MLB Notes: Former M’s reliever Wilhelmsen waived, becomes free agent
The Rangers have given up on Tom Wilhelmsen.
Wilhelmsen, who cleared waivers on Friday, refused an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock and became a free agent. The reliever posted a 10.55 ERA in 21 1/3 innings over 21 appearances for the Rangers and allowed nine hits in one inning of work on Monday before being optioned to the minors.
Wilhelmsen, who was to earn $3.1 million this year, forfeited the remaining value of his contract to take free agency. That amounts to about $1.8 million in savings for the Rangers. It is not an insignificant amount, especially if the team looks to add a player at the trade deadline.
The club decided to remove him from the 40-man roster to give itself some flexibility with other potential moves and once Wilhelmsen cleared waivers he exercised his right to refuse the assignment. The decision gives the Rangers 39 players on the 40-man roster and creates an opening should the team want to add right-hander Kyle Lohse to the roster. Lohse is currently working as a starter at Round Rock and could be a candidate for a middle relief and spot starter role.
The Rangers acquired Wilhelmsen from Seattle in a deal that sent Leonys Martin to the Mariners over the winter. Wilhelmsen was supposed to help beef up the middle of the Rangers bullpen, but he struggled from the moment he arrived.
If Wilhelmsen does not get another opportunity in the majors with a team this year, his season will go down as one of the worst in history. There have only been 10 pitchers to appear in at least 20 games in a season and compile ERAs above 10.00. His would rank as the sixth worst. He also allowed opponents a 1.161 OPS. That would go down as the second worst in history behind Jim Poole, who allowed hitters a 1.196 OPS with Montreal and Detroit in 2000.
Jays’ Bautista to disabled list with toe injury
Toronto Blue Jays slugger Jose Bautista was placed on the 15-day disabled list Friday following a freakish injury that he attributed in part to bad luck.
Bautista sprained his big left toe Thursday night in Philadelphia when he got his foot caught in a fence latch while trying to make a catch.
He was wearing a walking boot Friday in the Toronto clubhouse.
“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I’ve put in a lot of hard work, dedication and effort into being healthy, and this sort of stuff happens. It can only happen by playing aggressively, and that’s the type of player I am.”
Still, he couldn’t help but bemoan the circumstances of the injury.
“I could’ve stepped one inch shorter of the wall, one inch closer to the wall, and none of this would’ve happened,” he said. “It’s just a little bit of bad luck.”
Bautista is batting .230 with 12 homers and 41 RBIs for the defending A.L. East champions. He also has a team-high 48 walks.
A preliminary exam did not reveal any broken bones, but Bautista will undergo further tests to determine the severity of the injury.
“He’s going to have to get some specialized X-rays, some stress X-rays and some things like that,” Blue Jays head athletic trainer George Poulis said. “The doctors are pretty confident now there’s no fracture, but once you start digging deeper and getting these specialized tests you never know what can show up.”
It’s the kind of injury that doesn’t go away quickly, so Toronto was left with no choice but to put Bautista on the DL.
“When you stub your toe in your living room, the pain goes away in an hour,” Poulis said. “This pain is not going away. It’s pretty evident that it’s not going to be a two- or three-day thing.”
Toronto recalled outfielder Darrell Ceciliani from Triple-A Buffalo. Ceciliani played briefly with the New York Mets last season before being traded for cash.
White Sox’ center fielder Jackson undergoes knee surgery
Chicago White Sox center fielder Austin Jackson underwent surgery on his left knee Wednesday and will be re-examined in four weeks.
Jackson, who was placed on the 15-day disabled list June 10, had a small portion of the medial meniscus removed and will be on crutches for two weeks. The surgery was performed in Los Angeles.
Jackson, 29, signed with the White Sox in the offseason. He’s batting .254 with 18 RBIs and two stolen bases in 54 games.
Wong recalled by Cardinals
Second baseman Kolten Wong has been recalled from Triple-A Memphis by the St. Louis Cardinals after a brief demotion, during which he played center field to add to his versatility.
Wong was not in the lineup on Friday for the start of a weekend interleague series against the Texas Rangers, with Matt Carpenter at second base and Randal Grichuk in center.
Rookie outfielder Jeremy Hazelbaker, who has cooled off following a strong start, was optioned to Memphis. Hazelbaker has three pinch-hit homers.
The 25-year-old Wong batted .429 with four homers and 11 RBIs in seven games in the minors, including a game-winning grand slam with Memphis and said, “I’m justified being back here.”
He was batting .222 with one homer and five RBIs in 49 games with St. Louis and lost his starting spot when Carpenter moved from third base to second to accommodate Jhonny Peralta.
Cards’ draft pick Delvin Perez signs
Delvin Perez, the 17-year-old Puerto Rican shortstop who fell to the 23rd pick in the draft after testing positive for performance enhancing substances, signed with the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
Perez said a friend gave him the banned substance “to not lose weight and to stay healthy.” He called it “an ignorant mistake.”
Perez said he wasn’t worried about failing the pre-draft drug test.
“I didn’t have any fear, because I was sure I wasn’t going to test positive,” Perez said through an interpreter. “Again, I repeat I didn’t’ know what I was taking.”
Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said the team’s own investigation into the incident echoed Perez’s account.
“One of the things that the St. Louis Cardinals have always believed in is giving people a second chance,” Mozeliak said. “One of the things we have always believed in is being opportunistic and this draft allowed us to do that.”
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Perez played at the International Baseball Academy in Ceiba, Puerto Rico.
Perez will head to Florida on Saturday where he’ll begin his professional career in the Gulf Coast League.
Cubs call up catching prospect Contreras
The Chicago Cubs have added another promising prospect to their 25-man roster, calling up catcher Willson Contreras from Triple-A Iowa.
The Cubs dipped into their farm system again after promoting outfielder Albert Almora Jr. from Iowa last week with Jorge Soler going on the disabled list.
The 24-year-old Contreras is getting his first look in the majors after dominating in the minors. To make room, Chicago designated catcher Tim Federowicz for assignment before Friday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
“This is an amazing feeling,” Contreras said. “I want to thank my teammates and the Cubs for giving me the opportunity to be here. From now on, they’re going to have a really nice player, a hard-work player.”
“He’s going to help us at some point this year, maybe very dynamically by the end of the year,” manager Joe Maddon said.
Contreras, who was not in Friday’s lineup, was batting .350 with nine home runs and 43 RBIs at Iowa.
Padres field complaint about Filipino Heritage Night
The San Diego Padres on Friday said they were “surprised” by claims they “devalued” Filipino Heritage Night nearly two weeks ago. The initial complaint was released to KUSI earlier Friday.
“We were surprised to learn of the statement issued today regarding Filipino Heritage Night at Petco Park, as we had not received any complaints in the two weeks since the event on Saturday, June 4,” the team wrote in a statement. “Having heard the concerns expressed today, we have already reached out to those who planned the event to discuss their concerns. The Padres have been proud to host Filipino Heritage Night annually since 2008, and we were especially proud this year to work closely with the Filipino community to grow the event.”
The Padres added that the event surpassed projections, leaving a number of attendees without shirts promised for the event. The team ordered an additional 200 T-shirts to ensure every member of the group would receive one at a future game via complimentary tickets.
The Padres said more than 200 members of the group have attended games this week to pick up T-shirts.
In a release to KUSI, Lauren Garces with Silk Road Productions said the Padres showed a “lack of care and respect” for the Filipino community when Filipino Heritage Night was held on June 4 instead of in conjunction with Philippine Independence Day on June 12. Other oversights and complaints, according to KUSI’s report, included performances that were cut short, requiring volunteers to purchase tickets to attend Filipino Heritage Night and issues with logistics.
The Padres contended they were presented unscheduled performers at the last minute, complicating measures to accommodate the schedule. The club said it “confirmed that every act affiliated with Filipino Heritage Night that was scheduled in advance and cleared in accordance with our protocol, was provided the opportunity to perform as promised.”
The complaint comes nearly a month after the Padres made national headlines when they mistakenly played the wrong pre-recorded rendition of the national anthem during the San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus.
“The Filipino community wants to ensure that the Padres organization hosts all community events in a more efficient and respectful manner with sincere and authentic intentions,” Garces wrote in the statement to KUSI. “The Padres needs to resolve these issues (especially with cultural significance) in a more professional manner so avoidable mistakes do not create a devaluement and consequence to a community culture.”