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Phillies, Zach Eflin Avoid Arbitration

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8:21pm: Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports the financial breakdown (on Twitter): a $5.5MM base salary with a $150K buyout on next season’s mutual option. Eflin would receive an additional $50K apiece for reaching 100 and 125 innings pitched, $75K for 150 innings, and a final $125K at 175 innings.

4:37pm: The Phillies and starter Zach Eflin have reached agreement on a contract to avoid arbitration, reports Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia (on Twitter). Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports (Twitter link) that Eflin will be guaranteed $5.7MM, and the deal contains an additional $300K in possible performance bonuses. The contract also contains a mutual option for 2023 valued at $15MM, per Nightengale. Eflin is a client of O’Connell Sports Management.

Agreeing to terms avoids the necessity of a hearing for Eflin, who was eligible for arbitration for a final time. His camp had filed for a $6.9MM salary, while the team was seeking a $5.15MM figure. Eflin’s guarantee comes in a bit shy of the $6.025MM midpoint, but he could more or less reach that mark were he to trigger all the performance bonuses.

Arbitration salaries are typically determined over the offseason, with whatever hearings prove necessary commonly occurring in February. This past offseason’s lockout froze league business for 99 days, however, pushing some hearings into the regular season. That’s not a desirable setup for anyone, and the Phils and Eflin are both surely happy to avoid that process. Philadelphia’s arbitration class is now wrapped up.

Eflin, 28, is set to hit free agency for the first time next season. The sinkerballer will be one of the younger arms available, and he’s settled in as a reliably effective mid-rotation arm. Eflin posted an ERA between 3.97 and 4.36 each season from 2018-21. He consistently posted walk rates a few points lower than the league average while inducing strikeouts and grounders at slightly above-average marks. On a rate basis, that’s quality annual production.

Coupled with his youth, that kind of steadiness should make Eflin one of the better arms in next winter’s free agent class. The only real concern would seem to be his health history, as he’s dealt with chronic issues in both knees throughout his career. 2016 surgery on both joints alleviated the problems for a while, but Eflin dealt with renewed patellar troubles in his right knee late last season. That culminated in another procedure last September, one that cut his season short.

Eflin has stayed healthy (aside from a brief stay on the COVID-19 injured list) thus far in 2022. He’s off to a typically solid start, posting a 3.65 ERA through 37 innings. The right-hander has a roughly league average 23% strikeout rate and 45.9% ground-ball percentage, while his 4.6% walk rate is among the league’s best. He has joined Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson and Ranger Suárez to comprise one of baseball’s top starting staffs.

The inclusion of the mutual option theoretically raises the possibility of Eflin avoiding the open market altogether, but those are rarely exercised by both parties. Rather, they’re typically an accounting measure designed to push the payment of some salary back a few months — in the form of a postseason buyout on the option, rather than as salary to be dispersed regularly throughout the season. If Eflin stays healthy and productive all season, he’s likely to decline his end of the option in search of a multi-year deal on the open market.

Phillies Place Zach Eflin, Zack Wheeler On Covid List

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10:00am: Phillies manager Joe Girardi has told reporters, including Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer, that Zack Wheeler is also going on the Covid list. The club will now be doubly challenged to get through their next stretch of games with their rotation down two key members. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com adds that Connor Brogdon will be taking Wheeler’s spot on the roster.

9:00 am: The Phillies have announced that right-hander Zach Eflin has been placed on the Covid-related injured list. Fellow righty Francisco Morales has been recalled to take his place on the roster. Additionally, with the club playing a doubleheader today, left-hander Cristopher Sanchez will be up with the club as the team’s 27th man.

Players can be placed on the Covid list if they test positive, are exhibiting symptoms or due to contact tracing measures. The club hasn’t provided further information about which of these applies to Eflin. Under the league’s 2022 health-and-safety protocols, players who test positive are subject to a 10-day absence from the club, though it’s possible to be reinstated in less time if the player has gone 24 or more hours without a fever, received a pair of negative PCR tests, and been given approval from a team physician and the MLB/MLBPA joint committee (a panel of one league-appointed and one union-appointed physician). Players who are experiencing symptoms but do not test positive can return in shorter order if their symptoms abate.

The Phillies were rained out both yesterday and Friday, meaning their pitching staff should be fairly rested, but also that they are playing a doubleheader today. They will then be traveling out west to play three games against the Mariners and four against the Dodgers, before their next off-day on May 16th. As long as Eflin is out of action, the rotation will be down to the foursome of Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson, Ranger Suarez and Zack Wheeler. Sanchez and Morales both have started in the minors but have been working out of their bullpen so far this year.

Gibson should be able to handle one game today, as he last started April 30. Eflin would have been in line to start the other game but will need to be replaced. Suarez last pitched on May 3, meaning he could theoretically slot in and take another game on regular rest, although the club hasn’t yet another their plans for today. In that scenario, both Gibson and Suarez would be lined up to pitch again on regular rest on Friday. Wheeler and Nola can then take the ball on Monday and Tuesday, but then the club would need a plan for both Wednesday and Thursday. Another option would be to have a bullpen day in the second game of the doubleheader today, saving Suarez for Monday and bumping Wheeler and Nola down the line. Regardless of how it plays out, the club will need to strategically maneuver through the week, unless Eflin is able to return quickly.

NL Notes: Eflin, Lauer, DeJong

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Due to the lockout putting MLB business on ice for over three months, there are many players who don’t yet have a finalized salary for the 2022 campaign. Any arbitration-eligible players that couldn’t come to an agreement with their team will soon participate in a hearing as the season is in progress. The Phillies have one such player, right-hander Zach Eflin, who is hoping for a $6.9MM figure while the club will be arguing for the lower figure of $5.15MM. (MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected $6MM, a number pretty close to the midpoint between the two parties.)

Eflin recently spoke about the situation to Matt Gelb of the Athletic. “I know what I bring to this club every fifth day,” Eflin said. “And I see my true value more than what their offer was. So that’s really all I have to say. I’m curious to see what they have to say in a courtroom. So, it’ll be interesting, but I’m looking forward to it.”

If the pitcher is particularly motivated for this fight, it’s possible that he’s still holding a grudge from an incident in 2019. The Phillies optioned Eflin, despite the fact that he was pitching well, in order to get an extra bench player on the roster. They had a double-header coming up that week, which lined up with Eflin’s upcoming start. Since teams are allowed to bring up an extra player for double-headers, they were able to option Eflin, call him up as the extra man for the double-header and then call him up for real for the start after that. Because of these roster shenanigans, Eflin ended up missing out on nine days of MLB salary, costing him about $20K. (According to this Gelb piece from the time of the incident.) “Players don’t forget that,” Eflin said in today’s article. “I’m looking forward to the hearing and seeing what they have to say about me. I feel like I’m going to learn a lot about the business side of the game.” The 28-year-old is heading into free agency at the end of this season.

Some other notes from the Senior Circuit…

  • After a disappointing 2020 season, Eric Lauer began 2021 at the Brewers’ alternate training site. “I wasn’t super happy about it,” Lauer told Will Sammon of The Athletic. However, the lefty used the opportunity to do some experimenting, taking some time in a bullpen session to mimic the mechanics of other pitchers, such as Aroldis Chapman and Tim Lincecum. To his surprise and delight, his velocity starting ticking up. That extra gas helped propel Lauer to an excellent bounceback campaign, as he ended up throwing 118 2/3 innings of 3.19 ERA ball last year, with a 23.9% strikeout rate and 8.4% walk rate. The results are even better in Lauer’s four starts so far this year. Small sample caveats apply, but he has a 1.93 ERA with an incredible 36.6% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate. Brewers fans, or any baseball fan interested in the art of pitching, will want to check out the full piece for more details on Lauer’s tremendous turnaround.
  • Cardinals’ infield prospect Nolan Gorman is off to a tremendous start to his season. The 21-year-old (22 next week) already has 11 home runs through 20 Triple-A games and is hitting .321/.372/.769 overall. That has led to a chorus of voices among fans in St. Louis for him to be called up, especially with a few of the big leaguers struggling. Shortstop Paul DeJong has been under the spotlight for his shortcomings at the plate for a few years now. His overall offensive production has declined in each season of his career, according to wRC+. After a 123 in his rookie year in 2017, he’s put up a 103, 101, 87, 86 and a 55 in 2022 so far. Prior to the 2018 campaign, the club signed DeJong to an extension that runs through 2023. Despite that, he doesn’t have unlimited rope with the organization. “We’re still trying to figure out what we have here with (DeJong), so we’re trying to give him every opportunity possible,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak tells Katie Woo of The Athletic. “If things don’t change trajectory or direction, then ultimately we’re probably going to have to do something different. Nolan would get more of a maj0r-league opportunity at that point. I think we have to remind ourselves that we’re a month into the season; we’ve had an odd first couple of weeks with weather and obviously a truncated spring training. You’re seeing a lot of offensive stats down in general in this league, so we want to remain patient.” The plan to merely switch Gorman in for DeJong is complicated, however, by the fact that the Cardinals are an organization that values defense so highly. As noted in the piece, Gorman only recently switched from being a primary third baseman to playing second base, as he’s blocked at third by Nolan Arenado. Bringing Gorman up to man the keystone would involve sliding Tommy Edman over to shortstop, a position where he only has 17 games of MLB experience. For the time being, it seems Cardinals’ fans yearning for Gorman’s promotion will have to keep waiting.

Zach Eflin To Undergo Knee Surgery

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Phillies starter Zach Eflin will require surgery to repair the patellar tendon in his right knee, the team announced this afternoon. The procedure is expected to keep Eflin out of game action for six-to-eight months, manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). That leaves open the possibility he could be ready for Opening Day in 2022, but it’s far from certain that’ll be the case.

Eflin has been plagued by knee issues for a large chunk of his career. Late in 2016, the right-hander underwent surgery to repair the patellar tendons in both knees. Afterwards, Eflin told Zolecki the procedures corrected chronic issues that had plagued him for more than a decade. He avoided knee troubles for the next few years, but issues with the joint cropped back up this summer.

The Phils placed Eflin on the injured list on July 20 because of patellar tendinitis. He was activated from the IL five weeks later but was scratched from what would have been his first start because of continued discomfort, followed shortly thereafter by a positive COVID-19 test. While Eflin recovered from the virus rather quickly, his rehab was delayed by continued knee pain that’ll apparently require another surgery to correct.

Losing Eflin for the rest of the season (and potentially a portion of next year) is a substantial blow for a Phillies’ team that has struggled to find reliable back-of-the-rotation innings in recent years. Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola make for a fearsome top two, and Philadelphia picked up Kyle Gibson at the trade deadline to bolster the middle of the rotation. But Vince Velasquez has been up-and-down for essentially his entire career, and offseason pickups Matt Moore and Chase Anderson haven’t panned out. (Anderson has already been released).

Those depth issues have forced the Phillies to bump Ranger Suárez into a starting role. Suárez had a fantastic season working in relief and has fared well so far in his attempt to carry that success over to the rotation. Through seven starts, the left-hander has a 1.71 ERA despite some struggles with walks, thanks largely to an elite 63.1% ground-ball rate. Suárez figures to continue getting turns for the remainder of the year, but Philadelphia will have to patch things together on the mound when they need a fifth starter.

Eflin, unlike many of the Phillies’ other starters, has been a measure of consistency in recent years. Excepting a spike in last year’s shortened campaign, the 27-year-old has generally posted league average strikeout numbers. But he’s one of the game’s best at limiting walks and he keeps the ball on the ground, allowing him to be reliably effective in spite of his hitter-friendly home ballpark. Eflin has posted an ERA between 3.97 and 4.36 in each of the past four seasons, including a 4.17 mark over 105 2/3 innings this year.

Last offseason, Eflin and the Phillies agreed on a $4.45MM salary for 2021 to avoid arbitration. He’ll likely be in line for a moderate raise on that figure this winter, as he enters his third and final year of arbitration eligibility. Assuming his recovery proceeds as anticipated, Eflin’s projected salary would still seem reasonable for his typically solid production. But he could be a non-tender candidate if he’s not progressing on schedule come November, as he’d reach free agency after next season anyhow.

Solidifying the back of the rotation was likely to be an offseason priority for the Phillies even before news of Eflin’s surgery. That’ll be all the more true now, although there’s little recourse but to rely on the internal options for the remainder of this season as they hope to mount a playoff push. The Phillies enter play tonight two and a half games back of the Braves in the NL East and two games behind the Reds and Padres for the National League’s final Wild Card spot.

Phillies Notes: Eflin, Realmuto, Bradley

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Zach Eflin’s season could be in jeopardy following both a positive COVID-19 test and a recurrence of his right knee injury.  Phillies manager Joe Girardi told reporters (including The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Matt Breen) that he doesn’t expect Eflin to be doing much throwing during the right-hander’s mandatory 10-day minimum quarantine period, giving Eflin even less time to get prepared for a return to the mound before the regular season is up.

Eflin hasn’t pitched since July 16 due to patellar tenditis in his right knee.  He was activated from the 10-day IL on Thursday for an expected start, but he was scratched from that outing due to more knee problems.  Eflin was then placed on the COVID-related injury list the next day in the wake of his positive test.

It remains to be seen if Eflin will miss only 10 days recovering from the coronavirus, though he has already been fully vaccinated.  This 10-day break could essentially serve as a shutdown period that may have been required anyway, considering the sudden return of Eflin’s knee issue.  Still, the first step of that knee rehab can’t really begin until Eflin is COVID-free, limiting his chances of returning.

The righty has enjoyed a solid season, posting a 4.17 ERA over 105 2/3 innings and 18 starts in the Philadelphia rotation.  After a career-best 28.6% strikeout rate in 2020, Eflin’s K-rate returned to career norms with a below-average 22.4% mark this season.  However, Eflin has been better at ever at limiting free passes — his 3.6% walk rate is the lowest of any pitcher in baseball with at least 100 innings pitched in 2021.

Eflin’s potential absence for the remainder of the season won’t help the Phils in their attempts to make a late run at a playoff spot.  Philadelphia entered today’s action with an even 64-64 record, 5.5 games back of the Braves in the NL West and six games out of a wild card spot.  Eflin had been a solid No. 3 pitcher behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola in the Phillies’ rotation, though trade deadline acquisition Kyle Gibson, Ranger Suarez, and Matt Moore now look to be rounding out the starting five for the remainder of the year if Eflin can’t make a comeback.

The Phillies were further hampered by the loss of Rhys Hoskins to season-ending abdomen surgery earlier this week, and the club plans to use J.T. Realmuto help fill the void at first base.  Getting out from behind the plate could also help Realmuto manage an injury of his own, as the All-Star catcher told MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki and other reporters that he has been battling some soreness in his right shoulder.

Realmuto described the issue as “normal everyday wear and tear,” to the point that he even downplayed the position change as a way to keep him fresh.  “Everybody on the field is feeling some sort of tired or some sort of pain right now,” Realmuto said.  “Mine just happens to be in my shoulder.  I feel it a little bit hitting.  I feel it sometimes throwing, but I don’t think it’s actually affecting my play at all.”

Considering Realmuto has an .874 OPS over 87 plate appearances in August, he certainly doesn’t seem any worse for wear.  For the season, Realmuto is hitting .263/.351/.447 with 14 homers over 422 PA.  Realmuto is no stranger to first base, having played 40 games at the position over the last five seasons.

Archie Bradley is also dealing with right shoulder discomfort, Girardi said, though the problem isn’t considered serious.  Bradley hasn’t pitched since Tuesday, when he allowed two runs in an inning of work against the Rays.  Bradley has a 3.12 ERA over 40 1/3 innings out of the Phillies bullpen this season, with a 54.4% grounder rate helping paper over some unimpressive Statcast metrics.

Phillies Place Three Players On COVID-19 Injured List

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The Phillies announced they’ve placed three players — right-hander Zach Eflin, utilityman Luke Williams and catcher Andrew Knapp — on the COVID-19 injured list. Righty Enyel de los Santos and catcher Rafael Marchán were recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, while outfielder Jorge Bonifacio was selected back to the roster. The three players were all fully vaccinated but have apparently tested positive for the virus, relays Todd Zolecki of MLB.com (Twitter link).

Eflin just returned from the 10-day injured list yesterday after missing five weeks with patellar tenditis. He was scratched from last night’s scheduled start due to recurring trouble with his knee and will now miss some time due to viral issues. When healthy, Eflin is one of the Phils better starters, having pitched to a 4.17 ERA over 105 2/3 innings. Knapp and Williams, meanwhile, have gotten sporadic playing time in reserve capacities — Knapp as the #2 catcher, Williams in a multi-positional role.

Bonifacio returns to the big leagues just two days after being passed through outright waivers. The 28-year-old was called up last week and made two appearances before being designated for assignment. Because he was selected as a COVID replacement, Bonifacio won’t have to go on waivers this time around if he’s sent back down whenever the Phils are able to activate someone from the COVID IL.

Phillies Place Rhys Hoskins On Injured List, Designate Chase Anderson

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3:54 PM: Well, it was a short-lived return for Eflin. The Phillies’ right-hander was scratched from his start tonight because of continued knee discomfort, per Jim Salisbury of NBC Philly (via Twitter). Manager Joe Girardi made the announcement not long after Eflin was activated from the injured list. Matt Moore will get the start tonight, and Eflin will presumably be further evaluated.

2:34 PM: The Phillies announced a series of roster moves this afternoon. Starting pitcher Zach Eflin has been activated from the 10-day injured list to start this evening’s game against the Diamondbacks. Also coming back from the 10-day IL is reliever José Alvarado. In corresponding moves, Philadelphia placed first baseman Rhys Hoskins back on the 10-day IL due to a left groin strain and designated right-hander Chase Anderson for assignment.

Eflin has missed around five weeks due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee. That halted a typically-strong campaign for the right-hander, who has a 4.17 ERA over 105 2/3 innings. Eflin doesn’t rack up huge strikeout or ground-ball totals, but he’s one of the sport’s best strike-throwers and a consistent mid-rotation presence. Eflin has posted an ERA between 3.97 and 4.36 in each of the past four seasons.

While the Phils will be thrilled to welcome Eflin back, they’re again losing Hoskins to the IL. The veteran first baseman just returned to the lineup over the weekend after missing two weeks on account of the same left groin strain. Three games later, he winds up back on the shelf. It’s an inopportune time for the Phils to lose one of their best hitters, as they enter play tonight five games back of the Braves in the National League East.

The roster shuffling almost certainly ends Anderson’s time in Philadelphia. The veteran signed a one-year, $4MM guarantee over the offseason with the hope he’d bounce back from a 2020 campaign derailed by home runs. He’s had a rough go of things for the second straight year, though, pitching to a 6.75 ERA over 48 innings between the rotation and long relief. While Anderson’s strikeout rate spiked to a career-best 24.7% last season, it has fallen to a subpar 16.3% mark this year. Anderson’s also walking batters at a career-worst 9.3% clip and he’s continued to struggle keeping the ball in the yard.

Given his lackluster 2021 results, Anderson’s a lock to pass through waivers unclaimed. He has enough service time to become a free agent while collecting the balance of his guaranteed salary. At that point, Anderson should attract interest from other clubs based on his extended pre-2020 body of work as a solid back-of-the-rotation starter.

Injury Notes: Winker, Lindor, Phillies, Brewers

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Jesse Winker’s return to the Reds lineup was short-lived, as the outfielder left today’s game prior to the bottom of the third inning.  Winker went 0-for-2 with two flyouts in his first two plate appearances before re-aggravating the mild intercostal strain that sidelined him for Cincinnati’s previous two games.  A previous MRI didn’t reveal any damage, though manager David Bell told reporters (including The Athletic’s C. Trent Rosecrans) that Winker will be re-evaluated prior to tomorrow’s game against the Cubs.

While the Reds are in the thick of the wild card race, the team will surely be careful with one of their top bats to prevent a longer-term injury.  Winker has hit .307/.395/.560 with 24 home runs over 481 plate appearances this season, and he entered today’s action as the NL leader in doubles (32) and total bases (235).  The Reds are in the midst of a grueling stretch of 29 games over 30 days, so there isn’t any built-in time for Winker to really get a break, and a trip to the injured list might be necessary to fully correct the issue.

More on other injury situations from around baseball…

  • Francisco Lindor participated in just about a full range of baseball activities prior to today’s game against the Dodgers, and Mets manager Luis Rojas told reporters (including MLB.com’s Bill Ladson) that Lindor could potentially be activated off the injured list when New York begins its next homestand on August 24.  Lindor will travel with the Mets on their road trip and continue to work out, so the club will monitor his progress and then determine whether a minor league rehab assignment is necessary, or if Lindor could return to the active roster without the benefit of any minor league tuneup games.  A Grade 2 oblique strain sent Lindor to the IL on July 17, so even a return by that Mets homestand would be a pretty decent turn-around time for the shortstop, given how more severe oblique problems can sometimes linger.
  • Zach Eflin (right knee tendinitis) threw a live batting practice session today, while Vince Velasquez (right middle finger blister) and Sam Coonrod (forearm tendinitis) threw live BP sessions yesterday.  The Phillies pitchers are at different stages in their recoveries, and Velasquez and Coonrod will each begin minor league rehab assignments on Tuesday.  Eflin’s next step could be another simulated session before he starts his own rehab assignment, though the right-hander told NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury and other reporters that he “felt great” during today’s 28-pitch session.
  • The Brewers are almost all the way out of a COVID-19 outbreak on their roster, and two of the remaining sidelined players (Adrian Houser and Jandel Gustave) are nearing returns.  As Brewers manager Craig Counsell told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Todd Rosiak and other reporters, Gustave is working out with the team and Houser is expected to join the club when the Brew Crew begin a series with the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Phillies Activate Aaron Nola, Place Zach Eflin On Injured List

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The Phillies have reinstated starting pitcher Aaron Nola from the injured list to start this evening’s game against the Yankees. Rotation mate Zach Eflin landed on the 10-day IL with patellar tendinitis in his right knee in a corresponding move.

Nola landed on the COVID-19 IL on July 11 as a close contact of third baseman Alec Bohm, who had tested positive for the virus. (Bohm has also been cleared to rejoin the team, manager Joe Girardi told reporters — including Matt Breen of the Philadelphia Inquirer — but won’t be activated until he works himself back into game shape). That cost Nola his July 11 start, but he winds up only missing a single turn in the rotation thanks to the intervening All-Star Break.

It’s not clear precisely how long Eflin will be out, but the Phillies don’t believe his injury to be a long-term concern (according to Breen). That’s welcome news considering Eflin’s history of knee issues, which includes a season-ending 2016 surgery to repair the same patellar tendon.

The Phils can ill afford a long absence from Eflin, who’s been one of their more productive starters over the past couple seasons. The 27-year-old has a typically solid 4.17 ERA/3.79 SIERA across 105 2/3 frames this year. At 47-45, Philadelphia trails the Mets by just 2.5 games in the NL East, so a prompt return from Eflin is of critical importance.

Health Notes: Barreto, Eflin, Teheran, A. Wood

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A few injury-related items from around the majors…

  • The Angels are shutting down infielder Franklin Barreto for four to six weeks because of elbow inflammation, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com relays. It’s yet another disappointing development for the 25-year-old Barreto, a former top 100 prospect who hasn’t matched the hype in the pros. Barreto, who’s out of minor league options, joined the Angels last summer in a trade that sent second baseman Tommy La Stella to the Athletics. He collected just two hits in 18 plate appearances with the Halos after that deal. Barreto’s injury means the Angels will likely open the season with Luis Rengifo in a utility role, Bollinger notes.
  • Phillies right-hander Zach Eflin has dealt with a back issue since last week, but it doesn’t look as if it will keep him from making his first start of the regular season. Eflin will throw a simulated game Wednesday and then appear in a Grapefruit League game next Monday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports. While Eflin’s pitch count might be somewhat limited in early April, he’s still on track to be part of the Phillies’ rotation at the outset of the season. Eflin enjoyed a career year last season with 59 innings of 3.97 ERA/3.50 SIERA pitching and a tremendous strikeout-walk percentage of 22.4.
  • Righty Julio Teheran exited his appearance Monday with back tightness, according to an announcement from the Tigers. The injury doesn’t seem serious, but it’s notable because Teheran is pushing for a spot in the Tigers’ rotation after signing a minor league contract in free agency. Detroit has to make a decision on Teheran’s status this week, as his deal includes an opt-out clause. As of now, the former Brave and Angel is “likely” to wind up on their roster, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press tweets.
  • Giants lefty Alex Wood threw a bullpen session Monday and “felt really good,” Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area writes. Wood, who underwent an ablation procedure on his spine earlier this month, will throw a live bullpen later in the week, per Pavlovic. It’s unclear whether he’ll be ready for Opening Day. The Giants signed the ex-Brave, Red and Dodger to a one-year, $3MM guarantee during the offseason.
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