Around the Horn: News & Notes 4/21
Three weeks in the books for the 2021 season. It has been fun to have baseball back! I have loved every moment so far. Welcome into regular season Around the Horn with Ball Boy Blog. We will keep up on the news for the regular season on the league news, free agent signings, call ups/send downs and injuries, and COVID-19 related news. Click or tap right here to view lasts week's news.
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League News:
"Major League Baseball and the MLBPA held their first round of collective bargaining talks on Tuesday, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports. According to Passan, the meeting took place via video conference and featured "dozens of people," including members of player leadership. It was the first time MLB and the union have negotiated since the players rejected the league's proposal for a delayed 154-game regular season on Feb. 1." Conner Byrne MLB Trade Rumors
-Longtime MLB 2B Neil Walker announced his retirement on 4/20 at the age of 35. Walker ends his career a .267/.338/.426 hitting in 5152PA with 149HR over 1306 games. Ball Boy Blog wishes the best to Walker in life after baseball.
-Yankees 1B Jay Bruce announced he's retiring from baseball. The game on 4/18 against the Rays was the final outing of his 14-year career. Bruce ends his career with 1455H, 319HR, 839R, 951RBI, and 20WAR. Ball Boy blog wishes the best to Bruce in life after baseball.
-MLB suspended Cubs RHRP Ryan Tepera for three games on 4/15 for intentionally throwing at Brewers RHP Brandon Woodruff in the game on 4/12.
-White Sox pitcher Carlos Rodon, DFA'd this winter, was two outs away from a perfect game on 4/14 and sealed a no-hitter against the Indians.
Roster News:
Call Up/Send-Down/Optioned:
-The Phillies recalled INF Scott Kingery and RHP Spencer Howard
-The Marlins selected the contract of veteran C Sandy Leon on 4/21.
-The Tigers DFA'd 1B Renato Nunez for assignment to open a roster spot for INF Zack Short on 4/21.
-The White Sox selected RHP Alex McRae on 4/20.
-The Nationals called up OF Yadiel Hernandez on 4/20.
-The Twins made a flurry of roster moves on 4/20. They recalled INF Travis Blankenhorn, selected RHP Luke Farrell
-The Mariners optioned OF Braden Bishop on 4/20 to the alternate site.
-The Phillies recalled LHP Damon Jones, LHP Cristopher Sanchez, and INF Nick Maton on 4/19
-The Giants made a flurry of roster moves on 4/19, selecting the contract of RHP Trevor Gott, recalling LHP Sam Selman. The club optioned OF Steven Duggar and C Chadwick Tromp. Gott was DFA'd on 4/20, and Selman was optioned back to the alternate site.
-The Dodgers made some moves on 4/18, calling up INF Sheldon Neuse, activating RHP Brusdar Graterol from the IL, and RHRP Alex Vesia was optioned.
-The Nationals called up RHP Paolo Espino and RHP Ryne Harper on 4/18.
-The Diamondbacks DFA'd Anthony Swarzak on 4/18 and recalled JB Bukauskas from the alternate site.
-The Padres called up LHP Nick Ramirez on 4/17.
-The Brewers called up Eric Yardley on 4/17
-The Rangers optioned Wes Benjamin and Anderson Tejada to the alternate site on 4/17.
-The Indians optioned OF Ben Gamel to AAA on 4/17 and called up LHP Sam Hentges.
-The Mets sent down INF Jose Peraza to the alternate site on 4/17.
-The Braves made a few more moves on 4/17, selecting the contracts of INF Sean Kazmar Jr, LHP Jesse Biddle, and optioning RHP Kyle Wright to the alternate site.
-The White Sox reinstated RHP Dylan Cease from the COVID-IL on 4/16 and optioned RHP Zack Burdi. Burdi was called back up on 4/18. Burdi was again optioned on 4/20.
-The Angels selected OF Scott Schebler and DFA'd OF Jon Jay. The team also recalled INF Luis Rengifo on 4/16
-The Padres optioned INF Tucupita Marcano to make room for Fernanado Tatis Jr. on the everyday.
-The Braves made a few moves this week. The club called up RHP Kyle Wright and RHP Bryse Wilson on 4/16. The team also called up Johan Camargo after optioning LHP Tucker Davidson.
-The Cardinals selected OF Scott Hurst from the alternate site on 4/15 and optioned OF Lane Thomas.
-The Blue Jays called up LHP Anthony Kay and RHP Joel Payamps on 4/15 to fill the roster spots of Stripling and Romano.
Free Agent Signings:
-The Phillies signed LHP Rob Kaminsky to a minor league deal on 4/20
-The Braves agreed to a Minor League deal with RHP Jesse Chavez on 4/20.
Free Agent Rumors:
-Asked about extension talks with the Braves, Freeman said Tuesday (via Jeff Schultz of The Athletic), "There are no negotiations." Freeman added that discussing a deal during the season "would be a distraction, and I don't like distractions. My main focus is the game tonight, and I don't think there's going to be much talking any time soon."
-The Nationals are still being linked to RHP Anibal Sanchez. While the Braves and Marlins are also in contact.
-The Pirates face a choice on INF Todd Frazier and OF Brian Goodwin, who both have May opt-out dates in their minor league deals.
-Jonathan Lucroy is once again a free agent after clearing waivers and electing free agency as of 4/15. The Nationals did leave the door open for a return.
Trades:
-The Diamondbacks acquired OF Nick Heath from the Royals in exchange for RHP Eduardo Herrera.
Trade Rumors:
Returning form Injuries:
-The Twins activated OF Brent Rooker from the 10-day IL on 4/20.
-The Athletics reinstated OF Stephen Piscotty from the paternity list on 4/20 while also activating LHP Reymin Guduan on 4/20.
-The Mariners activated OF Kyle Lewis from the IL on 4/20
-The Reds activated RHP Sonny Gray on 4/19.
-The Padres will have RHP Dinelson Lamet back on the mound on 4/20 or 21.
-The Angels got SP Shohei Ohtani back on the mound on 4/20.
-The Orioles activated OF Austin Hays from the IL on 4/20.
-The Rays activated OF Kevin Kiermaier off the 10-day IL on 4/17.
-The Mets activated 3B, JD Davis, from the IL on 4/17
-The Cubs reinstated relievers Brandon Workman and Dan Winkler on 4/17
-The Rangers activated OF/DH Willie Calhoun from the IL on 4/17.
-The Rangers activated INF/OF Brock Hoy on 4/17
-The Rangers activated LHRP Joely Rodriguez from the IL on 4/16.
-The Padres activated SS Fernando Tatis Jr. on 4/16.
-Giants SP Alex Wood returned to the mound on 4/18.
Injury Updates:
-The Padres will not see LHP Adrian Morejon until at least the summer of 2022 as he will undergo TJ surgery.
-The Nationals placed OF Juan Soto on the 10-day IL on 4/20 with a strained left shoulder.
-The Reds placed 3B Mike Moustakas on the 10-day IL on 4/20 retroactive to 4/17.
-The Angels had 3B Anthony Rendon resume baseball activities on 4/19.
-The Royals have been without SS Adalberto Mondesi all season, and he doesn't appear close to a return from a right oblique strain.
-Rays LHP Ryan Sherriff was placed back on the restricted list on 4/3; he has returned to the team and will report to minor league camp to get back into pitching shape.
-Pirates rookie 3B Ke'Bryan Hayes will return to game action at the alternate site this week.
-Reds OF Shogo Akiyama is working on running drills and should be in-game action at the alternate site this weekend.
-Cardinals CF Harrison Bader is 10-14 days away from being a "full go" as of 4/17. While RHP Miles Mikolas is making good progress.
-Nationals LHP Jon Lester threw a 3IP, 49-pitch sim game on 4/16. There still isn't a timetable for his 2021 debut. He threw another 80-pitch sim game on 4/20. Fellow Nationals RP Will Harris threw a 23-pitch pen on 4/20
New Injuries/To the IL:
-The Orioles are expecting OF Anthony Santander to be out for up to a month with an ankle injury.
-The Phillies placed INF Jean Segura on the 10-day IL on 4/21.
-The Marlins placed C Jorge Alfaro on the 10-day IL due to a left hamstring strain.
-The Marlins placed OF Starling Marte on the 10-day IL after he suffered a non-displaced fracture in the 12th rib on his left side.
-Nationals LHP Luis Avilan will miss the remainder of the season as he will undergo TJ surgery this week.
-The White Sox placed SP Lance Lynn on the 10-day IL with a strained right trapezius muscle, retroactive to 4/17, and the move was made on 4/18.
-The Rays placed RP Collin McHugh on the 10-day IL with a back strain on 4/18.
-The Dodgers placed 2B Gavin Lux on the 10-day IL retroactive to 4/16 with right wrist soreness.
-The Nationals placed RHP Stephen Strasburg on the 10-day IL retroactive to 4/15 with right shoulder inflammation. RHRP Wander Suero was also placed on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. Both moves occurred on 4/18.
-The Padres placed RHRP Dan Altavilla on the 10-day IL with right elbow inflammation on 4/17. LHP Matt Strahm was shifted to the 60-day IL.
-The Brewers placed OF Cristian Yelich on the 10-day IL retroactive to 4/14 with a back injury.
-The Diamondbacks placed speedster Tim Locastro on the 10-day IL with a finger injury on 4/17.
-The Braves placed OF Ender Inciarte and LHP Sean Newcomb on the 10-day IL on 4/17.
-The Giants placed RHP Johnny Cueto on the 10-day IL on 4/16 with a Grade 1 lat strain. He should miss two starts.
-The Reds will be without slugger Aristides Aquino after placing on the 10-day IL on 4/16.
-The Braves placed LHP Drew Smyly on the 10-day IL on 4/16 with inflammation in his left forearm. It's worth noting that LHP Max Fried was also placed on the IL this week.
-The Blue Jays placed RHP Ross Stripling and RHP Jordan Romano on the 10-day IL on 4/15. At the same time, RHP Julian Merryweather was placed on the IL on 4/14.
COVID-19 news:
-The Phillies placed LHP Jose Alvarado, Matt Moore, and INF Ronald Torreyes on the COVID list for undisclosed reasons on 4/19.
-Giants pitchers Logan Webb and Jake McGee were placed on the COVID list on 4/18 after adverse effects from their second dose of the vaccine.
-The Astros have been hit hard by the COVID bug having to place 2B Jose Altuve, 3B Alex Bregman, DH Yordon Alvarez, C Martin Maldonado and INF Robel Garcia on the COVID-IL on 4/14. They all should be returning for the Rockies series starting 4/20. Everyone but Altuve was activated on 4/20.
-Phillies Hitting Coach Joe Dillon, 3B coach Dusty Wathan and bullpen coach Dave Lundquist are currently away from the team due to the protocols.
Thanks for reading today! One love, blessings!