The Rockies introduced they’ve positioned catcher Elias Díaz on the 10-day injured listing, retroactive to June 11, resulting from a strained left calf. Colorado reinstated Nolan Jones from the IL in a corresponding transaction.
It’s not clear how lengthy Díaz is predicted to be out of motion. His damage gained’t have a lot of an impact on the standings with Colorado sitting on the backside of the NL West. An prolonged absence may have some implications for the commerce deadline, although. Díaz has performed properly sufficient to be a reasonably easy deadline commerce candidate. Final 12 months’s All-Star Recreation MVP is hitting .303/.352/.439 throughout 216 plate appearances.
Díaz is just not prone to keep a .350 batting common on balls in play. But he doesn’t must hit .300 to be a succesful hitter for groups trying to improve behind the plate. He’s performing properly each at and away from Coors Area and has a modest 17.6% strikeout fee. Díaz has additionally fared properly on the opposite facet of the ball, throwing out 11 of 37 (29.7%) tried basestealers. Whereas pitch framing metrics have been down on his receiving expertise for many of his profession, Díaz has gotten plus grades in that regard in 2024.
The Rockies are paying Díaz a $6MM wage within the closing season of a three-year extension. Except Colorado extends him once more within the subsequent couple months, he’ll hit free company subsequent winter. Groups just like the Cubs, Rays and Guardians may search for catching assist across the deadline. The Phillies misplaced J.T. Realmuto for a month after he underwent meniscus surgical procedure. Philadelphia doesn’t must make a major catching acquisition in the intervening time, however any form of delay in Realmuto’s rehab course of may change that calculus. The Rox wouldn’t get an enormous commerce return, however a wholesome Díaz could be one of the best rental backstop accessible if the Blue Jays maintain Danny Jansen.
Jacob Stallings, himself a attainable deadline candidate for a contender that wants a backup catcher, will get nearly all of the taking part in time with Díaz out. Colorado plans to make use of Hunter Goodman as their #2 possibility, tweets Patrick Lyons. Goodman solely has one main league begin behind the dish. He was a catcher on the College of Memphis and has began 73 video games there in components of 4 minor league campaigns. Questions on his glove have pushed him primarily to first base or the nook outfield.
