White Sox Designate Jarred Kelenic For Assignment
The White Sox announced that outfielder Jarred Kelenic has been designated for assignment. That’s the corresponding move for them to select infielder/outfielder Rikuu Nishida, a move that was reported yesterday.
Kelenic, 26, signed a minor league deal with the Sox in the offseason. He began the season at Triple-A and put up some encouraging numbers. In 26 games, he slashed .202/.346/.464. That batting average is obviously not pleasant but was held back by an unfortunate .224 batting average on balls in play. The on-base percentage was buoyed by a huge 18.3% walk rate. His six home runs in 104 plate appearances boosted the slugging percentage. The batting line translated to a subpar 97 wRC+ but would have been above average with a bit more batted ball luck.
The White Sox decided to give him another shot in the big leagues, which didn’t work out. He got into 19 games and stepped to the plate 59 times. His 10.2% walk rate was strong but he also struck out at a huge 33.9% clip. Though his .344 BABIP was actually a help in this sample, he nonetheless put up a .226/.305/.321 line and 81 wRC+.
These are fairly small data sets but they do roughly mirror Kelenic’s larger career arc. A former sixth overall pick and top prospect, he has often put up huge numbers in the minors without finding success in the majors. Including this year’s stint with the Sox, he now has 1,547 big league plate appearances. He has been punched out in 30.7% of those and has a .211/.283/.374 line, which leads to an 84 wRC+. He has stolen some bases but hasn’t received strong grades for his glovework.
The overall performance has pushed him into fringe roster status. As mentioned, he had to settle for a minor league deal coming into this season. He has exhausted his option years, so the Sox had to bump him off the 40-man since they no longer want him on the active roster.
Kelenic is now in DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Sox could take five days to explore trade interest. The most likely outcome is Kelenic ending up on waivers and clearing. He just cleared waivers in October of last year and he hasn’t done much to raise his stock since then. Players with a previous career outright or three years of service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of electing free agency. Kelenic qualifies on both counts and can head to the open market if he clears waivers in the next week.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
IL Transactions: DeLuca, Winn, Coulombe, Baddoo
Here’s the round-up of some players departing and joining the injured list on Sunday…
- The Rays placed outfielder Jonny DeLuca on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 23) due to a right hamstring strain, and called up Victor Mesa Jr. from Triple-A Jacksonville. DeLuca suffered the injury while running the bases in Friday’s 4-2 Rays victory over the Yankees, and he underwent an MRI today to determine the severity of the strain. DeLuca has hit .269/.298/.412 over 125 plate appearances while chipping in at all three outfield positions, though most of his work has some as the right-handed hitting side of a right field platoon with Jake Fraley. Both sides of that platoon are now on the IL since Fraley is recovering from sports hernia surgery, leaving Ryan Vilade, Richie Palacios, and Mesa as the top candidates to pick up the slack in the outfield.
- The Rangers placed right-hander Cole Winn on the 15-day IL due to fatigue in his throwing arm, and called up right-hander Gavin Collyer (this was the only corresponding move since Collyer was already on the 40-man roster). Winn has a 25.8% strikeout rate and 7.9% walk rate over 19 1/3 innings out of the Texas bullpen, but a lot of hard contact and an unfavorable .345 BABIP have resulted in a 5.59 ERA that is far higher than his 3.25 SIERA. While Winn’s arm issue doesn’t seem too serious, he missed significant time in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to shoulder and rotator cuff problems.
- The Red Sox activated Danny Coulombe from the 15-day IL prior to today’s game with the Twins, and the left-hander tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Boston’s 6-5 loss. (Left-hander Tyler Samaniego was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.) Coulombe missed a little over three weeks due to back spasms, and his 5.00 ERA over nine innings this season can be largely attributed to one very rough outing against the Yankees on April 23. Beyond that bad game, the southpaw has only allowed two runs over his other 8 1/3 frames of work.
- The Brewers announced that outfielder Akil Baddoo was activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. After signing a split contract with Milwaukee during the winter, Baddoo suffered a quad strain near the end of Spring Training and has spent the entire season on the 60-day IL. The outfielder has logged some rehab games in Nashville already and will continue to bide his time until a possible call-up to the Show.
Orioles Designate Albert Suarez For Assignment
The Orioles announced that right-hander Albert Suarez has been designated for assignment. Prior to today’s doubleheader with the Tigers, Baltimore activated left-hander Grant Wolfram from the 15-day IL to use him as the 27th man, and Wolfram will now stay on the 26-man roster in Suarez’s place.
These transactions are becoming routine for Suarez, who has now been DFA’ed three times by the Orioles in under a month. The first designation saw Suarez clear waivers and then elect free agency, as a previous outright on his resume allowed him to decline the Orioles’ outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. However, Suarez quickly re-signed with the O’s on a minor league contract, then was selected back to the active roster, and DFA’ed and outrighted again within the span of five days.
This time, Suarez chose to just accept the outright assignment, and spent a couple of weeks in Norfolk before the Orioles selected his contract again last Tuesday. Unless Suarez is claimed off waivers, it seems probable that Suarez will end up staying with the O’s in some fashion, either via accepting the outright assignment or another free agent trip that results in another fresh minor league deal.
Suarez is out of minor league options, so the O’s have to designate him and expose him to the waiver wire whenever the club wants to shift him off the active roster. Suarez has some leverage in this back-and-forth situation given his ability to reject outright assignments, but it could be that he is content to stick it out in a familiar environment with the knowledge that he’ll probably get another look in the majors pretty soon.
Amidst all this roster shuffling, Suarez has a 2.75 ERA over 19 2/3 big league innings this season, including four shutout frames in Game 2 of today’s doubleheader (a 4-1 Orioles loss). Suarez’s ability to eat innings has made the former swingman and starter into a useful long man for Baltimore, though he has barely more strikeouts (10) than walks (nine) and he benefited greatly from a minuscule .186 BABIP.
White Sox To Select Rikuu Nishida
The White Sox will select the contract of second baseman/outfielder Rikuu Nishida from Triple-A Charlotte prior to Monday’s game with the Twins, according to Ian Eskridge of FutureSox. Nishida isn’t on Chicago’s 40-man roster, so corresponding 26-man and 40-man moves will need to be made before the 25-year-old is officially selected.
Nishida will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game. The 25-year-old Osaka native arrives in the Show without the NPB background of most Japanese players, but he played college ball at Oregon and was an 11th-round draft pick for the White Sox in 2023.
With two more hits today for Charlotte, Nishida is now hitting a blistering .347/.454/.395 over 129 plate appearances, which comprises his only experience at the Triple-A level. Nishida made his Double-A debut in 2024 and then spent the entire 2025 campaign and the start of the 2026 season at Double-A. He got off to a good enough start (.250/.434/.350 in 54 PA) in Birmingham to finally get to the call to Triple-A, and Nishida hit the ground running at the higher level.
Running is a major part of Nishida’s offensive arsenal, as he has 110 steals (out of 140 attempts) during his minor league career. This speed has helped turn a lot of grounders into hits, which partially explains Nishida’s inflated .421 BABIP in Charlotte as more than just a ton of good fortune. Nishida makes a lot of contract and draws a ton of walks, as evidenced by his .410 OBP during his minor league career.
The big flaw in Nishida’s game is a near-total lack of power, as he has two homers and a .340 slugging percentage over 448 games in Chicago’s farm system. This may be why Baseball America and MLB Pipeline don’t list Nishida among the top 30 White Sox prospects, though Chicago’s pretty deep minor league system may also be a factor. Defensively, Nishida has primarily been used as a second baseman and left fielder, though he has a good deal of experience at the other two outfield positions.
The x-factor here is clubhouse impact. As White Sox director of player development Paul Janish tells MLB.com’s Scott Merkin, Nishida is “one of the best baseball players that we have in our organization. He is contagious in the best way. The players around him get better, the teams that he is on win. It’s really hard for me to express how much I think of Rikuu as a player.”
Nishida’s skillset on and off the field makes for an intriguing new addition to a Pale Hose team that has already exceeded expectations with a 26-26 record. It remains to be seen if the Sox can actually contend even in a weak American League, yet it certainly seems like the club has made leaps and bounds in the rebuild process.
Since the Sox are already overloaded with left-handed hitting outfielders, the lefty-swinging Nishida will probably be used in some sort of platoon situation with Chase Meidroth (another low-power source) at second base. Meidroth has been markedly better against lefties than righties in his career, whereas Nishida has started crushing right-handed pitching in 2026. Chicago ranks 11th among all teams in OBP and 14th in stolen bases, so Nishida should help the White Sox improve those already respectable numbers.
Nationals Place Jake Irvin On 15-Day Injured List
Prior to today’s game with the Braves, the Nationals announced that right-hander Jake Irvin had been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a strain in his throwing shoulder. Left-hander PJ Poulin was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
An IL stint seemed inevitable when Irvin left Saturday’s game after five innings and 80 pitches, despite the fact that Irvin still hasn’t allowed a hit against the powerful Atlanta lineup. An MRI revealed the strain but nothing more serious, and manager Blake Butera told MLB.com’s Rick Farlow and other reporters that Irvin may miss just the minimum 15 days. Irvin described the diagnosis as the “best news that we could have heard….[I’ll] just attack it with treatment and strengthening and just trying to do whatever we can to get this thing to heal up as quick as possible.”
It’s a sign of Irvin’s bad luck this season that the injury occurred during what was shaping up as the best outing of an otherwise rough 2026. Irvin has a 5.23 ERA over 11 starts and 51 2/3 innings, but a 3.79 SIERA is perhaps more reflective of his work. The righty is allowing a lot of hard contact and his 9.6% walk rate is below average, but Irvin is striking out batters at a solid 25.4% rate — easily the best K% of his four MLB seasons.
Washington’s rotation hasn’t been very effective on the whole but they have been durable. Beyond the starting five of Irvin, Cade Cavalli, Foster Griffin, Zack Littell, and Miles Mikolas, the only other pitchers to make “starts” this season were Poulin and Richard Lovelady, who combined for eight appearances as an opener.
Since the Nats have an off-day on Thursday, Irvin’s spot in the rotation doesn’t need to be addressed until June 2. The club could obviously have a fill-in starter interrupt the usual rotation order if the other starters are given an extra rest day, or a bullpen day could be scheduled if an actual starter isn’t used to take Irvin’s place.
Tigers Designate Connor Seabold For Assignment, Activate Troy Melton
The Tigers announced that right-hander Connor Seabold has been designated for assignment. The move opens up space on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters for the return of righty Troy Melton, who has been activated from the 60-day injured list to start Game 2 of today’s doubleheader against the Orioles. Prior to Game 1, Detroit also placed left-hander Brant Hurter on the 15-day IL (retroactive to May 23) due to lumbar spine inflammation, and right-hander Ricky Vanasco was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
Seabold signed a split deal with the Tigers just before the start of the season, and soon after the righty was released from a previous minor league contract with the Blue Jays. While Seabold broke camp with his new club, a big chunk of his time in Motown has been spent on the injured list, as he missed a little under three weeks recovering from ankle inflammation.
When healthy, Seabold has been pretty effective coming out of the pen, with a 3.45 ERA, 20.3% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate over 15 2/3 innings. While other Tigers relievers have minor league options and Seabold doesn’t, he may have just been the victim of a roster crunch, as a 40-man spot was needed for Melton’s return.
Detroit now faces the possibility that Seabold is claimed away on waivers, or elects free agency if he clears waivers and is then outrighted (Seabold has been outrighted in the past, giving him the ability to decline future outright assignments). Seabold has a 7.28 ERA across his 134 2/3 career innings in the Show, but teams in need of immediate relief help may be swayed by his recent performance, or a slight uptick in velocity to 93.5mph from his previous 92.5mph career average.
After developing elbow inflammation during Spring Training, Melton is finally set to make his 2026 debut. The Tigers initially planned to use Melton as a reliever or swingman this season, but due to multiple injuries within the rotation, Melton will now step right into starting duty. The righty made his MLB debut in 2025 and posted a 2.76 ERA, 20K%, and 8.3BB% over his first 45 2/3 innings as a big leaguer, starting four of his 16 regular-season games.
Just as one pitcher gets healthy, however, Detroit’s seemingly nonstop parade of pitching injuries continues with Hurter’s IL placement. Hurter has a 2.84 ERA over 25 1/3 relief innings this season, despite very modest strikeout (17.8%) and walk (11.9%) rates. The groundball specialist is generating grounders at a 60.3% clip, and Hurter is getting a lot of benefit from a tiny .203 BABIP.
Cubs Place Edward Cabrera On 15-Day IL, Recall Jordan Wicks
Right-hander Edward Cabrera is heading to the injured list, the Cubs announced. Cabrera left his most recent start with a blister on his right middle finger. The injury will cost him at least a couple of weeks. Lefty Jordan Wicks was recalled to take Cabrera’s spot on the roster.
Cabrera was pulled after three innings on Wednesday against the Brewers. He allowed four runs, though only one was earned, thanks to errors by Carson Kelly and Pete Crow-Armstrong. It was Cabrera’s eighth consecutive appearance allowing 3+ runs. He’d opened the season with 11 2/3 scoreless frames.
It’s difficult news for a Cubs rotation already missing Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton, and Justin Steele. Boyd is expected to return sometime in June, but Horton is done for the year, and Steele is out until after the All-Star break. Chicago has stretched out Ben Brown as a starter after he opened the year in the bullpen. Colin Rea has been in the rotation since early April. Wicks likely steps into the No. 5 spot until Cabrera is ready to come back.
Chicago acquired Cabrera in an offseason trade with the Marlins that sent top prospect Owen Caissie and two other minor leaguers to Miami. The 27-year-old was coming off his best all-around season with the Fish. Cabrera delivered 26 starts with a 3.53 ERA as a full-time member of Miami’s rotation. He cut his walk rate below 10% for the first time as a big leaguer.
Injuries plagued Cabrera for much of his time with the Marlins. He missed time with elbow and shoulder issues in 2022 and 2023. A shoulder impingement sent the righty to the IL multiple times in 2024. Cabrera dealt with a blister to begin 2025 on the same finger giving him trouble right now. The injury only cost him the first two weeks of last season. Cabrera was healthy for the majority of the campaign, tossing a career-high 137 2/3 innings. He did go down with an elbow sprain in September, but made it back on the mound for two outings to close the year.
Wicks has been up and down with the big-league club for the past three seasons. He operated as a starter in his first two years with the team, then moved to the bullpen in 2025. The lefty showed improved velocity as a reliever last season, but posted a 6.28 ERA across 14 1/3 innings. Wicks has been back to starting at Triple-A this year. He’s notched a 4.44 ERA over seven outings.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
Guardians Designate Peyton Pallette For Assignment, Recall Logan Allen
Right-hander Peyton Pallette has been designated for assignment, the Guardians announced. Lefty Logan Allen is rejoining the big-league club to take his spot in the bullpen.
Cleveland picked up Pallette from the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft. As part of the standard DFA process, the club has five days to trade him or place him on waivers. If another team makes a move to add Pallette, they’ll take on the Rule 5 requirements. If Pallette passes through waivers, he’ll be offered back to Chicago.
Pallette scuffled to a 5.23 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with the Guardians. He punched out opponents at a decent 22.7% clip, but it came with an untenable 16.5% walk rate. The righty led with a 95 mph four-seamer, accompanied by a pair of breaking balls. He threw the occasional changeup. Pallette’s curveball and slider both performed well, generating decent whiffs and preventing hits. The fastball was an issue. Pallette’s heater ceded a 51.6% hard-hit rate and a .410 wOBA.
The White Sox took Pallette in the second round of the 2022 draft. He posted strong strikeout numbers in each level of the minors, which is what likely drew Cleveland’s interest. Walks were becoming a problem before Pallette moved to his new organization. The righty had a 9.9% walk rate last season at Double-A, and it jumped to 10.9% after he was moved to Triple-A.
Allen has pitched in parts of the last three seasons with the Guardians. He’s worked almost exclusively as a starter in the big leagues, posting a 4.48 ERA in 74 appearances (73 starts). Allen has struggled from a run prevention perspective through eight Triple-A outings this season, but he’s notched a solid 25.4% strikeout rate. He’ll likely step into a long relief role with Cleveland. Allen could also operate as a sixth starter if the club wants to get some extra rest for the rotation. The Guardians are playing their 10th straight game on Sunday during a two-week stretch without an off-day.
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images
Cardinals Promote Brycen Mautz For Debut
10:15am: The promotion is now official. St. Louis optioned right-hander Matt Svanson to Triple-A to clear a spot for Mautz.
9:45am: Cardinals left-hander Brycen Mautz will be called up for his MLB debut on Sunday, relays Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. He’ll slide into the rotation with St. Louis coming off a doubleheader on Saturday.
It’ll be the second straight day with a big-league debut for the Cardinals, who promoted infielder/outfielder Bryan Torres on Friday. The longtime minor leaguer didn’t get into the first game against the Reds, but started both matchups of Saturday’s twin bill. Torres recorded three hits across the two games.
Mautz has delivered a sub-3.00 ERA across nine starts at Triple-A this season. He’s striking out more than a batter per inning, but his 13.5% walk rate is a career-worst mark. The 24-year-old is not among the upper tier of prospects in the St. Louis system, but he’s generally among the top 20 in the organization. FanGraphs‘ James Fegan ranked Mautz at No. 17 heading into the season, while MLB Pipeline had him at 20th.
The Cardinals selected Mautz in the second round of the 2022 draft out of the University of San Diego. The lefty posted decent results in his first pro season, recording a sub-4.00 ERA at Single-A. He took a step back in High-A the following year, with a 5.18 ERA to go with a 4.86 FIP. Mautz came through with a breakout season in 2025. He cruised to a 2.98 ERA with a career-best 28.6% strikeout rate in 25 starts at Double-A. Mautz was named the organization’s minor league pitcher of the year last season.
This could be a brief stint for Mautz, as the Cardinals don’t have a clear hole in the rotation. The group has remained healthy and generally provided decent results. Veterans Dustin May, Matthew Liberatore, and Andre Pallante haven’t excelled on a per-inning basis, but they’re offering length each time they take the ball. Michael McGreevy is off to a strong start. Kyle Leahy‘s transition to the rotation has gone reasonably well.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Place Lourdes Gurriel Jr. On 10-Day IL, Select Tommy Troy
8:35 pm: Manager Torey Lovullo says that Gurriel’s hamstring injury is minor, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. The hope is he’ll be back from the IL as soon as he’s eligible.
5:59 pm: The Diamondbacks are placing Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring, as reported by Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. The club is also selecting the contract of prospect Tommy Troy. Arizona’s 40-man roster was at 39, so no corresponding move is needed for Troy.
Gurriel, 32, is in the midst of his worst big-league season. He had a delayed start while finishing his recovery from right ACL surgery. Since debuting on April 18th, Gurriel has a line of .228/.284/.304 with a single home run. That’s good for just a 66 wRC+, indicating Gurriel is 34% worse than the average hitter. Granted, he’s only made 102 plate appearances, but Gurriel showed diminished offense last year as well. He had a 95 wRC+ in 129 games while posting an 87.8 MPH average exit velocity, down from 88.4 MPH in 2024. This year, Gurriel’s exit velo is sitting at 87.5 MPH.
Arizona has a 99 wRC+ as a team, which speaks to its top-heavy offense. Corbin Carroll (161 wRC+), Ildemaro Vargas (136), and Nolan Arenado (132) are all hitting very well. Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte are right around league average. In contrast, Gurriel has been one of the team’s worst regulars this year, and since he’s not a good defender, he’s not doing enough to make up for the lack of hitting. Gurriel’s return timeline depends on the severity of the hamstring strain, which could be made clearer in the coming days.
In the meantime, Arizona’s offense could be jolted by Troy, who will be making his major league debut when he gets into a game. Troy was the club’s first-round draft pick in 2023 and rates as their No. 4 prospect according to MLB.com. He reached Triple-A last year at the age of 23 and held his own, batting .295/.381/.429 in 182 plate appearances. Troy has improved to .307/.397/.449 in 205 plate appearances this year, good for a 109 wRC+. His strikeout rate has jumped back to 24.4% after sitting at 16.9% in 2025, but otherwise, there’s plenty to like in Troy’s profile.
Troy came up as a middle infielder but has played 219 innings in the outfield this year, compared to 162 at the keystone. That shift is a testament to Troy’s speed, which is seen as his best tool and allowed him to steal 40 bases from 2024-25. The presence of Perdomo and Marte on the big league roster blocks Troy from his natural positions, so his long-term future with Arizona could be in the outfield. Indeed, this promotion could be seen as a trial run of Troy’s outfield defense while Gurriel is on the IL.
Whether Troy sticks in the Majors this time around also depends on his hitting. Despite Gurriel’s poor performance this year, he has enough of a track record as an average hitter to slide back into left when he returns. Tim Tawa and Jorge Barrosa are both on the roster as backup outfielders, though neither has shown much with the bat in the Majors. That said, Barrosa is out of options whereas Tawa has two option years remaining. If Troy hits enough to stick around, he has the defensive experience to serve as a utility man, with Tawa potentially being optioned in his place.
Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images