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Pirates Promote Ke’Bryan Hayes

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TODAY: The Pirates have officially called Hayes up, and also promoted recent waiver claim Anthony Alford to the active roster.  Southpaw Brandon Waddell and outfielder Jason Martin were optioned to the club’s alternate training site in corresponding moves.

AUGUST 31: The Pirates will promote top third base prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes before their game against the Cubs on Tuesday, Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Hayes’ promotion was slowed thanks in part to a positive coronavirus test in July.

Now 23 years old, Hayes was a 2015 first-round pick (No. 32) who has established himself as a high-end major league prospect since the Pirates drafted him. In fact, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN (No. 26), FanGraphs (30), MLB.com (45), Keith Law of The Athletic (46) and Baseball America (59) recently placed Hayes among the game’s 60 best farmhands. McDaniel wrote that Hayes, the son of ex-major leaguer Charlie Hayes, possesses “plus speed, a plus arm and a potential 70 glove,” and if he proves to be a capable offensive player in the majors, the package could make him a star.

So far, Hayes has not necessarily thrived against minor league pitching. He owns a .752 OPS in the minors, and in his most recent showing at the lower levels in 2019, he batted .265/.336/.415 (92 wRC+) with 10 home runs and 12 stolen bases across 480 Triple-A plate appearances. Still, his promotion makes for a rare bit of excitement in a Pittsburgh season that has largely been devoid of it.

The Pirates are a major league-worst 10-21 and have received below-average production from the third base tandem of Erik Gonzalez and JT Riddle, two players who probably won’t be part of the solution over the long haul. Hayes, on the other hand, has a chance to emerge as a franchise cornerstone for years to come. Because the Pirates are waiting until Sept. 1 to call him up, he’ll miss out on Super Two status and won’t be on track to reach free agency until after 2026.

Marlins Promote Jazz Chisholm

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One of the Marlins’ key acquisitions of the 2019 trade deadline is now set to make his Major League debut just after the 2020 trade deadline.  The Marlins have called up star shortstop prospect Jazz Chisholm in time for tonight’s game against the Blue Jays, Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald reports (Twitter link).  The club has officially announced the promotion as well as some other transactions, including outfielder Jesus Sanchez being optioned to the Marlins’ alternate training site and left-hander Josh D. Smith being outrighted to the training site.

Chisholm came to Miami from the Diamondbacks in a one-for-one deal for right-hander Zac Gallen on July 31, 2019.  With Gallen already looking like a very solid starter at the MLB level, there will certainly be some extra expectation placed on Chisholm, though the 22-year-old has shown a lot of promise in his pro career.

Signed out of the Bahamas during the 2015-16 international signing window, Chisholm has gained attention on top-100 prospect lists in recent years, though his pre-2020 rankings covered rather a wide range.  The Athletic’s Keith Law (who ranked Chisholm 15th) and Fangraphs (33rd) were the most bullish, with Baseball Prospectus (52nd), MLB.com (66th), and Baseball America (88th) not quite as enthusiastic.

Law was impressed at how Chisholm’s strikeout rate dropped after some adjustments made once he joined the Marlins’ farm system, and noted Chisholm’s “elite tool package at a premium position right now,” with “the hands, footwork, and arm to” remain at shortstop over the long term.  To provide slight contrast, BA’s scouting report feels Chisholm is too “overly aggressive” at the plate, and won’t be a solid hitter unless he “improves his approach, uses the entire field and puts the ball in play more often.”

Chisholm hasn’t played above the Double-A level, where he combined for 458 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks and Marlins affiliates in 2019.  As noted earlier, Chisholm improved once coming to Miami’s farm system — Chisholm hit .284/.383/.494 with three homers in 94 PA with Double-A Jacksonville, as opposed to .204/.305/.427 over 364 PA for Arizona’s affiliate in Jackson.  While a small sample size in a Marlins uniform, it does show promise that Chisholm has unlocked something in a new environment.

He will now add some infield depth to what is suddenly a revamped Marlins infield in the wake of Jonathan Villar’s trade to the Blue Jays.  Chisholm has played shortstop almost exclusively in his career, though Miami manager Don Mattingly told McPherson and other reporters that Chisholm has been playing second base at the team’s alternate training site.  Chisholm could handle second base until Isan Diaz is fully ready to return to the Fish, and then some combination of Chisholm, Diaz, and utilityman Jon Berti (who is a right-handed hitter, unlike the two youngsters) could conceivably juggle second base duties for the remainder of the season.

Braves Promote Ian Anderson, Activate Ronald Acuna Jr.

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The Braves announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of top pitching prospect Ian Anderson and reinstated outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. from the injured list. Anderson will make his Major League debut and start tonight’s game. In a pair of corresponding moves, right-hander Touki Toussaint and catcher Alex Jackson were optioned to Atlanta’s alternate training site.

Anderson, 22, was the No. 3 overall draft pick in 2016 and has steadily ranked among the game’s 50 or so best prospects over the past three years. He spent the 2019 season with the Braves’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, pitching to a combined 3.38 ERA with 11.4 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 and a 44 percent grounder rate. Like so many pitchers, Anderson was blown up in the explosive offensive setting in Triple-A last year, surrendering five homers in 24 2/3 frames. However, he only yielded eight big flies in 111 innings of Double-A work.

Scouting reports on Anderson peg him as more of a mid-rotation starter than a frontline ace. His fastball climbs to 96 mph, and Anderson garners praise for a plus curveball and a changeup that’s a bit behind that offering, though all three are considered above-average pitches.

Given the considerable rotation woes they’ve experienced in 2020, there’s some pressure on Anderson to put forth a strong debut effort. It’s not exactly fair to put such lofty expectations on a young prospect, but Atlanta has lost Mike Soroka (torn Achilles), Cole Hamels (triceps tendinitis), Felix Hernandez (opted out of 2020) and Mike Foltynewicz (outrighted after his fastball velocity dipped 6 mph) from its expected early-season rotation. Sean Newcomb, meanwhile, was optioned to the alternate site after surrendering 17 runs in 13 2/3 innings. Kyle Wright and Toussaint both posted underwhelming numbers in four starts apiece as well. The Braves have recently leaned on swingman Josh Tomlin and waiver claim Robbie Erlin to start games for them.

The Braves waited on Anderson long enough that he’ll miss out on Super Two status and the opportunity to accrue a full year of Major League service in 2020. As such, even if he’s in the big leagues for good, Anderson won’t be eligible for arbitration until after the 2023 season and won’t be eligible for free agency until after the 2026 season. Future optional assignments could further impact those timelines, of course, though the organization surely hopes that he pitches his way into a permanent rotation spot.

The return of Acuna is obviously a major boon for the Braves as well. He’s missed the past 10 days due to a left wrist injury but had rebounded from a slow start to boost his line to .258/.372/.515 at the time of his IL placement. In 10 August games, Acuna was hitting .364/.488/.818 with four homers and three doubles.

Orioles Promote Ryan Mountcastle, Place Chris Davis On 10-Day IL

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1:57pm: The Orioles have formally announced Mountcastle’s promotion. In a corresponding move, Chris Davis was placed on the 10-day IL due to patellar tendinitis in his left knee.

11:40am: The Orioles are calling up top prospect Ryan Mountcastle for his MLB debut, as first reported by Jason La Canfora of 105.7 The Fan (Twitter link). The 23-year-old slugger was the No. 36 overall pick in the 2015 draft. He’s already on the 40-man roster, so they’ll only need to clear space on the 28-man roster to accommodate him (although the corresponding move could still include a 40-man subtraction, of course).

Mountcastle has ranked among the organization’s best prospects since the time he was drafted out of high school. He has at times ranked among the game’s 100 best prospects according to outlets like Baseball America, MLB.com, Baseball Prospectus, etc. — and he’s currently just on the outside of FanGraphs’ Top 100, sitting at No. 111.

Questions persist about just where on the field Mountcastle will play. He was drafted as a shortstop but has slid down the defensive spectrum — first moving to third base and then spending time at first base and in left field last year in Triple-A. There are far fewer questions, though, about the slugger’s promising bat. Mountcastle followed up 2018’s .297/.341/.464 slash (121 wRC+) in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting with a .312/.344/.527 slash (117 wRC+) in Triple-A last year. He doesn’t walk much but also doesn’t strike out at an alarming rate and has never batted worse than .281 in a full professional season.

It’s possible that Mountcastle will supplant the struggling Dwight Smith Jr. as the team’s primary left fielder. Smith has posted a woeful .222/.306/.365 batting line in 72 plate appearances this year and wasn’t much better in 2019 when he hit .241/.297/.412. Given that Smith himself has graded out as a poor defender in left, there may not be a dip in glovework at all, and Mountcastle is a clear part of the organization’s future (which cannot be said of Smith).

Mountcastle could also be worked into the corner infield and designated hitter mix, but regardless of the position listed next to his name on the lineup card, it would behoove the Orioles to get him regular at-bats through season’s end. The hope is that Mountcastle will be a fixture in the lineup for years to come, and now that we’ve passed the point where he’d qualify as a Super Two or reach free agency after “only” six years instead of seven, there’s little reason for the O’s to keep him down at the alternate training site. Assuming Mountcastle is in the big leagues to stay, he’d be controllable through 2026 and arbitration-eligible after the 2023 season.

It is, of course, also worth noting that the O’s are just a game below .500 after a surprising start to the season. They’ve dropped five straight and are currently on the outside looking in on the playoff picture, but slotting Mountcastle into the lineup can’t hurt their odds of making a Cinderella run at this year’s expanded playoff format.

Marlins To Promote Sixto Sanchez, Jesus Sanchez

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1:18pm: Miami is also promoting top outfield prospect Jesus Sanchez, Heyman tweets.

1:02pm: The Marlins are calling up top pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (Twitter link). The flamethrowing righty will likely step into Miami’s rotation.

Sixto Sanchez was the centerpiece of the trade package the sent J.T. Realmuto from the Marlins to Philadelphia. He immediately became one of the Marlins’ top prospects and didn’t disappoint in 2019, his first full season with the team. Last year, as a 21-year-old, he pitched to a combined 2.76 ERA with 8.1 K/9 against 1.7 BB/9 in 114 frames between Class-A Advanced and Double-A. Sanchez can reach triple digits with his fastball and also garners praise for a wipeout changeup that is regarded as a plus offering. He’s considered to be among the best pitching prospects in all of baseball, ranking No. 18 at Baseball America, No. 24 at MLB.com and No. 48 at FanGraphs. Keith Law’s preseason rankings at The Athletic had him at 49, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel listed him at No. 55.

Jesus Sanchez, who is about 300 days older than Sixto but still 22 himself, came to the Marlins alongside Ryne Stanek in the trade that sent Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to the Rays last summer. He’s a top 100 prospect himself on most lists, garnering praise for exceptional bat speed, plus raw power and a feel for hitting. He’s played some center field but is more likely to end up in a corner. The hope for Sanchez is that he’ll eventually be a quality corner defender who hits for power and average, but he’s yet to see that raw power manifest in game settings. He split last year between Double-A and Triple-A, slashing .260/.325/.398 in 465 plate appearances. He’s not a big strikeout concern, but Sanchez also only walks in about six percent of his plate appearances.

Both players will be controlled through at least the 2026 season even if they’re in the Majors to stay, and they’ve been promoted late enough in the year that they should fall shy of Super Two status when arbitration rolls around for them in a few years’ time.

Giants Promote Joey Bart

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The Giants have promoted top catching prospect Joey Bart to the Majors, per a club announcement. The No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, Bart will make his debut one day after 2018 No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize debuted with the Tigers.

Joey Bart | Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

Bart, 23, spent most of the 2019 season in Class-A Advanced, hitting .265/.315/.479 (116 wRC+) before a 22-game stint in Double-A where he finished on a tear: .316/.368/.544 (163 wRC+). Bart went on to the Arizona Fall League and hit .333/.524/.767 with four homers in 42 plate appearances before a broken thumb cut his AFL stint short. His 6.2 percent walk rate doesn’t immediately jump out, but Bart’s 21 percent strikeout rate isn’t particularly alarming either.

Defensively, there’s little doubt about Bart’s abilities behind the dish. Scouting reports at MLB.com and FanGraphs place a 60 and potential 70 grade on his glovework, and Bart was voted ACC Defensive Player of the Year in his final season with Georgia Tech. Scouting reports laud his framing and pitch-blocking abilities, and Bart carried a career 31 percent caught-stealing rate in the minors before thwarting nine of the 13 stolen-base attempts against him in last year’s Arizona Fall League.

All in all, Bart is career .284/.343/.532 hitter in the minors, and he has the defensive tools to make him one of baseball’s premier all-around backstops. He’s yet to see a pitch in Triple-A and has only 87 Double-A plate appearances under his belt, so it’s far from a given that he’ll immediately thrive against big league pitching. However, with the Giants hitting just .250/.314/.415 as a team (17th in the Majors in wRC+) — with much of that coming from Mike Yastrzemski — Bart doesn’t need to be an offensive juggernaut to provide a boost.

San Francisco catchers, in particular, have floundered at the dish. The trio of Tyler Heineman, Chadwick Tromp and Rob Brantly (who saw only three plate appearances) have combined for a .180/.227/.270 slash in the absence of stalwart Buster Posey. The veteran Posey opted out of the 2020 season, citing health concerns, after he and his wife adopted twin daughters who were born prematurely.

Bart ranked as baseball’s No. 7 overall prospect heading into the 2020 season, per ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. He’s currently No. 8 on FanGraphs’ top 100, No. 15 at MLB.com and No. 33 at Baseball America. The Athletic’s Keith Law pegged him 44th prior to the season. Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019, is the only catching prospect that is generally ranked on the same level as Bart, who is the heir-apparent to the aforementioned Posey and expected to be a fixture on the Giants’ roster for years to come.

By waiting until this point in the year to promote Bart, the Giants have ensured that he can’t become a free agent until after the 2026 season (at least), and they’ve likely avoided Super Two status as well. There are only 39 days remaining in the 2020 season, and each of those days counts for about 2.77 days of Major League service in this year’s prorated system. That leaves Bart with roughly 108 days of MLB service time to possibly accrue in 2020, which should comfortably leave him shy of Super Two designation when he approaches his arbitration years.

Andrew Baggarly of The Athletic reported just before the Giants’ announcement that Bart was on his way to the big leagues.

White Sox To Promote Dane Dunning

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The White Sox will promote right-hander Dane Dunning to make his MLB debut for Wednesday’s game against the Tigers, manager Rick Renteria announced after last night’s game (Twitter link via James Fegan of The Athletic). General manager Rick Hahn strongly implied as much earlier this week. It’ll make for an exciting pitching matchup that provides a glimpse into the future for both clubs. The Tigers will throw 2018 No. 1 overall pick Casey Mize for the first time this afternoon.

Dunning, 25, doesn’t draw the same prospect fanfare as Mize, but he’s a highly touted righty himself who has long been considered a top prospect. Selected by the Nationals with the No. 29 overall pick back in 2016, Dunning found himself on the move to the White Sox (alongside Lucas Giolito and Reynaldo Lopez) in the trade that shipped Adam Eaton to the Nationals. That trade came just a day after the ChiSox sent Chris Sale to the Red Sox in exchange for a package headlined by Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech at the ’16 Winter Meetings, effectively marking the point of no return in Chicago’s arduous rebuilding process.

Now, with Moncada taking a starring role and numerous other promising young talents bubbling up to the Majors, the rebuild is coming full circle. Dunning becomes the latest reinforcement to join the fray. He hasn’t pitched in a regular-season game since 2018 due to Tommy John surgery, but prior to going under the knife, he was a top-100 caliber talent himself. The former Florida Gator has pitched in parts of three professional seasons (not including his work in intrasquad games at Chicago’s alternate site this year) and compiled an excellent 2.74 ERA with 10.2 K/9, 2.4 BB/9 and 0.6 HR/9 in 266 frames.

Dunning has yet to pitch in Triple-A thanks to the absence of a minor league season in 2020, but he topped out as a 23-year-old in Double-A back in ’18 and more than held his own: 62 innings with a 2.76 ERA and an even better 2.40 FIP. Dunning routinely generates big ground-ball numbers, misses bats and demonstrates above-average control. He doesn’t have the type of power arsenal that leads scouts to project him as a front-of-the-rotation presence, but a healthy Dunning could be a third or fourth starter for the ChiSox down the road.

For the time being, Dunning will step into a starting staff that is currently without the aforementioned Lopez (shoulder strain) and lefty Carlos Rodon (shoulder soreness). Given Lopez’s struggles as a starter, Rodon’s durability issues and the fact that Gio Gonzalez is on a one-year deal, there’s ample opportunity for Dunning to work his way into the long-term rotation outlook — beginning today. If he’s in the big leagues for good, Dunning has likely spent enough time in the minors this year that the White Sox have avoided Super Two status. He can’t accrue a full year of service at this point, either, so the White Sox could control him through at least the 2026 season.

Braves To Promote Cristian Pache

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The Braves are set to promote top outfield prospect Cristian Pache, Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reports. Pache is already on the Braves’ 40-man roster, so they won’t need to make a corresponding move in that regard.

Still just 21 years old, the Dominican-born Pache has been hailed as an elite prospect for a large portion of his Braves tenure, which began in 2016. That hasn’t changed in 2020, as Keith Law of The Athletic (No. 5), Baseball America (13), MLB.com (14), McDaniel (17) and FanGraphs (20) are among those that regard Pache as a top 20 farmhand. McDaniel writes Pache “could be a perennial All-Star if he hits his above-average offensive ceiling,” owing to the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder’s Andruw Jones-esque defensive skills, speed and increased power.

Pache spent the majority of 2019 in Double-A, where he slashed .278/.340/.474 with 11 home runs and eight steals in 433 plate appearances. His numbers dipped in his first Triple-A action, as he hit .274/.337/.411 with one homer in 105 trips to the plate. However, Pache was extremely young for the level, and he did cut his strikeout rate by 7 percent after the Braves bumped him up.

Now that he’s moving up yet again, Pache will join an Atlanta team whose outfield has been missing its top player, Ronald Acuna Jr., who went on the IL last weekend with left wrist inflammation. Fortunately, the Braves have gotten very good to great production from outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Nick Markakis this year, while Adam Duvall has performed decently. On the other hand, Ender Inciarte has endured a miserable season. That and Acuna’s injury combined to open the door for Pache, at least for the time being.

At this stage of the season, the Braves don’t worry about having to burn a year of service time in calling up Pache. Depending on how long he stays up, though, it could have an effect on future Super Two status.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Tigers Promote Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal, Isaac Paredes

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The future is here in Detroit. The Tigers announced this morning that the organization will promote top prospects Casey Mize, Tarik Skubal and Isaac Paredes this week. The left-handed Skubal is slated to start Tuesday’s game, while the right-handed Mize will take the ball Wednesday. Paredes will take the spot of fellow infielder Dawel Lugo, who is being designated for assignment.

It’s an aggressive play by a Tigers club that has dropped five consecutive games to fall under .500 (9-10) after a surprising start to the season. Skubal and Mize will make their MLB debuts in key starts against the division-rival White Sox, who have overtaken the Tigers in the standings. Detroit is currently in fourth place — but still just 3.5 games back of the AL Central-leading Twins.

Casey Mize | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In Mize, the Tigers will get their first look at the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The former Auburn ace is considered one of the five best pitching prospects in baseball by most accounts, and his results in 2019 — his only full pro season to date — underscore just why he’s so highly regarded. The 6’3″, 220-pound Mize tossed 109 1/3 innings between Class-A Advanced and Double-A last year, pitching to a combined 2.55 ERA with a 106-to-23 K/BB ratio. Those numbers include a no-hitter in his debut effort at the Double-A level.

Mize, 23, is currently ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the game on MLB.com’s summer update. Baseball America and FanGraphs have him ranked 14th on their own summer lists — the same slot at which Kiley McDaniel placed Mize in his preseason rankings for ESPN. Mize draws praise for a mid-90s heater that he can run up to 97 mph, but his splitter is the pitch that generates the most love from scouts. MLB.com’s report on him places a 70-grade on the pitch (on the 20-80 scale). Mize’s slider and cutter are both considered above-average offering as well.

Skubal was drafted eight rounds later in the same draft that the Tigers selected Mize, and his ascension should be considered a feather in the cap of the Tigers’ scouting and player development teams. Also 23, Skubal himself is widely considered to be a Top 100 prospect. Those same publications list him 35th (Baseball America), 50th (MLB.com), 54th (FanGraphs) and 79th (ESPN) on their rankings, and The Athletic’s Keith Law pegged him as high as No. 24 prior to the season.

Tarik Skubal | Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Just as Mize did, Skubal split last season between Class-A Advanced and Double-A. The 23-year-old racked up 122 2/3 innings with an outrageous 179-to-37 K/BB ratio — including a whopping 82 strikeouts in 42 1/3 frames at the Double-A level. Skubal can run his heater up to 97 mph as well, and while he doesn’t have a pitch as highly regarded as Mize’s splitter, his curveball is still said to be a plus offering accompanied by an average-or-better slider and changeup.

Not to be lost in the shuffle, the 21-year-old Paredes was a Top 100 farmhand himself at Baseball America in each of the past two offseasons (though he dropped off their list following the addition of this summer’s top draftees). He played the 2019 season at 20 years old and was one of the youngest players in the pitcher-friendly Double-A Eastern League. However, Paredes still turned in a healthy .282/.368/.416 slash (133 wRC+). Bat-to-ball skills are Paredes’ best asset, as evidenced by the fact that against much older competition, he walked nearly as many times (57) as he struck out (61).

Isaac Paredes | Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

With C.J. Cron out for the year, Jeimer Candelario has slid over to first base. That should clear a path to regular reps at the hot corner for Paredes, which is where he spent the bulk of the 2019 season playing. Paredes, acquired alongside Candelario in the trade that sent Justin Wilson and Alex Avila to the Cubs, played shortstop for much of his early career in the minors, so he could see some time there as well if Niko Goodrum needs a day off. Alternatively, the club could opt to give Paredes and Willi Castro regular time on the left side of the infield, with Goodrum returning to the super-sub role in which he found success over the past couple seasons.

The timing of the promotions is of some note as well. Holding the trio down for even the first week of the season bought the Tigers an extra year of team control, and each of Mize, Skubal and Paredes has now been down long enough that they could fall shy of Super Two status as well. Paredes’ promotion is the only move that is official as of today. Skubal and Mize will have their contracts selected on the day of their respective starts.

If Paredes sticks in the big leagues from this point on, he’ll finish out the year with 116 days of service, which could still leave him on the fringe Super Two status. Skubal would only accrue 113 days of service, though, and Mize would log just 110. Both of those marks should leave them on the outside looking in with regard to Super Two status.

The 25-year-old Lugo,meanwhile, is could be on his way out the door in the Detroit organization. Acquired from the Diamondbacks in the trade that sent J.D. Martinez to Arizona, Lugo simply hasn’t found his footing at the MLB level. He’s received an even 400 plate appearances in parts of three seasons and saw semi-regular action last year (288 plate appearances), but Lugo has produced only a .236/.270/.358 output in that time. He’s out of minor league options, so it’s possible he’ll clear waivers given that another club would have to carry him on its MLB roster. Then again, Lugo was once a solidly regarded prospect and has the ability to play both second base and third base, so another club could take a speculative look on waivers.

The Tigers have a week to either trade Lugo, release him, or pass him through outright waivers.

Dodgers Place Will Smith On 10-Day IL, Promote Keibert Ruiz

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The Dodgers have placed catcher Will Smith on the 10-day injured list due to neck inflammation.  Top catching prospect Keibert Ruiz has been recalled from the Dodgers’ alternate training site and is in line to make his Major League debut.

Smith’s neck issues led to an early exit from the Dodgers’ 6-0 win over the Padres last Wednesday, though the problem initially arose after a collision with Fernando Tatis Jr. over a week ago.  The injury doesn’t seem overly serious, as manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick and other reporters yesterday that Smith was feeling “not pain, but really the stiffness moving his head side to side,” yet an IL stint will allow the catcher to fully recover and also allow Los Angeles to add depth behind the plate.  Ruiz will join Austin Barnes as the only catchers on the active roster, and given Ruiz’s potential, it’s fair to wonder if L.A. will give him a solid amount of playing time.

Ruiz has been a regular on top-100 prospect lists for the last three seasons, entering 2020 rated 73rd by MLB Pipeline, 79th by Baseball Prospectus, 81st by Baseball America, and 91st by Fangraphs.  The 22-year-old has hit .299/.351/.420 over 1580 career plate appearances in the minors, though he only has 40 Triple-A plate appearances to his credit.  The lack of Triple-A playing time was due to both a finger injury and rather a lackluster .659 OPS over 310 PA for the Dodgers’ Double-A affiliate.

Baseball America’s scouting report (subscription required) mentions that Ruiz “struggled with motivation” after not starting the season at Triple-A, and his production notably picked up once he did get promoted.  The switch-hitting Ruiz’s “elite-hand eye coordination and ability to manipulate the barrel give him the foundation of a plus hitter, and he almost never swings and misses,” according to BA, though Ruiz is also hampered by a lack of aggressiveness at the plate and a frequency to fall behind in counts.  Ruiz has shown some good defensive potential, though Fangraphs’ report notes that scouts became more “mixed” on his ability behind the plate during the 2019 season.

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