Orioles Prospect Soriano Falls Victim Of Cancer At Age of 20

From the offices of Major League Baseball Trade Rumors

Craig Stammen’s Career “Probably Over” after Shoulder Injury

Padres RHP Craig Stammen suffered a torn capsule and strained sub scapular muscle in his right shoulder on Friday. The 39-year-old Stammen told Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union Tribune that the injury means his “playing days are probably over.” Stammen appeared in 13 major-league seasons with the Nationals and Padres and posted a 120 ERA+ and 4.29 strikeout-to-walk ratio with Padres over the last six years. He is in Padres camp as a non-roster invitee and ws hoping to pitch his way back into their bullpen after a down year in 2022, during which he suffered a torn rotator cuff. Stammen is still hoping to rehab his injury.

Orioles Minor Leaguer Luis Andrés Ortiz Soriano Passes Away

Luis Andrés Ortiz Soriano died of cancer over the weekend at the age of 20. The left-handed Ortiz, who signed with the Orioles out of his native Dominican Republic in 2019, pitched in seven games for the Orioles’ rookie-ball teams as an 18-year-old in 2021. We at MLBTR extend our condolences to his family, friends, and the Orioles organization.

Jesús Alou Passes Away

Jesús Alou, the youngest of the three Alou brothers who had long careers as major-league outfielders in the 1960s and ’70s and were among the first generation of Dominican major leaguers, passed away on Friday at the age of 80. Jesús signed with the Giants in 1958 and reached the majors in September 1963, joining a Giants team that already featured his older brothers Matty and Felipe. The Giants never started all three brothers in the outfield in the same game (they had some guy named Mays in center), but, three times that September, San Francisco closed out a blowout with Matty in left, Felipe in center, and Jesús in right. The Giants traded Felipe to Milwaukee that December, and the three brothers were never on the same major-league team again, but they continued to play together on los Leones del Escogido in the Dominican Winter League (Jesús also played in five Caribbean Series), and they remain the only three brothers to comprise a team’s entire outfield in a major-league game.

Jesús became the Giants’ regular right fielder in 1964 and remained so through the 1968 season. That offseason, the Expos selected him in the expansion draft, then traded him to the Astros with two others for Rusty Staub. Alou remained a regular in Houston for three more seasons, hitting a career-high .306 in 1970, but shifted into a pinch-hitting role when the Astros made Bob Watson a regular corner outfielder in 1972. Alou entered an itinerant phase in his career at that point. The A’s purchased him for the stretch run in 1973, and he was part of their championship teams that year and the next. He spent 1975 with the Mets, played in the Mexican League in 1976, was out of baseball entirely in 1977, then returned to the Astros for the 1978 and ’79 seasons and to the Mexican League in 1980. In retirement, Alou returned to the Dominican Republic and worked as a scout for the Expos, Marlins, and Red Sox, ultimately running the Red Sox’s player-development complex in the Dominican Republic.

Jim Bouton once wrote of Alou that he was “one of the most delicate, sensitive, nicest men I have ever met,” while John Wilson of The Sporting News wrote in 1971 that Alou, “is popular with his teammates because of his inherent good nature and philosophical way of looking at things.” Alou and his wife, Angela Hanley, had five children. Hi survivors include his older brother Felipe. We at MLBTR extend our condolences to the Alou family and Jesús Alou’s friends and fans.

Injury News:

  • Astros LF/DH Yordan Alvarez (hand soreness) took soft-toss swings in the batting cage on Friday and Sunday, per Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle. The team gave no indication as to what Alvarez’s next step will be, but the Astros seem to be confident that Alvarez will be ready for Opening Day. RHP Lance McCullers Jr. (muscle strain in right arm) played catch on Saturday, making 30 throws.

  • Atlanta LHP Kolby Allard will open the season in the injured list after suffering a grade 2 oblique strain, per Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Reacquired from the Rangers in November for righty Jake Odorizzi, Allard was competing for a spot in the Atlanta’s bullpen this spring.

  • Blue Jays 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (knee inflammation) has been facing live pitching and participating in fielding drills. He will participate in baserunning drills today and is still in play for Opening Day, per manager John Schneider.

  • Cardinals OF prospect Jordan Walker left Saturday’s game after straining his shoulder sliding into second base, but he appears to have avoided any significant injury, telling Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “I’m fine . . . I knew it wasn’t anything serious.”

  • Giants RF Mitch Haniger suffered a grade 1 oblique strain on an awkward swing on Friday and is now in doubt for Opening Day, per John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle. 1B/RHP Ronald Guzmán left Sunday’s game in pain after throwing a pitch and is undergoing tests on his forearm, per manager Gabe Kapler.

  • Mariners UT Dylan Moore (offseason core surgery) is “at full-go on the backfields” and “closing in on playing” in games, general manager Jerry DiPoto told Brock and Salk on Seattle Sports 710AM. DiPoto expects Moore and IF Tommy La Stella (elbow) to be ready for Opening Day. RHP Andrés Muñoz (October ankle surgery) has started throwing live batting practice and is due to starting pitching in games this week, per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. OF prospect Cade Marlow told reporters he has a very mild right oblique strain. Divish reports that non-roster OF Jack Larsen needs hamate surgery, which typically has a six-week recovery. OF Taylor Trammell, who had hamate surgery in mid-February, is about three weeks away from swinging a bat, per manager Scott Servais. Non-roster RHP Casey Sadler (shoulder surgery) won’t be ready for Opening Day but threw to hitters in live batting practice on Friday and is making progress, per Divish.

  • Mets RHP Kodai Senga was scratched from his Spring Training start on Saturday and is day-to-day with tendonitis as the base of his right index finger. RF Starling Marte tested negative for a concussion after being hit in the head by a pitch on Sunday. He will undergo further tests today. LHP Brooks Raley has a low-grade hamstring strain and has been replaced on the Team USA roster by fellow lefty Aaron Loup of the Angels. RHP Bryce Montes de Oca left Sunday’s game with a forearm strain and is scheduled for testing. All per manager Buck Showalter.

  • Orioles RHP Félix Bautista (knee and shoulder issues) is expected to make his spring debut on Thursday. Manager Brandon Hyde told Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com that Bautista “feels great, he feels totally healthy.” LHP Nick Vespi (January hernia surgery) is scheduled to pitch in today’s game, per Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. LHP DL Hall (lower back) is scheduled to throw another live batting-practice session on Tuesday after throwing “extremely well” over the weekend, per Hyde. Non-roster OF/1B Ryan O’Hearn is day-to-day with a sore knee.

  • Phillies RHP prospect Andrew Painter has been diagnosed with a right proximal ulnar-collateral-ligament sprain, per the Phillies, who say the diagnosis was confirmed by a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache. Painter will be shut down for four weeks then begin a “light tossing progression.” Rule 5 RHP Noah Song has been shut down with back tightness, per Alex Coffey of The Philadelphia Inquirer. He will be reevaluated next week but is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day.

  • Pirates RHP Robert Stephenson still hasn’t thrown to hitters this spring due to right-arm discomfort, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, though there’s still a chance Stephenson could be ready for the Opening Day roster.

  • Rangers RHPs Jacob DeGrom and Nathan Eovaldi (side tightness) are scheduled to start minor-league games today, per Levi Weaver of The Athletic.

  • Reds 1B Joey Votto (August shoulder surgery) made his spring debut in Sunday’s game.

  • Red Sox DH Justin Turner got his stitches out on Sunday and told reporters he still hopes to be ready for Opening Day.

  • Tigers 3B Tyler Nevin has a “mild” left oblique strain, per the team, which did not indicate how long Nevin is likely to be out. Evan Woodbery of MLive reports it’s a grade 1 strain, which can typically take a month to heal. Woodbery adds that non-roster RHP Trevor Rosenthal threw a bullpen on Friday, will throw another on Tuesday, and could get into games after that. Meanwhile, OF Matt Vierling missed some time due to a posterior knee-muscle strain but is ready to return to baseball activities and should be ready for Opening Day, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

  • Twins CF Byron Buxton and 2B Josh Polanco, both of whom are recovering from late-2022 knee injuries, are both on track to be ready for Opening Day, per chief baseball officer Derek Falvey. Falvey added that UT Nick Gordon (high ankle sprain) has resumed running and hitting and may also be ready for Opening Day, while 3B/1B Jose Miranda has started a throwing program and may be ready to play the field by Opening Day. 1B/OF Alex Kirilloff is behind the others in his recovery from wrist surgery, however, per Falvey. RHP Josh Winder (sore shoulder) was scheduled to pitch his second bullpen of the spring over the weekend and may still be an option for the Opening Day roster.

  • Yankees CF Harrison Bader has a strained left oblique and will miss about six weeks, per manager Aaron Boone. That means Bader will open the season on the injured list and miss roughly the first three weeks of the regular season. 1B Anthony Rizzo’s back is “cranky,” but he is expected to play in Tuesday’s game, per Boone.

Rumors:

  • Astros general manager Dana Brown told Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle that the team is more likely to work out extensions with 2B Jose Altuve and 3B Alex Bregman next offseason. Brown also had no updates on the team’s extension talks with RF Kyle Tucker and LHP Framber Valdez despite earlier saying he expected resolution to those talks to come last Thursday.

  • RHP Jayson Schroeder, the Astros’ second-round pick in 2018, announced his retirement on Instagram. Schroeder, 23, posted a 6.95 ERA in 134 2/3 minor-league innings and was released by the Astros in December.

  • Dodgers don’t see having a set closer as a “necessity,” per president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, and may prefer to use top closing candidate Evan Phillips in a more flexible fireman role.

  • Red Sox and 1B Triston Casas have mutual interest in an extension similar to the one fellow prospect Corbin Carroll just agreed to with the Diamondbacks, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.

  • Rockies are showing “real interest” in free-agent OF/UT Jurickson Profar, who spent the last week in Taiwan playing for the Netherlands in the World Baseball Classic, per Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post. With the Netherlands eliminated, Profar coud finally land with a major-league team.

  • Twins are considering a six-man rotation given the health and strong performances of their rotation candidates this spring, per chief baseball officer Derek Falvey.

  • Yankees could look to trade from their glut of infielders to shore up their outfield, with SS/UT Isiah Kiner-Falefa a candidate to be dealt. The Dodgers and Rockies, both of whom have suffered key injuries in their infield, have shown interest in Kiner-Falefa this offseason, per Brendan Kuty and Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. In a separate piece, Kuty speculates that Harrison Bader’s injury could mean Aaron Judge will open the season in center field.

Roster Moves and Cuts:

  • A’s optioned CF JJ Bleday, 1B Dermis Garcia, IFs Jonah Bride and Jordan Diaz, and LHP Hogan Harris to Triple-A and OF Lawrence Butler to Double-A; reassigned 1B Trenton Brooks, C Yohel Pozo, RHP Jasseel De La Cruz, and LHP Garrett Williams to minor-league camp; and released non-roster IF Ernie Clement.

  • Mets placed Rule 5 RHP Zach Green on outright waivers.

  • Rangers received non-roster RHP Ricky DeVito as the player to be named later for UT Mark Mathias.

Minor-League Signings:

  • Giants signed RHP Logan Shore to a minor-league contract.

  • Padres signed LHP CD Pelham to a minor-league contract.

  • Royals signed OF Jorge Bonifacio to a minor-league contract, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

Tracy RingolsbyComment