RosterResource Roundup: April 11-13

by
April 14, 2024

Below you’ll find a roundup of notable moves and roster notes from the past few days, as well as future expected moves and a Minor League Report, which includes a list of recent major league debuts and top prospect promotions. For this column, any lineup regulars, starting pitchers, or late-inning relievers are considered “notable,” meaning that middle relievers, long relievers, and bench players are excluded. You can always find a full list of updated transactions here.

RosterResource News:
•View all 30 projected lineups (vs RHP and vs LHP) on one page, updated daily.
•Our 2024 Minor League Power Rankings leaderboard is active. Click HERE to see how the rankings are determined.
•“Knocking Down The Door” will make its debut in this column sometime next week (April 15-21). This feature will highlight minor leaguers who are making a case for a major league promotion
•Jon Becker is writing a weekly “Reliever Roundup” column each Saturday during the regular season.

Lineup Regulars

Oakland Athletics
• 4/11: OF Brent Rooker (costochondral cartilage injury) placed on 10-Day IL; OF/INF Max Schuemann has contract selected from minors.

Rooker’s injury, which has kept him out of the lineup since last Sunday, created an opportunity for Abraham Toro to get regular at-bats. The switch-hitting Toro had been the leading candidate to be the starting third baseman until J.D. Davis signed with the team just before Opening Day. After starting just three times in the first eight games, he’s now had six consecutive starts out of the leadoff spot and is making a case to stay there with nine hits in 25 at-bats.

Despite being an All-Star in 2023 with an .817 OPS and 30 home runs, Rooker proved to be a very streaky hitter with subpar numbers in May (77 wRC+), June (74 wRC+), and August (94 wRC+). He was off to a slow start this season (6-for-30, 2 HR, BB, 16 K), but had back-to-back two-hit games last Friday and Saturday. There has been no update on how much time he’ll miss.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

 

Minnesota Twins
•4/13: SS Carlos Correa (strained oblique) placed on 10-Day IL; C Jair Camargo recalled.

After putting up poor offensive numbers in 2023 (.711 OPS, 96 wRC+), Correa was off to a much better start this season with 11 hits and eight walks over his first 44 plate appearances. The timing of this injury isn’t great, but it’s considered mild so he’s likely to miss weeks instead of months. The team could have a more specific timetable next week.

Willi Castro started at shortstop for both games of Saturday’s double-header sweep over the Tigers and went 2-for-8 with a double and a homer. He’s expected to make the bulk of starts while Correa is out. Kyle Farmer could get an occasional start. Top prospect Brooks Lee might have been in the discussion, but he’s been on the Injured List with Triple-A St. Paul due to back spasms. The 23-year-old could play a factor later in the season.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

New York Yankees
•4/13: SS Anthony Volpe hit in the leadoff spot versus a right-handed starting pitcher in both games of Saturday’s double-header.
•4/13: INF/OF Jon Berti (strained groin) placed on 10-Day IL.

The 22-year-old Volpe is off to a scorching start and looking very much like a top-of-the-order hitter in his second season. Gleyber Torres, who led off in the team’s first 12 games, is off to a slow start. So, it wasn’t a suprise when Volpe hit out of the leadoff spot on Wednesday for the first time this season. The Yankees were facing a left-handed starting pitcher, though, so it was not immediately known if he’d stay there when they faced right-handed starting pitching. After all, he was very good against lefties (139 wRC+) and not so much against righties (80 wRC+) during his rookie season. But he was there for both games of Saturday’s double-header sweep over the Guardians, reaching base four times on two singles and two walks. He’s now slashing .353/.450/.529.

Berti was placed on the 10-Day IL on Saturday and replaced on the roster by infielder Kevin Smith, who is much less likely than Berti to take any at-bats away from Oswaldo Cabrera at third base. Thus, Cabrera will have more of an opportunity to prove that he should continue playing on a regular basis even when DJ LeMahieu, who will begin a rehab assignment soon, returns from the Injured List. He’s making a strong case with a .963 OPS and three homers.

Roster/Depth Chart |  Playing Time Projections

St. Louis Cardinals
•4/12: OF Lars Nootbaar activated from 10-Day IL; C Pedro Pages optioned.

Batting 6th and playing left field in both games since his return, Nootbaar had a two-run homer on Friday and an RBI single on Saturday. Alec Burleson is the odd man out with Nootbaar back. He had started 11 of the team’s first 13 games, but was only 10-for-39 with no homers.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

Tampa Bay Rays
•4/12: 2B Brandon Lowe (strained oblique) placed on 10-Day IL; INF Niko Goodrum 구드럼 recalled.

Facing right-handed starting pitchers on Friday and Saturday, Amed Rosario and Curtis Mead each drew a start at second base with Lowe out of action. Rosario, who has also made starts in right field and shortstop, had a single and an RBI double. Mead, who had six starts at second base and one at third base, was 1-for-3 in his start. Expect that duo to continue getting the majority of starts at second base with Goodrum also in the mix.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

 

Starting Pitching

Boston Red Sox
•4/13: Cooper Criswell recalled.

In his Red Sox debut, the 27-year-old Criswell allowed two earned runs in four innings (5 H, BB, 4 K) in a 7-2 win over the Angels. There’s no reason to think he won’t stay in the rotation until Nick Pivetta returns from the Injured List.

Roster/Depth Chart

Chicago Cubs
•4/13: Jameson Taillon made his final rehab start on Friday.

Taillon’s next start will be with the Cubs next week. Which day (probably Wednesday at Arizona or Thursday at home versus Miami) and who he’ll replace is still to be determined. Javier Assad has been very good and rookie Ben Brown has allowed one run in 8.2 innings over his last two outings. Meanwhile, Kyle Hendricks has struggled in all three of his starts. Each of those three pitchers will get another start before Taillon makes his 2024 debut, so it’s very possible that the Cubs will wait on making any decision.

Roster/Depth Chart

Cincinnati Reds
•4/13: Nick Lodolo activated from 15-Day IL; Nick Martinez skipped in rotation.

As a rookie in 2022, Lodolo appeared on his way to becoming a top-of-the-rotation starter for the Reds. Over his final nine starts, he had a 2.75 ERA, 2.4 BB/9, 10.8 K/9, and a pair of 11-strikeout games. But a leg injury derailed his 2023 season — he had a 6.29 ERA in seven starts — and it’s taken him nearly a year to return. Fortunately for the Reds, the 26-year-old looks healthy and every bit as good as he was at the end of his rookie season. The left-hander allowed just one hit and one walk over 5.2 shutout innings against the White Sox on Saturday. He struck out 10 batters.

The Reds had planned on going with a 6-man rotation, at least temporarily, but decided to skip Martinez after Thursday’s rainout. They’ll likely have a decision to make on who gets bumped from the rotation, but probably not until next weekend at the earliest.

Roster/Depth Chart

Los Angeles Dodgers
•4/13: Bobby Miller (shoulder inflammation) placed on 15-Day IL.

There was enough concern that Miller had an MRI, which revealed no structural damage, but it’s also possible that the Dodgers will take advantage of any opportunity to ensure that the 25-year-old will not be limited down the stretch and in the playoffs. With two upcoming days off (4/18 and 4/22), there’s a chance that the Dodgers would only have to fill Miller’s rotation spot once before he’s eligible to return on April 26.

Kyle Hurt and Landon Knack are options, as is a bullpen game featuring Ryan Yarbrough and Michael Grove. But it’s not likely they’ll rush Miller back. In fact, Walker Buehler, who is set to make his fourth rehab start this week, could return from the Injured List before Miller.

Roster/Depth Chart

Texas Rangers
•4/13: Michael Lorenzen will be activated from 15-Day IL next week.

Lorenzen’s last rehab start came on Wednesday. Realistically, he could start as early as Monday. Tuesday is probably most likely. For now, the Rangers will go with a 6-man rotation, delaying their decision on who will be the odd man out. If Cody Bradford hadn’t been so good in each of his first three starts, there wouldn’t be a decision to make. But it doesn’t sound like he’s going anywhere.

 

Andrew Heaney, who actually lowered his ERA after another shaky start on Saturday (3.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 4 BB, K), could be moved to the bullpen.

Roster/Depth Chart

Toronto Blue Jays
•4/13: Yariel Rodriguez recalled.

There were a lot of questions about Rodriguez’s role in 2024 — starter or reliever — and how quickly he would be ready to help the major league team. After all, he didn’t pitch at all in 2023 and he was a reliever for the Chunichi Dragons in 2022. Stepping into the rotation on April 13 probably wasn’t the most likely scenario. But after No. 5 starter Bowden Francis struggled in his first two starts, the Blue Jays called on the 27-year-old Rodriguez to make his MLB debut on Saturday against the Rockies.

Limited to 68 pitches, Rodriguez was impressive (3.2 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K) in the Jays’ 5-3 victory. He’ll likely stick in the rotation for now, but could end up pitching out of the bullpen later in the season.

Roster/Depth Chart

 

Click HERE to view our Starting Pitcher Probables Grid.

 

Late-Inning Relievers

Colorado Rockies
With the Rockies’ closer situation currently in flux, there was a strong possibility that Daniel Bard could reclaim the job once he recovered from a knee injury and returned from the Injured List. But he won’t be back in 2024 and could consider retirement after he undergoes flexon tendon surgery later this month. The 38-year-old, who returned to the majors in 2020 after a six-year absence, had a 1.79 ERA and 34 saves in 2022 before missing time with anxiety and injuries last season. He’ll be a free agent at season’s end.

Roster/Depth Chart

Philadelphia Phillies
•Orion Kerkering will be activated from 15-Day IL on Sunday.

The Phillies’ late-inning relief situation isn’t likely to change immediately — José Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman are the current top candidates for save chances — but Kerkering was a popular pre-season pick to be the closer at some point in 2024 and there will be some expectation that he’ll eventually get that opportunity. The 23-year-old made four appearances on his rehab assignment and allowed only two hits over 4.2 scoreless innings with no walks and 10 strikeouts.

Roster/Depth Chart

Texas Rangers
Unsurprisingly, manager Bruce Bochy confirmed that Leclerc would be out of the closer’s role for now.

David Robertson and Kirby Yates are the likely candidates for save chances. Both have plenty of experience and past success in the role. With a four-run lead over the Astros on Friday, Robertson pitched a scoreless 8th and Yates closed out the game in the 9th. Whether Leclerc gets back on track or not, there is an opportunity for one of the veterans to lock down the job.

Roster/Depth Chart

 

Click HERE to view our Closer Depth Chart.

 

Minor League Report

Major League Debuts 

Promotions: Top 101 Prospects





 

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