Mets' Tim Locastro: Included on Opening Day roster
Rotowire
The Mets selected Locastro's contract prior to Thursday's game in Miami.
Locastro's addition to the Opening Day roster was a foregone conclusion after his main competition for a reserve outfield role, Darin Ruf, was designated for assignment Monday. While all of Starling Marte, Mark Canha, Brandon Nimmo and Tommy Pham are healthy and available, Locastro doesn't project to receive many starts and will likely see most of his opportunities as a pinch runner and late-inning defensive replacement.
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Mets' Tim Locastro: Wins bench role
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Locastro will begin the season on the Mets' 26-man roster, beating out Darin Ruf for the final spot on the bench, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.
Locastro offers a speed threat that none of the other contenders for the spot possesses, something that could end up being very useful for the Mets given the rule changes MLB made this offseason to boost basestealing. The 30-year-old's .227/.325/.331 career slash line isn't very appealing from a fantasy perspective, however. Locastro should primarily see action late in games as a defensive replacement and pinch runner.
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Mets' Tim Locastro: Goes yard Saturday
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Locastro went 1-for-3 with a solo home run in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
Getting the start at DH and hitting leadoff, Locastro took Rafael Montero deep in the seventh inning for his first homer of the spring. The 30-year-old speedster has had a very good camp, going 13-for-38 (.342) with six steals in six attempts, and with Brandon Nimmo (ankle) suddenly looking iffy for Opening Day, the Mets might need more outfield depth early in the season, increasing Locastro's chances of landing a spot on the 26-man roster.
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Mets' Tim Locastro: Making noise on basepaths
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Locastro went 2-for-3 with two doubles, a run scored, two RBI and a stolen base in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Cardinals.
The veteran reserve outfielder is 4-for-4 on steal attempts this spring while going 6-for-17 (.353) at the plate through nine spring appearances. Locastro is fighting for a spot on the Mets' bench this spring, but if he does make the 26-man roster he could have some fantasy appeal in deeper NL-only formats, as the speedster could exploit the new pickoff limitations and larger bases to become a late-game pest on the basepaths as a pinch runner and defensive replacement. The 30-year-old set a career high with 17 steals in 250 plate appearances for the Diamondbacks in 2019, and he's a career 39-for-44 on SB attempts in the majors.
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Mets' Tim Locastro: Lands deal with Mets
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Locastro agreed Monday with the Mets on a minor-league deal, Pat Ragazzo of SI.com reports.
After spending the 2022 season in the Yankees organization, Locastro will stick around in New York for the upcoming season, albeit in a different borough. The 30-year-old owns a lowly 82 wRC+ over 549 career MLB plate appearances, but he ranks among the fastest players in baseball and offers the ability to play all three outfield spots. He'll be attending spring training as a non-roster invitee, but Locastro could be in the mix to make the Mets' Opening Day squad as a pinch-running specialist and late-inning defensive replacement off the bench.
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Tim Locastro: Enters open market
Rotowire
Locastro rejected an outright assignment to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and elected free agency Thursday.
Locastro saw action in 38 games for the Yankees last season and went 8-for-43 with two home runs, four RBI and eight stolen bases. He'll likely have to settle for a minor-league deal in order to find a new team for 2023.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Optioned to Triple-A
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Locastro was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.
With DJ LeMahieu (toe) getting reinstated from the 10-day injured list Friday, Locastro will be the one booted off the major-league roster. Since being promoted at the end of August, Locastro has made just nine plate appearances and recorded a hit during two of them.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Called up Monday
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Locastro was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Monday.
Locastro will replace Marwin Gonzalez (personal) on the active roster after Gonzalez was placed on the paternity list Monday. Locastro was sent down Aug. 17 and is currently in the middle of an 0-for-14 stretch over his last five major-league appearances.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Sent back to minors
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The Yankees optioned Locastro to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday, Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports.
After getting called up from Triple-A on Aug. 2, Locastro saw scant action for the Yankees over the past two weeks, as he appeared in seven games while going 0-for-9 with a stolen base. The Yankees called up Estevan Florial from Triple-A in a corresponding move and see if he can provide an upgrade as the team's fourth outfielder, or as a potential replacement in center field for struggling regular Aaron Hicks.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Promoted Tuesday
Rotowire
Locastro was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.
Locastro was sent down last week but will quickly rejoin the Yankees in the wake of the trade deadline. The 30-year-old has an .801 OPS in 28 plate appearances this season and will serve as a reserve outfielder while up with New York.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Sent down Thursday
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Locastro was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday.
Locastro was called up by the Yankees on Tuesday but didn't appear in any games during his stint with the major-league club. The 30-year-old will lose his spot on the active roster after the Yankees acquired Andrew Benintendi from the Royals on Wednesday.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Rejoins big-league club
Rotowire
The Yankees recalled Locastro from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.
Locastro could get a fair amount of playing time while Giancarlo Stanton (Achilles) is on the injured list. The outfielder has a .240/.321/.480 slash line with six stolen bases in 19 games this season.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Sent to Triple-A
Rotowire
Locastro was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.
He logged 12 at-bats, registering one home run and two steals, since being recalled a week ago. Locastro could be back up the next time the Yankees need some depth off the bench.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Recalled by Yankees
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Locastro was recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Saturday.
Locastro was sent down in early June after being reinstated from the 10-day injured list, and he's slashed .254/.325/.439 with two homers, 20 runs, 14 RBI and five stolen bases over 30 games since returning to full health. The 30-year-old will join the active roster to provide outfield depth prior to the All-Star break.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Activated, optioned to Triple-A
Rotowire
Locastro (lat) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Friday.
The Yankees don't need Locastro at the moment, but he could be back up later this summer when their depth gets tested. He is hitting .231 with one home run and four steals in 13 at-bats this season and is primarily used as a pinch runner off the bench.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Cleared to start rehab assignment
Rotowire
Locastro (lat) will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday.
Locastro has been on the shelf since May 8 with a left lat strain, so he'll likely require multiple games in the minors before the Yankees are comfortable with bringing him back from the 10-day injured list. Once activated from the IL, Locastro will likely see limited use as a pinch-running specialist and late-inning defensive replacement in the Yankees outfield.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Awaiting rehab assignment
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Locastro (back) is logging live at-bats at the Yankees' complex in Florida and could begin a minor-league rehab assignment soon, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Eli Fishman of Pinstriped Prospects shared a video of Locastro hitting against fellow rehabbing veteran Domingo German (shoulder) in Tampa on Saturday, and it appears both players are working toward a minor-league rehab assignment. Locastro suffered a lat strain in early May and will likely work as a reserve outfielder and pinch runner upon his return to the majors. He has stolen four bases for the Yankees this season but has logged only 15 plate appearances across 15 games.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Rehab progressing smoothly
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Locastro (lat) has been swinging a bat recently, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.
Locastro has been on the injured list since May 8 but is in New York and has been hitting off a tee. While it's not yet clear when the 29-year-old will be able to return to game action, he's made good progress in his recovery so far.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: IL bound with lat strain
Rotowire
The Yankees placed Locastro on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a left lat strain.
Locastro is believed to have picked up the injury in question when he stole a base in Monday's game against the Blue Jays. With Locastro on the shelf for at least the next week and a half, the Yankees are left with Marwin Gonzalez as their lone reserve outfield option.
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Yankees' Tim Locastro: Steals another base
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Locastro stole a base and scored after entering Monday's win over the Blue Jays as a pinch runner in the ninth inning.
With the score tied 2-2, Giancarlo Stanton led off the ninth frame with a single. The Yankees opted to replace him with Locastro on first base, and the move paid dividends when Locastro stole second and scored on a two-out single. The speedy outfielder leads New York with four thefts and has scored eight runs this season, but he's difficult to deploy in fantasy since his primary role has been as a pinch runner.
