Tommy La Stella DH FA Tue 3/14/23 11:45 AM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella (shoulder) won't be ready to play the field for another 7-10 days, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
Considering we're just 16 days away from Opening Day, La Stella is going to be cutting it close in regards to his ability to avoid an IL stint. He has been able to serve as a designated hitter, as his right shoulder irritation bothers him only when throwing. However, Mariners manager Scott Servais has said that La Stella will have to show he can play the field before the team includes him on the Opening Day roster.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Thu 3/9/23 9:51 AM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella (shoulder) will serve as the Mariners' designated hitter during Thursday's exhibition versus Team Canada, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times reports.
EDGE Analysis
La Stella has been battling right shoulder irritation since early on in camp and still isn't doing any throwing in on-field drills. The Mariners still seem hopeful that La Stella will be ready for Opening Day, but he'll need to show he can play some defense first. "Everything's tracking for him to be fine," manager Scott Servais said. "We certainly want to get him in the game. We're not looking for him to play defensively every day. But he certainly needs to be an option when we open the season."
Tommy La Stella DH FA Sat 3/4/23 12:09 PM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella will miss at least another 10 days with right shoulder soreness, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.
EDGE Analysis
The first announcement of La Stella's arm issues -- which came Feb. 24 -- suggested he'd miss less than a week, but this is clearly a larger issue for the veteran infielder. Assuming he spends most of his time at second base or designated hitter, La Stella shouldn't need too much time to ramp up for the regular season once his shoulder improves.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Fri 2/24/23 10:29 AM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella will be sidelined for 5-6 days due to right arm soreness, Corey Brock of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
La Stella had been slated to serve as the Mariners' designated hitter during Friday's Cactus League opener, but his injury has scuttled those plans. He'll have plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day, but it's not ideal for a guy who has dealt with plenty of injury issues the last couple years.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Thu 1/19/23 6:38 PM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella signed a one-year contract with the Mariners on Thursday.
EDGE Analysis
La Stella spent the last two seasons with the Giants and battled various injuries during his time with the club. He played in just 60 games last year and slashed .239/.282/.350 with two homers, 17 runs and 14 RBI but will attempt to bounce back during his age-34 season. La Stella missed the end of last year with neck spasms but will likely be ready for spring training in 2023.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Thu 1/5/23 3:19 PM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella was released by the Giants on Thursday.
EDGE Analysis
La Stella is owed $11.5 million in 2023, so there was no way he was getting claimed off waivers after the Giants designated him for assignment last month. The veteran infielder managed just a .677 OPS over two seasons in San Francisco while battling a multitude of injuries. He'll get another shot elsewhere now that he can be had cheaply.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Wed 12/28/22 4:19 PM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
The Giants designated La Stella (neck) for assignment Wednesday, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
EDGE Analysis
La Stella will cede his spot on the 40-man roster to reliever Taylor Rogers, whom the Giants signed to a three-year, $33 million deal. After inking a three-year, $19.5 million contract with San Francisco in January 2021 with the expectation that he would be a productive strong-side platoon infielder, La Stella struggled to stay healthy in first two seasons in the Bay Area, appearing in just 136 of a possible 324 games. He performed as a below-average hitter on the rare occasions he was available, slashing a collective .245/.297/.380 (86 wRC+) in 437 plate appearances. Given that La Stella's defensive metrics have been trending down in recent seasons and his poor health makes him difficult to rely upon heading into his age-34 campaign, the Giants didn't see him as a fit on the 2023 roster. Assuming La Stella goes unclaimed off waivers, he could choose to elect free agency and pursue an opportunity elsewhere.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Sat 9/17/22 6:46 PM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella (neck) said Saturday that he hasn't yet resumed baseball activities, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
EDGE Analysis
La Stella landed on the injured list with neck spasms Monday but hopes to return to action prior to the end of the regular season. However, a better idea for his return timetable is unlikely to be revealed until he's cleared for baseball activities.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Mon 9/12/22 7:52 PM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday due to neck spasms, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.
EDGE Analysis
There had been no mention of an injury prior to Monday's announcement, though La Stella has been out of the lineup the last few days. The Giants haven't released a timetable for the infielder's return, though as Pavlovic notes, this could potentially end his season with only a few weeks to go.
Tommy La Stella DH FA Sun 9/4/22 3:02 PM
Tommy La Stella
DH FA
La Stella is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Phillies, Evan Webeck of The San Jose Mercury News reports.
EDGE Analysis
The lefty-hitting La Stella is unsurprisingly on the bench against Phillies southpaw Ranger Suarez, but the 33-year-old has begun to see his opportunities versus right-handed pitching take a hit of late, too. La Stella has sat out in two of the Giants' last five matchups with righties.