RosterResource Roundup: April 18-21

by
April 22, 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 with 2024 Stats (PA, 2B, HR, BB, K, OPS, wRC+) and 2021-2024 Stats (PA, OPS, wRC+).
•Our 2024 Minor League Power Rankings leaderboard is active. Click HERE to see how the rankings are determined.
•Jon Becker is writing a weekly “Reliever Roundup” column each Saturday during the regular season.

Lineup Regulars

Boston Red Sox
•4/21: 1B Triston Casas (rib strain) placed on 10-Day IL; C Tyler Heineman recalled from minors.
•4/18: OF Tyler O’Neill (concussion) placed on 7-Day IL; OF/1B Rob Refsnyder activated from 10-Day IL.

The injuries continue to pile up for the Red Sox, although Refsnyder is back and O’Neill will likely be activated when eligible on Tuesday. There is no timetable for Casas, but it’s not expected to be a short IL stint.

The options on the current roster are limited to Bobby Dalbec and Pablo Reyes. It’s highly unlikely that the Red Sox will wait very long to add another. Niko Kavadas, a left-handed hitting first baseman, is off to a good start in Triple-A (12-for-42, 4 HR, 10 BB, 17 K). Jared Walsh, who was designated for assignment on Saturday, could also be on the team’s radar. The 30-year-old began the season with 11 hits in 35 at-bats before ending his time with the Rangers in a 1-for-18 slump.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

Cincinnati Reds
•4/21: SS Elly De La Cruz batted 2nd for the first time on Sunday.

After batting 6th in each of the Reds’ first 20 games of the season, De La Cruz finally moved up in the order on Sunday. Leadoff man Jonathan India was out sick, which could’ve been a factor. But we can also choose to believe that the 22-year-old earned it with a 1.033 OPS, 173 wRC+, and 10 stolen bases through 81 plate appearances. In his debut as the No. 2 hitter, the switch-hitter went 2-for-3 with a walk, pushing his batting average over .300 and OBP over .400. I’m assuming he won’t be moved back down in the order, at least not against right-handed starters (he’s 6-for-26 with 11 Ks versus lefties), in favor of India (.557 OPS).

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Lineup Tracker

Detroit Tigers
•4/20: 3B Gio Urshela (strained hamstring) placed on 10-Day IL; INF Buddy Kennedy recalled.

Matt Vierling has started both games at third base with Urshela out. Kennedy, starting at second base on Sunday, hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

Kansas City Royals
•4/19: 2B Michael Massey activated from 10-Day IL; INF Nick Loftin optioned.

In two starts since returning to action, Massey is 2-for-7 with a double. Adam Frazier, who had been getting a majority of playing time in Massey’s place, struggled at the plate with only 6 hits in 37 at-bats as the starting second baseman.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

Los Angeles Angels
•4/21: 3B Anthony Rendon (strained hamstring) placed on 10-Day IL; INF Ehire Adrianza has contract selected from minors.

Since going hitless in his first five games, Rendon had gone 20-for-56 before this latest IL stint. Miguel Sanó has four hits in seven at-bats, including a homer and double, while starting the Angels’ last two games at third base. Adrianza gives the team a much better defender at the hot corner but they’ll likely stick with Sanó as long as it’s the best way to keep his bat in the lineup.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

New York Mets
•4/20: C Francisco Alvarez (torn thumb ligament) placed on 10-Day IL; C Tomás Nido has contract selected from minors.

Alvarez will undergo surgery and is expected to miss approximately 6-8 weeks. Nido will likely split time with Omar Narváez behind the plate. Unless Narváez starts hitting — he’s 5-for-25 with 0 homers thus far — Nido could actually take on a bigger share of the catching duties.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

Oakland Athletics
•4/19: OF Brent Rooker activated from 10-Day IL; INF Darell Hernaiz optioned.

Just as Hernaiz was starting to get regular playing time — he had started 7 of the team’s last 8 games — he was sent back to Triple-A. That’s because as bad as starting shortstop Nick Allen has been at the plate (9-for-53), Hernaiz was even worse (3-for-29).

Rooker came off the bench to homer in Friday’s game and then hit another, his 4th of the season, on Sunday. Despite the homers, the 29-year-old has some ugly numbers (8-for-39, 2 BB, 21 K) and could be relegated to a platoon role.

Roster/Depth Chart  |  Playing Time Projections

St. Louis Cardinals
•4/21: OF Victor Scott II optioned.

Making the jump from Double-A proved to be a bit too much for the 23-year-old Scott, who had just 5 hits in 59 at-bats to begin his MLB career. He’ll try to get back on track as he begins his Triple-A career this week with Memphis.

For now, the Cardinals will roll with Michael Siani as their starting center fielder. Until he replaced Scott in the starting lineup on Saturday, he was only 1-for-15 in a bench role. But he’s 3-for-5 with two walks and a stolen base in his last two starts. He should get at least a few weeks to play on a regular basis. Tommy Edman and Dylan Carlson are making progress but do not seem close to returning from the Injured List.

Roster/Depth Chart |  Playing Time Projections

Texas Rangers
•4/20: 1B Nathaniel Lowe activated from 10-Day IL; 1B Jared Walsh designated for assignment.
•4/20: C Jonah Heim placed on Bereavement List; C Sam Huff recalled.

After going 0-for-3 in his 2024 debut, Lowe had a two-hit game in Sunday’s win over the Braves. Filling in for Heim, Andrew Knizner was 2-for-4 with his first home run.

Roster/Depth Chart |  Playing Time Projections

 

Starting Pitching

Arizona Diamondbacks
•4/21: Slade Cecconi recalled; Merrill Kelly (shoulder) scratched from Sunday’s start.
•4/19: Jordan Montgomery recalled; Ryne Nelson (elbow contusion) placed on 15-Day IL.

The 24-year-old Cecconi allowed only two runs in six innings as a last-minute replacement on Sunday after Kelly was scratched due to shoulder discomfort. The 24-year-old right-hander was efficient, throwing only 64 pitches while allowing two hits and striking out three batters. If Kelly needs an IL stint, it’s likely that Cecconi will get at least one more start.

Montgomery had about as good of a debut as the Diamondbacks could’ve asked for. The 31-year-old lefty allowed just one run in six innings en route to a victory over the Giants. His next start will come on Wednesday against one of his former teams, the St. Louis Cardinals.

Roster/Depth Chart

Atlanta Braves
•4/22: Bryce Elder will be recalled from minors on Monday; Darius Vines will be optioned.

The Braves continue to cycle through the No. 5 spot in the rotation, although it could end with Elder if he’s anything close to the 2023 version of himself (3.81 ERA in 174.2 IP). He’ll make his 2024 debut on Monday.

Roster/Depth Chart

Boston Red Sox
•4/21: Josh Winckowski moved to starting rotation.

With Garrett Whitlock the latest Red Sox starting pitcher to land on the Injured List, it was Winckowski, a rotation candidate in Spring Training, who took his spot on Sunday. Limited to one and two-inning stints out of the bullpen, the 25-year-old wasn’t expected to pitch deep into the game but he was able to give them 3.1 innings while holding the Pirates to just one run. That should earn him at least one more start.

Roster/Depth Chart

Chicago Cubs
•4/18: Jameson Taillon activated from 15-Day IL.

Taillon appears to have picked up right where he left off at the end of 2023 when he had a 1.67 ERA over his last five appearances. The 32-year-old allowed one run and three hits over five innings in the Cubs’ victory over the Marlins. He’s scheduled to make his next start on Wednesday against the Astros.

Roster/Depth Chart

Colorado Rockies
•4/20: Kyle Freeland (strained elbow) placed on 15-Day IL.

After allowing 17 earned runs in 5.2 innings over his first two starts, Freeland bounced back with a couple of respectable starts against the Diamondbacks (5 IP, 2 ER) and Blue Jays (5 IP, 4 ER). Replacing Freeland in the rotation was Peter Lambert, who allowed six earned runs in three innings in Game 2 of Sunday’s double-header against the Marlins. The 26-year-old came into the game with a 2.31 ERA in 11.2 innings over six relief appearances.

Roster/Depth Chart

Houston Astros
•4/21: Cristian Javier (neck discomfort) placed on 15-Day IL.
•4/18: Justin Verlander activated from 15-Day IL.

Verlander’s successful return (6 IP, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K) could’ve been just what the struggling Astros needed. But they followed Friday’s win with a pair of losses against the Nationals while losing another starting pitcher to the Injured List. The good news, for a 7-16 team that really needs some good news, is that Framber Valdez could return soon.

Roster/Depth Chart

Miami Marlins
•4/20: A.J. Puk (shoulder fatigue) placed on 15-Day IL; Roddery Muñoz recalled (27th man).

Puk’s IL stint gives the Marlins at least a couple of weeks to decide whether he should continue starting or move back to the bullpen, where he had a 3.97 ERA, 12.4 K/9, and 15 saves for the team in 2023. His struggles (9.22 ERA, 17.2 BB in 13.2 IP) might not be role-related but he’s not having much success as a starting pitcher.

Between Max Meyer, Patrick Monteverde (15 IP, 3 ER, 5 BB, 18 K in Triple-A), and Muñoz, who allowed only two earned runs in five innings in his MLB debut, the Marlins have some good options when the No. 5 spot comes up again.

Roster/Depth Chart

Milwaukee Brewers
•4/21: DL Hall (sprained knee) placed on 15-Day IL.

Hall was on the verge of being removed from the rotation after his latest start (3.2 IP, 4 ER, 5 BB) but that decision can now wait. The Brewers will be tempted to move him to the bullpen. But, like Puk, his struggles might not be related to his move to the rotation. They’ll be able to re-assess once Hall is healthy.

Bryse Wilson, who pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in a spot start on Wednesday, is a candidate to take Hall’s rotation spot. Tobias Myers, who was called up for Wednesday’s game but did not pitch, could also be in the mix.

Roster/Depth Chart

Pittsburgh Pirates
•4/19: Quinn Priester recalled.

As expected, Priester got the call to replace Marco Gonzales in the Pirates’ rotation, allowing four earned runs in 4.1 innings. Whether he was good or not probably isn’t going to affect the arrival date for top prospect Paul Skenes, who continues to dominate in Triple-A and could make his debut before his 22nd birthday on May 29.

Roster/Depth Chart

San Diego Padres
•4/20: Randy Vásquez recalled.

Vásquez allowed four runs in five innings and picked up a loss in his Padres’ debut. Three of the runs were unearned, though, and the 25-year-old made a good enough impression to stick around at least until Yu Darvish returns from the Injured List. If he can somehow give them five or six quality innings in his next start in Colorado, he could put himself in position to eventually take Matt Waldron’s rotation spot.

Roster/Depth Chart

 

Click HERE to view our Starting Pitcher Probables Grid.

 

Late-Inning Relievers

Chicago Cubs 
After Adbert Alzolay’s fourth blown save in seven chances, the Cubs appear to be taking a step back with the 29-year-old. At least that was the case for Sunday’s game.

While they aren’t officially removing him from the closer’s role, they’re hoping Alzolay can quickly regain some confidence while pitching in lower-leverage situations. He pitched a scoreless inning in the team’s loss to the Marlins.

If he remains out of the mix for save chances going forward, Mark Leiter Jr. and Héctor Neris are the leading candidates for save chances. But keep an eye on rookie Ben Brown, who was the odd man out in the rotation with the return of Taillon. With a 5-3 lead in Game 2 of Saturday’s double-header, the 24-year-old pitched a scoreless 7th and 8th inning to get the lead to Neris in the 9th. Over his last 16.2 innings, he’s allowed only two runs while striking out 17 batters.

Roster/Depth Chart

 

Click HERE to view our Closer Depth Chart.

 

Minor League Report

Major League Debuts 

  • Anthony Veneziano, RP, Kansas City Royals: IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 H, 0 BB, K  4/20/24
  • Roddery Muñoz, SP, Miami Marlins: 5 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, BB, 7 K 4/20/24
  • Cam Booser, RP, Boston Red Sox: IP, ER, H, 0 BB, K  4/19/24
  • Jack Leiter, SP, Texas Rangers: 3.2 IP, 7 ER, 8 H, 3 BB, 3 K  4/19/24
  • Jonathan Cannon, SP, Chicago White Sox: 5 IP, ER, 3 H, BB, 3 K  4/17/24
  • Jhonny Pereda, C, Miami Marlins: 0-for-2, K  4/17/24
  • David Bañuelos, PH, Baltimore Orioles: 0-for-1  4/16/24
  • Forrest Whitley, RP, Houston Astros: 0.2 IP, 0 R, H, BB, 0 K  4/16/24
  • Andy Pages, CF, Los Angeles Dodgers: 1-for-4, R, 2 K  4/16/24
  • Jair Camargo, C, Minnesota Twins: 0-for-0, BB, R  4/16/24
  • Nick Nastrini, SP, Chicago White Sox: 5 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 5 K  4/15/24
  • Jonatan Clase, LF, Seattle Mariners: 1-for-4, RBI, K  4/15/24
  • Ricky Vanasco, RP, Los Angeles Dodgers: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, K  4/15/24
  • Mitchell Parker, SP, Washington Nationals: 5 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 0 BB, 4 K, W  4/15/24
  • Cole Winn, RP, Texas Rangers: 1.2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, K  4/14/24
  • Yariel Rodriguez, SP, Toronto Blue Jays: 3.2 IP, ER, 4 H, 2 BB, 6 K  4/13/24
  • Max Schuemann, PR, Oakland Athletics: 0-for-0, R  4/12/24
  • Tyler Jay, RP, New York Mets: 2 IP, ER, 5 H, BB, K 4/11/24
  • Jackson Holliday, 2B, Baltimore Orioles: 0-for-4, RBI, 2 K  4/10/24
  • Spencer Arrighetti, SP, Houston Astros: 3 IP, 7 ER, 7 H, 3 BB, 3 K  4/10/24
  • Dedniel Núñez, RP, New York Mets: 2 IP, ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 3 K  4/9/24
  • Davis Wendzel, 3B, Texas Rangers: 0-for-3  4/9/24
  • Blair Henley, SP, Houston Astros: 0.1 IP, 5 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 0 K  4/8/24
  • Josh Maciejewski, RP, New York Yankees: IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K  4/8/24
  • Wenceel Pérez, PH, Detroit Tigers: 0-for-2, K  4/8/24
  • Pedro Pagés, PH, St. Louis Cardinals: 0-for-1, K  4/7/24
  • Justin Foscue, 2B, Texas Rangers: 0-for-1  4/5/24
  • Ryan Fernandez, RP, St. Louis Cardinals: IP, 0 R, H, BB, 3 K  4/3/24
  • Jorge Barrosa, PH, Arizona Diamondbacks: 1-for-1, 2B  4/1/24
  • Shota Imanaga, SP, Chicago Cubs: 6 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 9 K, W  4/1/24
  • Nick Avila, RP, San Francisco Giants: 2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, 0 BB, 2 K  4/1/24
  • Matt Sauer, RP, Kansas City Royals: IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, K  3/31/24
  • Kai-Wei Teng, RP, San Francisco Giants: 3 IP, 3 ER, 4 H, 3 BB, 4 K  3/31/24
  • Justin Slaten, RP, Boston Red Sox: 0 IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 0 K  3/30/24
  • Ben Brown, RP, Chicago Cubs: 1.2 IP, 6 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, K  3/30/24
  • Jordan Leasure, RP, Chicago White Sox: IP, 0 R, H, BB, K, Hold  3/30/24
  • Cade Smith, RP, Cleveland Guardians: 2 IP, 0 R, 0 H, BB, 5 K  3/30/24
  • Oliver Dunn, 3B, Milwaukee Brewers: 1-for-4, K  3/30/24
  • Austin Martin, PR, Minnesota Twins: 0-for-0  3/30/24
  • Jared Jones, SP, Pittsburgh Pirates: 5 IP, 3 ER, 3 H, 2 BB, 10 K, W  3/30/24
  • Austin Shenton, PR, Tampa Bay Rays: 0-for-1  3/30/24
  • Trey Lipscomb, 3B, Washington Nationals: 1-for-4, SB 3/30/24
  • Nasim Nuñez, PR, Washington Nationals: 0-for-0, SB 3/30/24
  • Clayton Beeter, RP, New York Yankees: IP, 0 R, H, 0 BB, 0 K  3/29/24
  • Mitch Spence, RP, Oakland Athletics: 3 IP, ER, 2 H, 3 BB, 3 K  3/29/24
  • Landen Roupp, RP, San Francisco Giants: IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K  3/29/24
  • Blaze Alexander, DH, Arizona Diamondbacks: 2-for-5, RBI, 2 K  3/28/24
  • Anthony Molina, RP, Colorado Rockies: 0.1 IP, 6 ER, 6 H, BB  3/28/24
  • Colt Keith, 2B, Detroit Tigers: 1-for-4  3/28/24
  • Darell Hernaiz, PH, Oakland Athletics: 0-for-1  3/28/24
  • Victor Scott II, CF, St. Louis Cardinals: 0-for-3, SB, K  3/28/24
  • Jung Hoo Lee 이정후, CF, San Francisco Giants: 1-for-3, RBI, K, CS  3/28/24
  • Erik Miller, RP, San Francisco Giants: IP, 0 R, 0 H, 0 BB, K  3/28/24
  • Wyatt Langford, DH, Texas Rangers: 1-for-3, RBI, BB, K  3/28/24
  • Yoshinobu Yamamoto, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers: IP, 5 ER, 4 H, BB, 2 K  3/21/24
  • Stephen Kolek, RP, San Diego Padres: 0.2 IP, 2 ER, 0 H, BB  3/21/24
  • Jackson Merrill, CF, San Diego Padres: 0-for-3   3/20/24
  • Graham Pauley, PH, San Diego Padres: 0-for-1, K  3/20/24
  • Yuki Matsui, RP, San Diego Padres: 0.2 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, BB, K  3/20/24

Promotions: Top 101 Prospects





 

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