while adding young talent, and also remaining in contention at all times.
  • Royals bullpen coach Vance Wilson is expected to be a managerial candidate this offseason, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand tweets.  “Some executives believe he absolutely has a future as a manager,” Feinsand writes about the 46-year-old, who may be best known for an eight-year playing career with the Mets and Tigers from 1999-2006.  Wilson worked as a manager at three different levels of Kansas City’s farm system for seven seasons before moving into his current role as bullpen coach in November 2017.  It stands to reason that the Royals themselves would have interest in speaking to Wilson about their own managerial vacancy, potentially replacing the retiring Ned Yost.

Rays Select Contract Of Ricardo Pinto

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The Rays have selected the contract of righty Ricardo Pinto, as MLB.com’s Juan Toribio was among those to tweet. Righty Jose De Leon was optioned. To create 40-man space, infielder Yandy Diaz was placed on the 60-day injured list.

Pinto, 25, will get his second crack at the big leagues after previously appearing with the Phillies back in 2017. His 25-appearance debut didn’t go well, as he was tagged for 26 earned runs in 29 2/3 innings.

Since joining the Rays organization over the offseason, Pinto has worked as a bulk guy. He has spent most of the year at Triple-A, where he carries a 4.13 ERA with 8.3 K/9 and 4.0 BB/9 over 104 2/3 innings. It remains to be seen how extensively the Rays will utilize Pinto. He could hold a job for the month of September or be designated in a few days if the club has other ideas for his roster spot.

Yandy Diaz Suffers Setback

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Rays infielder Yandy Diaz has suffered a setback in his attempt to rehab back from a foot injury, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (Twitter links). He’s expected to be shut down for six to eight weeks before resuming baseball activities.

The club says that Diaz is dealing with a hairline fracture of the navicular bone in his left foot. While he won’t need surgery, the injury will require time to heal.

Given the timing, it’s hard to imagine that Diaz will make it back to the playing field this season. That has not been ruled out officially, but even a late-September resumption of baseball activities wouldn’t seem to leave time for Diaz to ramp back up to game speed.

It’s quite unfortunate news for the Tampa Bay organization and the 28-year-old Diaz. He had been providing quality all-around work from both corner infield slots. Through 344 plate appearances, Diaz carries a strong .270/.343/.480 slash line with 14 home runs.

Fortunately, the Rays have quite a few options at the hot corner. Matt Duffy and Mike Brosseau are probably the top candidates, with Daniel Robertson another possibility on the 40-man. The second/third-base mix also includes two other currently IL’ed players in Brandon Lowe and Joey Wendle.

Rays Designate Ian Gibaut For Assignment, Place Yandy Diaz On IL

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The Rays announced that they’ve designated right-hander Ian Gibaut for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to third baseman Matt Duffy, who has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Tampa Bay also placed corner infielder Yandy Diaz on the 10-day IL due to a foot injury.

Gibaut, 25, spent the first two months of the season on the minor league injured list but returned in early June and made his MLB debut earlier this month. In 12 1/3 innings in the minors this season, Gibaut allowed 10 runs (only four earned) on 12 hits and 11 walks with 17 strikeouts. He also yielded a pair of runs in his two-inning MLB debut.

That said, Gibaut pitched well enough in 2018 that the Rays protected him from the Rule 5 Draft by adding him to the 40-man roster in the offseason. Last year in Triple-A, Gibaut logged a 2.09 ERA with 12.1 K/9, 3.4 BB/9, 0.48 HR/9 and an even 47 percent ground-ball rate. Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times tweets that the Rays have already heard from clubs expressing interest in Gibaut, and they expect to be able to trade the righty.

It’s not yet clear how long Diaz will be sidelined. Topkin tweets that the slugger is on crutches at the moment with what the team has termed to be a bruise, but Diaz is still in a good amount of pain. The fact that there’s no break or structural damage in his foot is obviously encouraging, however. A speedy return would prove most beneficial for the Rays, as their under-the-radar acquisition of Diaz looks like one of the offseason’s best moves for the team. In 344 plate appearances, he’s hitting .270/.343/.480 with 14 homers, 20 doubles and a triple.

The 28-year-old Duffy will be making his season debut after missing nearly four months due to a hamstring injury. Acquired in the trade that sent Matt Moore to the Giants, Duffy’s Rays tenure has been punctuated by injury. It’s been nearly three years to the day since Duffy was traded, but he’s only been able to suit up for 153 games. He’s been productive in that time (.292/.354/.364) and is regarded as a strong defender on the left side of the infield, but his acquisition has yet to yield significant dividends — at least, not to the extent the organization had hoped.

Yandy Diaz Suffers Foot Injury

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Rays corner infielder Yandy Diaz exited the team’s game Monday after fouling a ball off his left foot, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter links). Diaz was in “severe pain” after the game and will undergo an X-ray, manager Kevin Cash said.

An injured list stint for Diaz would be the latest source of unwelcome news for the slumping Rays. The club has held a playoff position for most of the team, but it has lost six of seven – including a defeat in a pivotal game against the Red Sox on Monday – and is now outside the wild-card picture by 1 1/2. The Rays still boast a solid 57-46 record, though, thanks in part to Diaz. Acquired over the winter from the Indians, Diaz has held his own during his first full season in the majors. Through 339 plate appearances, the 27-year-old has batted .271/.344/.482 (119 wRC+) with 14 home runs and 1.6 fWAR.

While the productive Diaz may be on his way to the shelf, the silver lining for Tampa Bay is that third baseman Matt Duffy is on the verge of activation. Duffy, who put up a 2.4-fWAR season in 2018, has sat out all year because of hamstring and back issues. He and impressive newcomer Mike Brosseau could help replace Diaz, though losing Diaz would be another blow to an infield that’s already without Rookie of the Year candidate Brandon Lowe and Daniel Robertson because of injuries.

Rays Activate Ji-Man Choi, Option Ian Gibaut

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The Tampa Bay Rays activated first baseman Ji-Man Choi ahead of today’s action, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times (via Twitter). Ian Gibaut has been optioned back to Durham. 

Choi missed the minimum ten games for a sprained left ankle. He is a key cog in the middle of the Rays lineup. With little margin for error in a top-heavy American League, the Rays could stand to get a little more production from him after a .266/.351/.423 first half. 

For now, manager Kevin Cash will rotate Choi with Nate Lowe, tweets Topkin. Lowe would most naturally be used as a roster replacement for Choi, but Cash is also prepared to use Lowe at third base, where he’s spent time in the minors. For now, they simply don’t want to take Lowe out of the lineup as the 24-year-old has hit .291/.355/.509 with 3 home runs in 15 games. That kind of production out of the first base spot would go a long way in helping the Rays secure a spot in this year’s playoffs. 

With the Rays, however, everything is fluid, and one day’s cleanup hitter could be back in Triple-A the next. Yandy Diaz also figures to play a prominent role in the corner infield rotation as the regular starter at third now that he’s discovered a power stroke (.278/.351/.477 on the year). Two other third base options remain on the shelf: Matt Duffy and Daniel Robertson are close enough to returning that each of them could be on rehab assignments by next week, per Topkin (Twitter links). 

Gibaut has a fairly high ceiling as a bullpen piece, but his first taste of the majors was short: one appearance, two innings, two earned runs, two walks, two strikeouts, one hit. 

Rays Place Yandy Diaz On 10-Day IL

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The Rays have placed third baseman Yandy Diaz on the 10-day injured list, Juan Toribio of MLB.com tweets. Infielder Daniel Robertson will come up to take the roster opening.

Diaz has been dealing with hamstring tightness that hasn’t resolved quite as rapidly as had been hoped. The club obviously felt it could no longer afford to carry an unavailable players.

There’s little reason at present to think that Diaz will be sidelined for more than the minimum, though it’ll all depend upon how the muscle heals up. The Rays will hope for a swift return for the 27-year-old, who has been everything they hoped for and more since arriving via trade.

Diaz has racked up 248 plate appearances of .286/.363/.502 hitting and 11 home runs on the season. That’s just the sort of output the Tampa Bay organization got last year from Robertson, but he scuffled to open the current campaign and ended up on optional assignment. There’s now a bit of a window for him to reclaim a MLB role, though there isn’t as much opportunity with Joey Wendle back in action.

Rays Activate Yandy Diaz From 10-Day Injured List

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The Rays announced some roster moves this morning, including the activation of infielder Yandy Diaz from the 10-day injured list.  Nate Lowe, called up just yesterday from Triple-A, is on his way back to the minors in a corresponding move.  The Rays also optioned right-hander Adam Kolarek yesterday, but Kolarek is now making a quick return to the big leagues since southpaw Jose Alvarado has been placed on the family medical emergency list.

Diaz hit the IL on May 23, with a retroactive placement to May 20, with a left hand contusion after being hit by a pitch from the Yankees’ Chance Adams.  While Diaz was reportedly still feeling some soreness in his hand, a brief stint in extended Spring Training camp seems to have done the trick, and the corner infielder will now make his return to Tampa Bay’s lineup.  Acquired as part of the three-team trade that sent Jake Bauers to Cleveland last December, Diaz has hit an impressive .256/.339/.500 with nine homers over 180 plate appearances in a Rays uniform, delivering on the promise that his hard-hit ball statistics indicated during his time with the Tribe.

Lowe’s latest turn in the Show lasted only a day, as the slugging first base prospect now has a .263/.310/.316 slash line over 42 PA this season.  It stands to reason that Lowe will continue to be shuffled between the majors and minors as circumstances warrant, though the Rays will surely keep an eye on his service time so as to gain an extra year of team control over the youngster.

Rays Notes: N. Lowe, Kolarek, Diaz, Perez

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The Tampa Bay Rays have optioned lefty Adam Kolarek to Triple-A, per MLB.com’s Juan Toribio (via Twitter). Kolarek has been largely effective in the Rays pen this season, but the demotion is less likely about performance as it is part of the workaday fluidity of Rays roster management. Kolarek heads to Durham as the current league leader in appearances with 29, though the 19 2/3 innings he has amassed speaks to his type of usage. After a couple of spotless stretches, Kolarek has been touched up for runs in four of his last seven appearances, though it’s notable that Kolarek faced less than five batters in each of his clean appearances, where he tends to falter when pushed beyond that mark. When facing five hitters or more this season – something he’s done nine times – Kolarek surrendered runs seven times, including seven consecutive dating back to mid-April. When Kolarek’s deployment is limited to less than five batters, he’s been tagged for an earned run only once in 20 outings this season.

  • With the lefty headed to Durham, Nate Lowe will join the big league club for the second time this season. The team has made the moves official. Lowe’s first stint with the team led to four starts at first base and five as designated hitter in early May. In that short sample stint, he hit .257/.289/.314 without a long ball. With Triple-A Durham he’s put up numbers more commensurate with expectations – .257/.390/.424 – though he has yet to tap into home run power at either level after blasting 27 bombs across three levels last season. Ji-Man Choi has been just okay at first for the Rays so far, so there may be room for Lowe to make his mark if can arrive hot to St. Petersburg. Still, the Rays value their flexibility, and Lowe profiles similarly to Choi at first/DH. Lowe is in the lineup today, set to bat fifth and play first while Choi DH’s and hits cleanup.
  • Lowe’s presence is largely to make up for the injured Yandy Diaz, who has been a big part of the Tampa offense since being acquired from Cleveland this winter. Diaz has been out since May 20th with a left hand contusion. His comeback trail begins today, however, as he heads to Port Charlotte for extended Spring Training, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The Cuban-born Diaz produced more pop than projected for a groundball hitter through the seasons’s first two months. Nine home runs is the cover story, but his underlying power numbers are equally impressive (.500 SLG, .244 ISO). While such a prodigious power jump seems likely to regress to the mean at least somewhat, Diaz’s power surge has nonetheless preserved the approach the made him attractive to the Rays in the first place: above-average hard hit rate (44.1%), low strikeout rate (18 K%), and lots of walks (11.1 BB%). It bodes well that these numbers have held the line despite Diaz already eclipsing a new career high in plate appearances (180) while seeing a significant drop in BABIP (from .371 in 2018 to .263 in 2019). Every game matters for the Rays, who have been without impact at-bats with Daniel Robertson manning the hot corner in Diaz’s stead. Robertson, 25, owns an insufficient .207/.316/.293 slash line through 150 at-bats in 2019.
  • In other recovery news, Michael Perez could begin a rehab assignment by early next week, per Topkin (via Twitter). An oblique injury has limited the Rays backup catcher to only 15 games this season. Starter Mike Zunino is now back, but stand-ins Erik Kratz and Travis d’Arnaud have both struggled to put together productive at-bats. Through 39 career games at the big league level this year and last, Perez owns a .274/.328/.385 line with one career home run. That might not light your world on fire, but it would still represent a pretty sizeable upgrade over the production the Rays have received from their catchers of late.

 

AL East Notes: Red Sox, Estrada, Diaz

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Though the Red Sox have hammered out extensions with free-agents-to-be Chris Sale and Xander Bogaerts in recent weeks, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski strongly suggested that the team won’t be negotiating any additional deals, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports. The team has no ongoing discussions, per Dombrowski, who added that he is “pretty certain” there will not be another extension brokered this season. The Sox initially placed an Opening Day deadline on wrapping up negotiations, though the Bogaerts deal was announced a few days into the season. As Dombrowski explains, talks with Bogaerts were advanced enough that the team was confident they wouldn’t linger into the season.

A bit more from the division…

  • The Yankees will recall infielder Thairo Estrada to replace Troy Tulowitzki on the active roster tomorrow, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports (via Twitter). That all but confirms that Tulowitzki, who strained his left calf muscle in today’s game, will land on the 10-day injured list (as skipper Aaron Boone had already said was likely). Estrada, 23. missed much of the 2018 season after being shot in the hip during a robbery attempt in his native Venezuela prior to the season. The promising young infielder thankfully survived without serious damage and even returned to the field for 18 late-season games and another 19 games in the Arizona Fall League. Ranked as the team’s No. 19 prospect on MLB.com, Estrada hit .301/.353/.392 at the Double-A level in his last full season in 2017.
  • The ankle injury suffered by Yandy Diaz in Tuesday’s game doesn’t appear to be serious, and the Rays are confident he’ll be able to return to the lineup Friday, writes Juan Toribio of MLB.com. Diaz could have been available off the bench but didn’t appear in today’s game against the Rockies. The 27-year-old is off to a fast start with his new organization, having slashed .333/.440/.619 with a homer and three doubles through his first 25 plate appearances after being acquired from the Indians organization in the Jake Bauers/Edwin Encarnacion three-team swap this offseason.
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