Keynan Middleton: Free agent after option declined
Rotowire
The Cardinals will decline Middleton's (forearm) $6 million club option for 2025, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
He will be paid a $1 million buyout. Middleton was limited to just five rehab appearances in 2024 due to a right flexor tendon injury which eventually required surgery. The reliever is unlikely to be ready for Opening Day.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Moves to 60-day IL
Rotowire
The Cardinals transferred Middleton (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Saturday.
Middleton underwent season-ending surgery June 11 to repair the flexor tendon in his right forearm, so his move to the 60-day IL comes as little surprise. He will give up his 40-man roster spot for Nick Raposo, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Memphis on Saturday.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Out for season
Rotowire
Middleton (forearm) will undergo surgery next week to repair his right flexor tendon and will miss the rest of the season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
The timing of Middleton's surgery will allow him to return at some point during the 2025 campaign. He signed a one-year deal with St. Louis in February with a $6 million club option for 2025, though the Cardinals' decision on whether or not to bring him back will likely depend on how much of the next season he's expected to miss.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Seeking second opinion
Rotowire
Middleton (forearm) will get a second opinion from a specialist Monday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton underwent an MRI on Friday after being checked out by team doctors and it appears he may be dealing with a significant injury to his throwing arm. Season-ending surgery has yet to be ruled out, though even if he avoids surgery, Middleton could have to start over after being close to returning from the 15-day IL just days before reporting the injury. Regardless, there should be more clarity regarding Middleton's status in the coming days.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Could require surgery
Rotowire
Middleton (forearm) will undergo an MRI on Friday and could require season-ending surgery on his pitching arm, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton was evaluated by team doctors Tuesday, and the organization seems to have concern that he's dealing with a significant arm injury. If he does ultimately require surgery, his season would end before it began, as Middleton has been shelved since spring training with what's been termed a right forearm strain. The reliever signed a one-year, $6 million contract with the Cardinals back in February.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Undergoing imaging
Rotowire
Middleton (forearm) is getting imaging done and will be checked out by team doctors Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton reported soreness after making back-to-back rehab appearances at Double-A Springfield and will get evaluated by the team. He's been sidelined since March with a strained right forearm and was close to being activated from the 15-day IL before suffering the setback.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Dealing with soreness
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Middleton (forearm) reported soreness Friday after pitching in back-to-back games at Double-A Springfield, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Middleton gave up a solo home run and three walks while striking out two batters over those two outings. He will travel to St. Louis on Friday to be re-evaluated by the team. The 30-year-old righty has been on the injured list since the beginning of the season due to a strained right forearm.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: On verge of rehab assignment
Rotowire
Middleton (forearm) threw off the mound again Friday and is set for a rehab assignment next week, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton is on the cusp of a rehab assignment according to manager Oli Marmol, who explained that the reliever will report to either Double-A Springfield or Triple-A Memphis for his assignment this upcoming week. The right-hander is eligible to return from the 15-day injured list May 17, and he appears to be on track to return from his forearm injury on or close to that date.
Middleton (forearm) threw a bullpen session Saturday and is expected to throw two more next week before heading to Double-A Springfield for a rehab assignment, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton noted that his session Saturday went well and he has not experienced any discomfort in his right forearm since receiving a PRP injection April 6, per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Barring any setbacks next week, Middleton is set to start his rehab assignment, and some good outings in Springfield should mean a return to the majors for the 30-year-old.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Set for bullpen session
Rotowire
Middleton (forearm) will throw a bullpen session Saturday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Middleton has been on the 15-day IL since the start of the season after sustaining a right forearm strain in mid-March. He recently extended his throwing distance to 110 feet with no setback, and the right-hander has progressed enough to take the next step in his rehab program. Middleton will likely need multiple bullpen sessions without issue before beginning a rehab assignment.
Middleton (forearm) played catch from 110 feet Saturday and Sunday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The Cardinals haven't followed up about how Middleton responded to his latest long-toss session, but assuming he didn't experience any complications with his strained right forearm, he could soon be cleared to start throwing off a mound again. Middleton hasn't pitched since suffering the injury in a March 7 Grapefruit League game, but once healthy, he's expected to be a key part of the late-inning bridge to closer Ryan Helsley.
Middleton received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right forearm Saturday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton had to be pulled off his recovery program after suffering a setback earlier in the week, and he will now be shut down from all activity for another three days. The Cardinals will re-evaluate his progress in a week, at which point a decision will be made on whether or not to resume his throwing program. As a reliever, Middleton's ramp-up process will likely be relatively short, but a late-April return seems to be the best possible outcome for the 30-year-old righty.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Still not throwing
Rotowire
Manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday that Middleton (forearm) has yet to resume his throwing program, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton had been scheduled for mound work earlier in the week, but a setback prevented him from throwing. He will meet with the Cardinals' staff Saturday to discuss the next steps of his rehab process, but it appears the right-hander's absence will extend further into the season than originally expected.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Set to resume throwing
Rotowire
Middleton (forearm) will start a throwing program Wednesday, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Next week will mark the first time Middleton has thrown since March 16 after he sustained a right forearm strain during spring training. He was placed on the 15-day IL on Tuesday, and Middleton's progress in the throwing program will give the Cardinals a better idea as to when the right-hander will be able to return to the majors.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Placed on IL
Rotowire
The Cardinals placed Middleton on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right forearm strain, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
Middleton has been shut down from throwing since March 16, and although he's slated to begin his throwing progression soon, his absence will officially extend into the regular season. An exact timetable for the right-hander's return is unclear, but a better picture should emerge as he gets further along in his recovery process.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Dealing with right forearm strain
Rotowire
Manager Oli Marmol said Saturday that Middleton will be shut down for 10 days due to a right forearm strain, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
It's unclear when Middleton picked up the injury, but he won't be in action for the next 10 days and will start the regular season on the injured list. Middleton joined the Cardinals on a one-year, $6 million contract in February after splitting last season between the White Sox and Yankees. The right-hander posted a 3.38 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 64:23 K:BB over 50.2 innings in 2023.
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Cardinals' Keynan Middleton: Set for live session
Rotowire
Middleton (illness) is scheduled to throw a live batting practice session Wednesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Middleton was a late arrival to camp after he battled a stomach bug last week, but the fact that he's taking the mound to face hitters Wednesday suggests he's overcome the illness. After signing a one-year, $5 million contract in free agency, Middleton is projected to be a key part of the late-inning bridge to closer Ryan Helsley in 2024.
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Yankees' Keynan Middleton: Activated from 15-day IL
Rotowire
The Yankees activated Middleton (shoulder) from the 15-day injured list Friday.
Middleton will return to the Yankees' bullpen for the final weekend of the regular season after missing three weeks due to right shoulder inflammation. He had allowed just one run through 13.1 innings of relief with New York prior to the IL stint.
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Yankees' Keynan Middleton: Likely for weekend return
Rotowire
Middleton (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the injured list for the final weekend of the regular season, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Middleton got through a bullpen session Wednesday without issue and can log another appearance or two with the Yankees before his 2023 campaign comes to a close. The 30-year-old reliever is scheduled to become a free agent this winter.
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Yankees' Keynan Middleton: Slated for bullpen session
Rotowire
Middleton (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Tuesday or Wednesday, MLB.com reports.
If the reliever's bullpen session goes off without a hitch, he could be activated from the 15-day injured list before the end of the week. Middleton has been on the shelf since early September with right shoulder inflammation.
