Mariners demote Erasmo Ramirez to Single-A - MLB

In addition to sending Nick Franklin back to the minors following a six-day call-up the Mariners have also dropped right-hander Erasmo Ramirez from their starting rotation and demoted him all the way down to Single-A.

Officially the reason being given for sending Ramirez to Single-A instead of Triple-A is that he can remain on his current pitching schedule and, according to Greg Johns of MLB.com, “rejoin the rotation after the Mariners have two off days in next five days.”

Brandon Maurer will take Ramirez’s spot in the rotation Sunday and then the Mariners are hoping to activate Hisashi Iwakuma from the disabled list next week, so it seems far from a given that Ramirez will be back immediately.

Ramirez debuted at age 22 and posted a 4.25 ERA and 105/38 K/BB ratio in 131 innings between 2012 and 2013, but this season he allowed 18 runs and a league-high six homers in 24 innings. He actually threw a Quality Start last time out, including eight strikeouts versus the Astros, but afterward manager Lloyd McClendon was curiously critical of the performance anyway.

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CINCINNATI — The Los Angeles Dodgers placed pitcher Noah Syndergaard on the 15-day injured list Thursday with a blister on the index finger of his right throwing hand.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the timetable for Syndergaard’s return is unknown despite the 15-day designation.

“The physical, the mental, the emotional part, as he’s talked about, has taken a toll on him,” Roberts said. “So, the ability to get him away from this. He left today to go back to Los Angeles to kind of get back to normalcy.”

Syndergaard allowed six runs and seven hits in three innings against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, raising his ERA to 7.16.

Syndergaard (1-4) has surrendered at least five runs in three straight starts.

Syndergaard has been trying to return to the player he was before Tommy John surgery sidelined him for the better part of the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Roberts said Syndergaard will need at least “a few weeks” to both heal and get away from baseball and “reset.”

“I think searching and not being comfortable with where he was at in the moment is certainly evident in performance,” Roberts said. “So hopefully this time away will provide more clarity on who he is right now as a pitcher.

“Trying to perform when you’re searching at this level is extremely difficult. I applaud him from not running from it, but it’s still very difficult. Hopefully it can be a tale of two stories, two halves when he does come back.”