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Starling Marté, Jose Ureña Exit Game With Injuries

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The Miami Marlins are headed to the postseason for the first time since 2003. As the second-place team in the NL East, they can finish no worse than the #6 seed. As things stands right now, the Marlins appear headed to a first-round match-up with the Cubs, whom they famously eliminated in 2003 to reach the World Series.

The Marlins overcame a lot this season to rebound from a 105-loss year in 2019, but there are more roadblocks to come. Starling Marté left today’s ballgame after being hit by a pitch, an injury the team has announced as a left ear contusion caused by the jostling of his helmet after being hit. It’s not clear at this time if Marte will miss time in the playoffs. Jose Ureña also left the game early after taking a line drive off his hand, notes ESPN’s Marly Rivera.

Losing Marte at this juncture would be a major blow for a resilient Marlins team. Upon his arrival in Miami, he instantly became the most recognizable player on this Marlins squad. The 31-year-old owns a triple slash of .282/.339/.432 between the Diamondbacks and Marlins this season. The Marlins would lean on a trio of youngsters to replace Marte in center should be miss time. Monte Harrison, Lewis Brinson, and Magneuris Sierra are all capable for manning the grass in center, though none of the three have established themselves at the plate.

As for Ureña, his status is not yet known. The Marlins planned to use him as a reliever in the wild card round, per MLB.com’s Joe Frisaro. Ureña has a 6.00 ERA through 4 starts since returning from the injured list. We’ll keep you updated on the status of both Marlins players as updates trickle in.

Ryan Pressly Reaches Vesting Threshold For 2022 Option

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Ryan Pressly reached the vesting threshold for a $10MM option in 2022, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). For the option to fully vest, Pressly needs to appear in 60 games in both 2020 and 2021. This season’s appearances are prorated because of the shortened season, however, meaning he needed 23 appearances to reach the equivalent of 60 over a full year. Pressly’s one-inning outing on Friday night was his 23rd of the season.

Pressly has been a huge part of the Astros’ bullpen over their current run, which includes 4 consecutive postseason appearances and counting. Since joining Houston via trade from the Twins on July 27, 2018, Pressly has posted a 2.19 ERA/2.42 FIP across 104 appearances out of the Houston bullpen. He was particularly effective down the stretch after joining the Astros in 2018. His first 26 appearances resulted in a 0.77 ERA to finish out that 2018 season.

This season he stepped into a new role for Houston, serving as its closer for much of the year. The Astros lost Roberto Osuna, Chris Devenski, Josh James, and Brad Peacock from their bullpen over the course of the season. Pressly has stepped in ably to record 12 saves in 16 opportunities while finishing 15 games. He’s thrown 21 innings in total with 12.43 K/9 to 3.00 BB/9.

The 31-year-old is on the books for $8.75MM next season. If he stays healthy, it’s certainly likely he’ll reach that 60 games threshold to lock in a $10MM salary for 2022. That said, any injury could deprive him of enough opportunities to hit that mark. He made just 55 appearances in 2019 for the Astros, though he twice spent time on the injured list, including missing a month from late August to late September. He has twice reached 60 appearances in a season prior to this year (2016, 2018).

The Astros books are pretty clear for 2022 as of right now. Zack Greinke, Justin Verlander, Lance McCullers Jr., Osuna, Devenski, and Carlos Correa are all set to be free agents after the 2021 season. Only Jose Altuve ($29MM) and Alex Bregman ($13MM) are currently owed significant sums for 2022. Clearly, lots can change before then and at least a few of the Astros’ potential free agents are likely to sign back. Regardless, if Pressly continues to pitch as he has, $10MM would not be an exorbitant price to pay, nor would the contract be immovable should that be their preference.

Minor MLB Transactions: 9/27/20

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With the final day of the 2020 regular season underway, a number of teams made a final roster move before the action kicked off. We’ll use this post to track some of those moves…

  • The Pirates placed catcher Jacob Stallings into the 7-day concussion protocol, the team announced. Andrew Susac was added to the active roster for today’s action. To make room on the 40-man roster, Keone Kela was moved to the 45-day injured list. Susac had been on the taxi squad. The 30-year-old backstop made appearances in the bigs for five consecutive seasons from 2014 to 2018 with the Giants, Brewers, and Orioles. He spent 2019 with the Royals Triple-A affiliate. Stallings, 30, misses the final day of the season after slashing .248/.326/.376 across 42 games and 143 plate appearances. Stallings was the Pirates’ primary catcher for the first time in his career this season, starting 40 of the team’s 60 games.
  • Joe Hudson has been recalled from the Mariners’ alternate training site for the final game of the season, per the Mariners’ PR department. Luis Torrens was placed on the 10-day injured list with back spasms. Hudson is making his third trip to the Mariners this season having one 3 for 17 in 9 games thus far. The 24-year-old catcher has started 16 games behind the plate for Seattle since coming over from the Padres at the deadline. Between both clubs, he slashed .257/.325/.371 across 78 plate appearances. It’s notable that Mariners’ manager Scott Servais noted that the offseason plan for Torrens will be to get strong enough to handle a full 162-game season, per MLB.com’s Greg Johns. The Mariners would like Torrens to add 8-10 pounds before next season.
  • The Cardinals activated outfielder Austin Dean before Sunday’s game, optioning Nabil Crismatt to the team’s alternate site, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com (via Twitter). The 25-year-old Crismatt made 6 appearances out of the bullpen for the Cardinals this season with a 3.24 ERA over 8 1/3 innings. This was the first taste of big-league action for the right-hander. Dean was acquired in the offseason from the Marlins, but he’s appeared in just 3 games for the Cardinals this season. The 26-year-old has been out since mid-September with a right elbow strain.

Ronald Acuña Jr. Scratched From Sunday’s Lineup

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Ronald Acuña Jr. was scratched from today’s lineup because of left wrist irritation, the team announced via Twitter. Obviously, it’s not an ideal situation for the Braves, but there’s no apparent reason to read anything more into this than what’s on the surface. With their playoff position locked, the Braves don’t gain much from playing Acuña today, especially if he’s anything less than 100%. There’s no reason to expect Acuña won’t be back in the lineup for their 3-game wild card playoff.

Acuna wanted to be in the lineup today, so the injury clearly isn’t all that limiting, but the Braves wanted to be cautious with their superstar, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (via Twitter). It is the same wrist that caused him some trouble in August. That said, the 22-year-old still managed to play in 46 games this season and post 2.0 rWAR with a triple slash of .250/.406/.581.

While Acuña’s wrist soreness will surely make some Braves fans a little nervous, there’s cause for optimism coming out of Atlanta as well. Ace Max Fried threw a bullpen session today, and as expected, he’d been given the green light for the playoffs, per MLB Network’s Jon Heyman (via Twitter). Perhaps even more important than Acuña, Atlanta really needs a healthy Fried in order to make a deep run this postseason. He was their best starter by a wide margin this season, emerging from a muddled and hectic rotation to establish himself as an ace and Cy Young candidate.

In 11 starts this season, Fried went 7-0 with a sterling 2.25 ERA/3.10 FIP across 56 innings. His contributions amount to 2.9 rWAR, the fourth-highest mark among pitchers in the majors. The only concern for Fried is that he’s thrown just 6 innings across two starts since going on the injured list early in September. The Braves have held the division lead or some time now, so they’ve been able to be patient with their ace. Still, he’ll be watched closely as he prepares to start the opener of the postseason. As the #2 seed, the Braves will be playing in Atlanta, though their opponent has yet to be decided. Beyond Fried, none of the Braves potential starters (Ian Anderson, Kyle Wright, Bryse Wilson) have more than a year of service time under their belts.

Dakota Hudson To Undergo Tommy John Surgery On Monday

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Dakota Hudson of the St. Louis Cardinals will undergo Tommy John surgery on Monday, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com (via Twitter).

Hudson initially went to the injured list with a forearm strain, and while the Cardinals were not overly concerned from the start, further testing heightened the possibility of surgery. Given the traditional timetable for recovery from Tommy John, Hudson figures to miss all of 2021 and, in all likelihood, at least a portion of 2022 as well. The timing is particularly unfortunate for the 26-year-old hurler, who will now target a return as early in 2022 as possible.

Hudson has established himself as a significant part of the Cardinals rotation over the past two seasons. He finished 5th in rookie of the year voting in 2019 after going 16-7 with a 3.35 ERA/4.93 FIP across 174 2/3 innings. Wandering command held him back at times (4.4 BB/9). but he’d made strides in that regard this season (3.5 BB/9). Hudson was the game 4 starter in each of the NLDS and NLCS last season, struggling in both outings. To be fair, the defense didn’t do him any favors in either outing, as he allowed 3 unearned runs each time out.

The 6’5″ right-hander made 8 starts this season, going 3-2 with a 2.77 ERA/4.50 FIP, worth 0.6 rWAR. If the Cardinals are able to secure their spot in the postseason, they still present as a scary match-up for the 3-game set in the first round. Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright will rival any top two in the National League, full stop. Beyond those two stalwarts, lefties Austin Gomber and Kwang Hyun Kim would be options for a potential game 3. Carlos Martinez has struggled after fighting COVID-19 early in the season, and it’s looking less and less likely that he’ll be able to contribute much this season.

If the Cardinals can beat the Brewers on Sunday, they’ll be in the playoffs as the #5 seed. If they lose, however, they could be in for a long week. With only 58 games played, they would potentially have to fly to Detroit to play a doubleheader to solidify their playoff seeding. They would have to lose on Sunday, get swept in the doubleheader on Monday, and see the Giants win their Sunday game in order to finish out of the postseason entirely.

Beyond this season, the loss of Hudson might hurt even more, especially if Adam Wainwright does not return for another season. Martinez, Miles Mikolas, and John Gant will all be returning from injury-shortened 2020 seasons with a chance to make the 2021 rotation behind Flaherty and Kim. If Wainwright wants to continue playing, another season in St. Louis would certainly benefit both parties.

Red Sox Won’t Retain Ron Roenicke For 2021 Season

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Ron Roenicke won’t be managing the Red Sox in 2021, the team announced.  In an official press release from the Sox, chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said the following:

“Throughout this difficult season, Ron’s consistency and professionalism kept the environment in our clubhouse productive and gave all of our players room to grow and develop.  While we believe that, moving forward, we will benefit from new leadership and new energy, that does not diminish how strongly we feel about Ron.  He is a man of the highest character who cares about our players and the Red Sox organization.  As bench coach, he helped this team win a world championship.  As manager, he showed poise and leadership in navigating an extremely challenging year.  We are grateful for all of his contributions in our uniform.”

The release also stated that “a search for a new manager will begin immediately,” though speculation has already focused on whether or not this search will somewhat quickly center around Boston’s old manager — Alex Cora.  The Red Sox fired Cora last January, a day after he was implicated as a major instigator of the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal in his previous role as Houston’s bench coach.  The Sox interviewed several names as Cora’s replacement before deciding to promote Roenicke from bench coach to interim manager (and then eventually, full-time manager once the interim tag was removed in April).

Major League Baseball ended up suspending Cora for the 2020 season for his role in the Astros’ scandal, and it’s worth noting that back in April, Bloom and Red Sox president Sam Kennedy both indicated that there were no plans to eventually bring Cora back into the fold.  Barring any updated statements from Red Sox brass or from Cora himself, the speculation about a potential reunion is likely to continue until a new manager has been hired.

If Cora isn’t the choice, it will be fascinating to see who Bloom chooses in his first proper managerial hire since taking over Boston’s front office last year.  Former coaches and players with ties to the Rays (Bloom’s old organization) will surely be mentioned as candidates, and one would imagine a new skipper might be a first-time hire who is both relatively young and not far removed from a playing career.  This fits the description of both Rays manager Kevin Cash and Cora at the time of his initial hire with the Sox, so both Bloom and Red Sox upper management might feel comfortable with this type of modern managerial profile.

Roenicke will manage today’s game, looking to end a tough season on a high note.  The Red Sox are 23-36 and currently in last place in the AL East, thanks in large part to a lack of pitching.  Injuries (Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez chief among them) were a big culprit, though the Sox seemingly lacked rotation depth even when those two arms were expected to be part of the 2020 staff.  Between the on-field struggles, the twin aftermaths of Cora’s firing and the Mookie Betts trade lingering over Fenway Park, and the unforeseen circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloom’s description of 2020 as “an extremely challenging year” is an understatement.

The 64-year-old Roenicke took on a big league managerial post for the second time in his career, following a five-year stint with the Brewers from 2011-15.  Beyond his managerial jobs in Boston and Milwaukee, Roenicke has over 20 years as a Major League coach and as a minor league coach and manager.  Roenicke’s coaching resume includes a pair of World Series rings, one in 2002 as the Angels’ third base coach and another in 2018 as Boston’s bench coach.

A’s Reinstate Chad Pinder From Injured List, Option James Kaprielian

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The Oakland A’s reinstated utility man Chad Pinder from the injured list today, the team announced. Right-hander James Kaprielian has been optioned.

Pinder returns to give manager Bob Melvin flexibility in terms of his in-game substitutions. Pinder can play all over the field, including third base where the A’s are without star Matt Chapman. Jake Lamb figures to continue to get the majority of playing time at the hot corner, but Pinder should serve an important role on the roster. He could be used as a defensive replacement at third, but he could also see some starting time, specifically against southpaws. Vimael Machín and Tommy La Stella have also seen some time at third since Chapman went down. La Stella starts most days at designated hitter or second base, however. Machín doesn’t bring much power to the table, but he puts the ball in play, with a tendency to go the other way and hit the ball on the ground. The 26-year-old rookie is the least likely of the collective to see significant playing time in the postseason.

Pinder should see an at-bat in today’s season finale, but he won’t play the field. Still, Melvin expects Pinder to be able to start in the postseason against left-handers, per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com (via Twitter). Oakland will enter the playoffs as either the #2 or #3 seed after winning the AL West. They’ll need to win today and see the Twins lose in order to jump into the #2 spot. A loss or a Twins win will result in the #3 seed for the A’s. If they finish as the #3 seed, they’ll get the Astros in the first round. In that scenario, Pinder could start a potential game two or three if the Astros go to Framber Valdez to start one of those games.

As the #2 seed, their most-likely opponent would be the Cleveland Indians, who don’t have a left-handed starter set to go in the first round. The Chicago White Sox could also fall to the #7 seed if they lose and the Indians win. Both the White Sox and Indians have some big-time lefties working out of the bullpen, so even if Pinder doesn’t get his name in the starting lineup, he still will have the potential to make an impact, regardless of their first-round opponent.

Kaprielian made just two appearances for the A’s this season. The 26-year-old allowed 3 earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, his first taste of big-league action. The former Yankee farmhand came to Oakland as part of the Sonny Gray deal at the deadline in 2017.

Cubs Promote Brailyn Marquez, Designate Patrick Wisdom

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The Cubs have selected the contract of left-handed pitching prospect Brailyn Marquez, the team announced.  Infielder/outfielder Patrick Wisdom has been designated for assignment to create roster room.

Marquez is expected to make his Major League debut in today’s game, Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein told reporters (including MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian).  The plan is for Marquez to toss an inning of work that could serve as an audition for the postseason roster.

With a fastball that hits the 100mph threshold, Marquez represents a very intriguing x-factor for the Cubs’ playoff run if he can adjust quickly to big league hitters.  The 21-year-old has never even pitched in Double-A ball, posting a 3.19 ERA, 2.84 K/BB rate, and 10.1 K/9 over 257 innings in Chicago’s farm system.

An international signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, Marquez emerged on top-100 prospect lists prior to the 2020 season.  Baseball America ranked him 37th on their list, with MLB.com (68th), Keith Law (80th), and Baseball Prospectus (84th) all being a bit more reserved in their praise.  BA’s scouting report cited Marquez’s potential front-of-the-rotation arsenal, including his big fastball, a “spike slider,” and also a changeup that was lacking in polish as a legitimate third pitch.

If everything is working, Marquez could be an ace of the future, though the issue is that his delivery doesn’t lend itself to repetition.  Law thinks Marquez will eventually end up as “a very high-end closer” who can pitch multiple innings, and the Cubs certainly wouldn’t mind a preview of that potential future in this year’s playoffs, though obviously the long-term goal is that Marquez will develop into a quality starter.

Braves To Add Pablo Sandoval To Active Roster

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The Braves will select Pablo Sandoval’s contract to the active roster today, manager Brian Snitker told MLB.com’s Mark Bowman and other reporters.  Sandoval is slated to play third base in Atlanta’s starting lineup today.

Sandoval inked a minor league deal with the Braves a little under two weeks ago, just four days after the Giants released him.  The Panda hit only .220/.278/.268 over 90 plate appearances with San Francisco this season, though as The Athletic’s David O’Brien noted, today’s transaction would seem to imply that Atlanta will put Sandoval on its postseason roster.

Austin Riley has been slowed by a quad injury in recent days, so the Braves could be turning to Sandoval for some additional third base depth beyond Adeiny Hechavarria.  Johan Camargo and Charlie Culberson were both available at Atlanta’s alternate training site, though the fact that Sandoval got the nod might be indicative of how far Camargo and Culberson have fallen down the depth chart.

Or, maybe the Braves are simply hoping for some vintage Sandoval postseason magic.  Sandoval has a .344/.389/.545 slash line over 167 career playoff PA, all with San Francisco from 2010-14.  The Giants’ three postseason appearances in that span resulted in three World Series titles, with Sandoval collecting Series MVP honors in 2012 after hitting three homers in Game One of the 2012 Fall Classic.

It has been a while since Sandoval was that productive, though he did hit .259/.311/.466 in 548 PA for the Giants from 2018-19.  The Braves would happily take similar offense in their lineup or coming off the bench in the playoffs as the team looks to capture its first championship since 1995.

Rangers Activate Shin-Soo Choo From Injured List

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The Rangers have activated outfielder/DH Shin-Soo Choo from the 10-day injured list, and the veteran slugger will be in the lineup for what might be his last game in a Texas uniform.  To create roster space for Choo, infielder Sherten Apostel was placed on the 10-day IL with lower back tightness.

A right hand has kept Choo out of action since September 7, and the 38-year-old has a .229/.317/.394 slash line over 126 PA for Texas this season.  While Choo has said that he wants to keep playing in 2021, today’s game could serve as something of a final bow on his seven seasons with the Rangers.  Choo signed a seven-year, $130MM free agent contract during the 2013-14 offseason that ultimately didn’t provide the return Texas was looking for in such a big investment.

Choo has hit a decent but unspectacular .260/.363/.428 over 3479 PA for the Rangers, good for an 109 OPS+ and 111 wRC+.  This production was rather offset, however, by subpar defense in the corner outfield, and Choo spent quite a bit of time as a designated hitter.  All told, Choo has generated 8.8 fWAR as a Ranger.

It remains to be seen if a player of Choo’s age and somewhat limited skillset will be able to catch on with another team in 2021, but his left-handed bat is still quite potent against right-handed pitching.  Choo has consistently mashed righties over his career, and even in this down year still has a .766 OPS in 88 PA against right-handers.

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