Headlines

  • Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff
  • Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
  • Bobby Jenks Passes Away
  • Braves Release Alex Verdugo
  • Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline
  • Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2023

Astros Activate Michael Brantley From 60-Day IL, DFA Jake Cousins

By Leo Morgenstern | August 29, 2023 at 3:41pm CDT

The Astros have activated Michael Brantley from the 60-day injured list, the team announced. Corey Julks has been optioned to Triple-A to make room on the 26-man roster, while Jake Cousins has been designated for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man. On Sunday, Astros GM Dana Brown told Robert Ford of 790 AM radio that Brantley could “maybe, potentially” return to the lineup by Tuesday, following a checkup appointment with team doctors. Evidently, his appointment went well, and he will be back in the starting lineup this evening.

The veteran outfielder and designated hitter has not played an MLB game since June 2022. Initially, he went on the 10-day IL with discomfort in his right shoulder, but seven weeks later, he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum. At the time, he remained hopeful he could return for Opening Day in 2023, but he was unable to get back in game shape during spring training. He began the season on the 10-day IL as he tried to ramp up but suffered a setback in May. In late June, the Astros moved him to the 60-day IL, and in early July, manager Dusty Baker explained that Brantley had “plateaued” in his attempt to return to the field.

Despite missing so much time, Brantley looked excellent during his latest rehab stint with Triple-A Sugar Land. In seven games, he hit .348/.444/.565, good for a 147 wRC+. That’s a promising sign that he’ll be able to pick up right where he left off; he hit .288 with a 127 wRC+ in 64 games for the Astros in 2022. However, Houston isn’t planning to lean too heavily on Brantley straight away. The plan is to gently build up his workload, giving the 36-year-old plenty of days off, at least in the beginning.

Cousins joined the Astros organization last month, when Houston claimed him off waivers from Milwaukee. The 29-year-old right-hander had a 4.82 ERA in nine relief appearances for the Brewers and a 7.30 ERA in 13 games at Triple-A. He didn’t fare much better with the Astros org, giving up eight earned runs in eight innings pitched for the Sugar Land Space Cowboys. Overall, it has been a disappointing season for Cousins, who showed real promise with the Brewers from 2021-22. He pitched 30 games with the big league club in 2021, posting a 2.70 ERA and a 35.2% strikeout rate. He was shut down with a UCL injury the following season but opted not to undergo Tommy John surgery. He pitched well in Triple-A upon his return, first during a rehab stint and then an optional assignment, and made three scoreless appearances for the big league club in September. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone his way in 2023. The Astros will now have to place Cousins on waivers. Given his recent success at the big league level, there’s a reasonable chance he could be claimed.

Julks, Houston’s eighth-round pick in the 2017 draft, made his big league debut earlier this year. He remained with the Astros from Opening Day through early August, when he was optioned to Triple-A. He returned shortly thereafter, replacing an injured Grae Kessinger on the active roster. The 27-year-old has hit .245 with an 80 wRC+ at the MLB level, splitting his time between left field and DH. He could potentially return to Houston when rosters expand in September, but he’ll have to spend the minimum of 10 days at the minor league level before he returns.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Houston Astros Transactions Corey Julks Jake Cousins Michael Brantley

17 comments

Blue Jays Place Bo Bichette On IL, Select Mason McCoy

By Darragh McDonald | August 29, 2023 at 3:00pm CDT

The Blue Jays announced that shortstop Bo Bichette has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 28, with a right quad strain. Infielder Mason McCoy has been selected to the roster in a corresponding move. The club already had a 40-man vacancy.

For Bichette, it’s his second trip to the IL this month, as he landed there in early August due to patellar tendinitis in his right knee. The Jays acquired Paul DeJong from the Cardinals to cover for Bichette’s absence but he hit just .068/.068/.068 for the Jays and was designated for assignment when Bichette returned just over two weeks later. Unfortunately, Bichette departed a game earlier this week due to quad tightness and it seems it’s serious enough that the club will give him at least a week-plus to rest. The club hasn’t provided any details on how long they expect Bichette to be out.

The move leaves the Jays without both of their regulars from the left side of their infield, as third baseman Matt Chapman landed on the IL yesterday due to a right middle finger sprain. That will leave the club improving solutions for those spots as they look to stay afloat in the American League Wild Card race. Perhaps the club has some regret over letting go of DeJong, but he hasn’t been thriving since signing with the Giants, hitting just .150/.143/.300 since signing with that club.

Ernie Clement played shortstop for the Jays yesterday and is in that spot again tonight. Davis Schneider was at the hot corner last night but Santiago Espinal gets the nod tonight, as Schneider moves over to second. Cavan Biggio has some third base experience and the club reportedly has some openness to using Vladimir Guerrero Jr. there as well, though it sounds like that might be limited to late-game defensive swaps based on in-game moves.

They will also add McCoy to their roster to serve as infield depth. He was just acquired a month ago from the Mariners with Trent Thornton heading the other way. The 28-year-old McCoy has long been considered a strong defender, though with his bat not drawing as much praise. In 467 Triple-A appearances this year, he’s walked at a 12% clip but also struck out 29.3% of the time. His .226/.324/.383 line amounts to a wRC+ of just 71, but he’s been able to play some shortstop, second base, third base and left field. He’ll give the Jays a glove-first option on the bench, making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Active rosters expand from 26 to 28 in September, which will provide the Jays an opportunity to potentially add another infielder into the mix. A maximum of 14 of the 28 players can be pitchers, meaning the Jays will have to add at least one position player, as they currently have a 13-13 split. Addison Barger, Orelvis Martinez and Spencer Horwitz are all on the 40-man roster and could be options. Barger and Martinez both have plenty of experience on the left side of the diamond but neither has made their major league debut yet. Horwitz was able to debut in the big leagues earlier this year but has mostly just played first base and left field. Outfielder Nathan Lukes is also on the 40-man but doesn’t have any infield experience.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Bo Bichette Mason McCoy

29 comments

Tigers Claim Bennett Sousa From Brewers

By Darragh McDonald | August 29, 2023 at 1:20pm CDT

The Tigers announced that they have claimed left-hander Bennett Sousa off waivers from the Brewers and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. They already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster after recently outrighting infielder Isan Díaz. The Brewers had not previously announced that Sousa was removed from their roster, so their 40-man count drops to 39.

Sousa, 28, was a 10th round pick of the White Sox in 2018 and was with that organization until the start of this year, but the past six months have been fairly tumultuous for him. He was designated for assignment in February, went to the Reds on a waiver claim, then to the Brewers in a cash deal in April. He served as an up-and-down pitcher for Milwaukee before landing on the injured list in June due to left shoulder nerve irritation, only getting reinstated a few weeks back.

Amid all of that, he’s only made two major league appearances this year. He also made 25 for the White Sox last year but has a career earned run average of 9.00 in his 23 innings between those two campaigns. But in his larger sample of minor league work, he’s shown a capability to get both strikeouts and ground balls, though also with a fair share of walks. In 17 innings for Triple-A Nashville this year, he had a 4.76 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 58.5% ground ball rate. In 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Charlotte last year, he posted a 3.95 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 51.5% grounder rate.

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris recently hinted that the club’s open roster spot would be used for an external addition rather than for calling up a prospect from within the system. It seems that Sousa is that move, though he’s been optioned to Toledo for now, providing the club with some left-handed relief depth. With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 when the calendar flips to September, the club will still have to decide who gets those active roster spots. Sousa can still be optioned for the rest of this year and one additional season.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Detroit Tigers Milwaukee Brewers Transactions Bennett Sousa

18 comments

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By Steve Adams | August 29, 2023 at 12:55pm CDT

Click here to read a transcript of Tuesday’s chat with MLBTR’s Steve Adams.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

MLBTR Chats

9 comments

Padres Place Yu Darvish On Injured List

By Darragh McDonald | August 29, 2023 at 12:30pm CDT

Aug. 29: Via Acee, Darvish said after last night’s game that he was awaiting results from an MRI but is optimistic that he’ll be able to return to the Padres in 2023.

Aug. 28: The Padres announced that right-hander Yu Darvish has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to August 26, due to right elbow inflammation. Righty Matt Waldron was recalled in a corresponding move.

At this point, it’s unclear what kind of absence the club is expecting from Darvish. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reports that the righty had spoken of fatigue after his start on Friday, though there hasn’t been any kind of firm update from the team. Even if the issue is minor, the calendar figures to be a factor, with just over a month remaining on the schedule.

It’s been a frustrating season for both Darvish and the Padres, with the overall results misaligned with the underlying numbers in both cases. For Darvish as an individual, he has a 4.56 earned run average on the year, a big jump from last year’s 3.10 figure. But his 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate are both above league average. However, his .319 batting average on balls in play and 71.3% strand rate are both significantly less fortunate than last year’s marks of .250 and and 78.2%. His rate of fly balls leaving the yard also jumped from 9.6% to 13.5%.

His 4.04 FIP suggests he’s been better than his ERA might indicate, but that’s likely little comfort to him or the Padres, as the whole club has been undercut by a similar discrepancy this year. Their +53 run differential is the fifth-best in the National League, and yet they have a record of 61-70 that places them eight games out of a playoff spot, well behind several clubs with far worse run differentials.

It’s not the season that was hoped for in San Diego, as they spent aggressively this offseason to try to build off a strong 2022 campaign that saw them reach the NLCS. Part of that aggressive spending was giving Darvish a six-year, $108MM extension that runs through 2028, which will be his age-41 season. Though the Friars were likely aware that could hurt them in the long run, they wanted to lock him up while he was still throwing well and the club’s competitive window seemed to be wide open.

There’s still some time for the club to salvage the season but the odds are against them, with FanGraphs giving them just a 2.5% chance of cracking the playoffs at this point. Despite a somewhat down season from Darvish, losing him to the IL for the next couple of weeks isn’t ideal, as Joe Musgrove is already on the IL and could be shut down if the club doesn’t get back in the race. Since Darvish won’t be eligible to return until mid-September, perhaps the same is true of him, though that’s not clear at this point.

For now, the Padres will proceed with a rotation of Blake Snell, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Pedro Avila, with one opening available. Rich Hill’s last appearance was out of the bullpen but perhaps he will be slotted back into the rotation. Waldron has been starting in the minors and could be another option and the same goes for Jay Groome, who is on the 40-man.

Looking to the long-term, a bounceback from Darvish next year will be key for the Padres, as there’s plenty of uncertainty in their rotation. Snell and Hill are set to become free agents while Lugo and Wacha both have contract options that could lead to them hitting the open market as well. That leaves Musgrove and Darvish the two building blocks with three potential openings.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

San Diego Padres Transactions Matt Waldron Yu Darvish

55 comments

Latest On Edwin Diaz

By Steve Adams | August 29, 2023 at 12:05pm CDT

Injured Mets closer Edwin Diaz has been targeting a late-season return since tearing the patellar tendon in his knee during the World Baseball Classic, and even with the Mets squarely out of postseason contention, he’s still working toward that goal. Diaz told reporters yesterday that he just threw his first bullpen session and is still hoping to pitch before the end of the year (video link via Anthony DiComo of MLB.com). Diaz’s hope is “to finish the year on a positive note,” and he later added that he was hitting 93 to 95 mph in Sunday’s bullpen session.

Onlookers may question the notion of bringing Diaz back at the short end of his recovery window of six to eight months, but both the pitcher and key members of the organization have previously spoken about the importance of Diaz getting back onto the mound to be sure he’s healthy and give him piece of mind through a hopefully normal offseason. Via Jerry Beach of the Associated Press, manager Buck Showalter said just yesterday that Diaz even being considered a possibility to return is a “good thing” and that the righty getting back on the mound would be “really exciting for everybody.” Showalter also emphasized that no decision will be made until Diaz is given medical clearance — which is still a aways off.

Diaz inked a five-year, $102MM contract to return to the Mets before free agency even opened in earnest last offseason — the largest contract ever given to a reliever. The first season of that pact has been wiped out entirely by his WBC knee injury. Given all that’s gone wrong in Queens this season, it’s unlikely that a healthy Diaz would’ve been enough to salvage the 2023 campaign, but losing him for the majority of the year was the first of many contributing factors to the downfall of a club featuring MLB’s largest-ever payroll.

The 29-year-old Diaz’s fastball isn’t back up to full strength, of course, but it’s nonetheless encouraging that he’s throwing 93 to 95 mph in his first ’pen session. Diaz averaged 98.7 mph on his heater from 2020-22 — including 99.1 mph last year — and pitched to an electric 2.27 ERA with 70 saves during that time. His 2022 campaign was one of the best ever by a relief pitcher, as he worked to a pristine 1.31 ERA with 32 saves, a better-than-average 7.7% walk rate and a historic 50.2% strikeout rate that stands as the second-highest ever for a qualified reliever during a 162-game season (third-highest, if counting Devin Williams’ 53% mark during the shortened 2020 season).

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

New York Mets Edwin Diaz

49 comments

Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Vlad, September Call-Ups

By Steve Adams | August 29, 2023 at 10:14am CDT

Blue Jays fans cringed in collective fashion when both Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman exited Sunday’s game due to injuries. Chapman has already been placed on the injured list with a strain in his right hand, while Bichette was out of last night’s lineup due to the quad discomfort that forced him from the prior day’s contest. While the Jays termed his exit precautionary, Bichette underwent an MRI last night, per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The team will presumably have an update on the star shortstop’s status today.

Toronto called up journeyman infielder Ernie Clement when Chapman hit the IL and went with him at shortstop and rookie Davis Schneider at third base in yesterday’s win over the Nationals. The 24-year-old Schneider has already popped five homers in his first 48 big league plate appearances, batting .425/.521/.875 in that tiny sample. Schneider has also fanned at a 29.2% rate and is sporting an outlandish .571 BABIP that he won’t sustain, but he’s nevertheless provided a jolt for the Toronto lineup. That arrangement could be in place a bit more regularly if Bichette misses time, although there’s room for the Jays to get creative.

One possibility that’s currently under consideration would be at least occasional time back at the hot corner for first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., it seems. Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports that while the Jays aren’t currently planning to start Guerrero at third base in Chapman’s absence, they’re open to using him there late in games as they make substitutions around the diamond. Guerrero has been taking grounders at the hot corner in recent days.

It’s also worth noting that the Jays will soon have two more roster spots to potentially add some depth with Chapman out at least 10 days and Bichette potentially sidelined as well. Rosters are set to expand from 26 to 28 players on Sept. 1, which could clear a path for Toronto to tap further into its minor league system for reinforcements. Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic suggests that infielders Addison Barger, Orelvis Martinez and Spencer Horwitz could all be considered for a big league call when rosters expand.

Each of Barger, Martinez and Horowitz is already on the 40-man roster. The former two could benefit the Jays with their versatility, as that pair has experience at each of shortstop, third base and second base. Horwitz has played primarily first base and left field in his professional career.

FanGraphs currently ranks Barger as the game’s No. 36 overall prospect. He’s spent time on the injured list but has turned in a .257/.371/.414 slash in 65 Triple-A games since returning, walking at a hearty 14.6% clip against a 21.1% strikeout rate. He hit .308/.378/.555 between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A last year. Martinez landed on Baseball America’s top-100 list prior to the 2021 and 2022 seasons but saw his stock tumble with a rough year in Double-A last year. The 21-year-old, has bounced back to some extent this season, posting a combined .242/.344/.496 line between Double-A and Triple-A (including a .276/.355/.517 slash at the higher of those two levels). Horwitz went 2-for-8 with a pair of walks in a brief MLB debut earlier this season and has slashed .339/.450/.499 in 476 Triple-A plate appearances, walking (15.8%) more often than he’s struck out (15.1%) in the process.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Notes Toronto Blue Jays Addison Barger Bo Bichette Davis Schneider Orelvis Martinez Spencer Horwitz Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

26 comments

The Opener: Brantley, Tigers, Acuna

By Nick Deeds | August 29, 2023 at 8:31am CDT

As the 2023 season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Brantley nearing return:

Astros veteran Michael Brantley hasn’t played in a major league game since June 26 of last year due to difficulties while rehabbing from right shoulder surgery he underwent last summer. The 36-year-old outfielder appears to be on the brink of returning, however, with signs pointing to Brantley’s 2023 debut coming as soon as today. When Brantley takes the field, it will mark his fifteenth season as a big leaguer. Brantley is on the 60-day IL, meaning the Astros will need to make room for him on both the active and 40-man rosters before he can return to action.

The veteran outfielder will add an additional left-handed bat to the Houston lineup alongside Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker, and could prove to be a potentially impactful one as well; Brantley sports a .306/.368/.464 slash line with a 128 wRC+ since joining the Astros in 2019. With the exception of an injury-marred, 11-game season in Cleveland back in 2016, he hasn’t had a below-average offensive campaign since 2011. Brantley’s return seems likely to cut into the time at DH available to young catcher Yainer Diaz, which could in turn mean Diaz takes more starts behind the plate away from veteran Martin Maldonado going forward.

2. Harris teases external 40-man add:

As noted by Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press, Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke to 97.1 The Ticket yesterday morning about the club’s vacancy on the 40-man roster after infielder Isan Diaz elected free agency. Harris suggested that he is “going to try to fill that spot soon,” though he also added that the roster-move “would not be a call-up” of a prospect not yet on the 40-man roster like Colt Keith or Justyn-Henry Malloy. Petzold suggests that a recently DFA’d veteran like Noah Syndergaard or Jurickson Profar could receive a big league deal from the club, similar to the club’s addition of catcher Carson Kelly earlier this month.

3. Acuna approaches history:

Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has long been considered the favorite in the NL MVP race, even as teammate Matt Olson, former teammate Freddie Freeman, and fellow right fielder Mookie Betts have made strong cases for themselves in recent weeks. Acuna had another big night yesterday in spite of a wild incident in which a pair of fans rushed him on the field in Denver, hitting his 29th home run of the season while stealing two bases.

Acuna now sits at 61 stolen bases on the season, having extended his major league lead in the category over Oakland’s Esteury Ruiz to 10, and his NL lead over Arizona’s Corbin Carroll to a whopping 21. With a 60-bag season already secured, Acuna is just one home run away from becoming the first player in major league history to post a 30-60 season. Overall, Acuna is hitting .335/.418/.572 with a wRC+ of 166 in 601 trips to the plate this season.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

The Opener

78 comments

Tony Gonsolin To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

By Anthony Franco | August 28, 2023 at 11:59pm CDT

The Dodgers announced that Tony Gonsolin will undergo Tommy John surgery. The procedure will be performed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache on Friday.

Gonsolin was already known to be out for the remainder of the 2023 season. The club had announced his injury as forearm inflammation when first placing him on the IL last week. They transferred him to the 60-day IL yesterday to close the book on this year.

Now, it seems unlikely he’ll be a factor again until 2025. A Tommy John procedure typically comes with a recovery time pushing or exceeding 14 months. Perhaps he’d be able to make a return late next season, but the safer bet is that he’ll spend the entire ’24 campaign on the 60-day injured list.

Arm injuries have been an unfortunately recurring theme for Gonsolin during his five-year big league career. He lost a couple months early in 2021 with shoulder inflammation. He posted a 3.23 ERA in 15 starts that year and was healthy for the first part of 2022. Gonsolin turned in an All-Star first half and worked to a sparkling 2.14 ERA through 130 1/3 innings. A forearm strain sent him to the IL in late August.

Gonsolin returned at the end of September and made a start in L.A.’s playoff series loss to the Padres. His 2023 debut was delayed by an unrelated ankle sprain, though he returned in late April. The 29-year-old worked 103 innings across 20 outings, struggling to his first below-average season. He allowed just under five earned runs per nine while striking hitters out at a career-low 18.9% clip while his average fastball speed dipped from 93.1 MPH to 92.4 MPH. Things spiraled from late June onward, as Gonsolin allowed four-plus runs in eight of his 11 outings before being placed on the IL.

The Dodgers have now lost a pair of their expected top five starters to forearm surgeries. Dustin May underwent a flexor tendon procedure in early July. The Dodgers indicated May could be back midway through the ’24 season.

Los Angeles was certain to address their rotation next offseason even if May and Gonsolin had been healthy. Clayton Kershaw is an impending free agent, and while the Dodgers would surely have interest in re-signing him, the three-time Cy Young winner will first need to decide whether he wants to suit up for a 17th season. Julio Urías will be one of the top starters in next winter’s free agent class, while the Dodgers will have to make a net $17MM decision on an option for Lance Lynn.

The Dodgers could welcome Walker Buehler back in short stints next month and transition him back to the rotation for ’24. Rookie Bobby Miller has pitched well enough to stake a claim to a spot. That leaves as many as three jobs still to be sorted out between free agency, trade and some combination of Ryan Pepiot, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Michael Grove and perhaps a prospect like Nick Frasso or Landon Knack. The pitching pipeline is strong enough they won’t be short on options, but they’ll obviously need to fortify the starting staff with additional certainty.

Gonsolin signed a two-year deal to cover his first couple arbitration seasons in January. He’s guaranteed a $3.4MM base salary for next year. That deal contained up to $3MM in start-based incentives which he won’t be able to trigger even if he makes a late-season return. Even beyond the lengthy rehab process, the absence will be fairly costly for the right-hander. He’ll remain eligible for arbitration through the 2026 campaign.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Los Angeles Dodgers Newsstand Tony Gonsolin

109 comments

Twins Notes: Correa, Lewis, Julien, Wallner, Buxton

By Anthony Franco | August 28, 2023 at 11:36pm CDT

Carlos Correa was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis and a muscle strain in his left foot back in late May. The Twins shortstop has played through the issue, avoiding the injured list all season.

It hasn’t been a banner year for the two-time All-Star, whose .226/.309/.398 line through 511 plate appearances is among the worst of his career. It’s not hard to connect the dots, as Correa has spoken about playing through continued discomfort on a few occasions.

Correa expanded on the injury in a recent chat with Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The 28-year-old called it the most painful issue through which he’s played in his career. Correa rather candidly told Rosenthal he “probably would have sat out more time to let it heal” were he an impending free agent but indicated he feels the team needs him to remain as a steadying presence on the active roster — even if his production is below his typical level.

Skipper Rocco Baldelli has pencilled Correa in at shortstop for 117 of Minnesota’s 132 games. He’s logged over 1000 innings, rating as a marginally above-average defender by measure of Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Public metrics have loved Correa’s glove in previous seasons, none more so than in 2021 when he rated anywhere nine and 20 runs above average by measure of OAA and DRS en route to a Platinum Glove award. It stands to reason the foot injury is also playing a role in limiting his mobility on that side of the ball, as Correa’s sprint speed is at a personal-low level.

Perhaps the Twins’ place in the standings will enable them to sprinkle in a few more rest days. Minnesotas optioned starter Bailey Ober to Triple-A this evening in a move that seems largely motivated by a desire to keep an eye on his personal-high innings total. After beating the Guardians tonight, the Twins hold a seven-game margin in the AL Central. While the division isn’t quite sewn up, it’s possible they’ll be in position to ease off a lot of their regulars by the second half of September to keep players fresh headed into the postseason.

While the weakness of the division is a big reason for Minnesota’s comfortable place in the standings, the Twins have also simply played well of late. They’re 24-17 in the second half and have matched their season high by pulling six games above .500 at 69-63. As Aaron Gleeman writes for The Athletic, the Twins’ strong rookie core has played a big role in that success.

Minnesota has received well above-average play from each of Royce Lewis, Edouard Julien and Matt Wallner. None of that trio began the season on the active roster. Lewis started on the injured list rehabbing from a second straight year with a torn ACL. Julien and Wallner opened the year in Triple-A. They’re now all healthy and playing regular roles thanks to their strong performances.

Lewis has secured the third base job, which had been up for grabs after José Miranda struggled early on. The former first overall pick is up to a .317/.366/.521 line through 153 plate appearances after tonight’s game, in which he hit a grand slam off Cleveland righty Xzavion Curry. Lewis had connected on a grand slam in yesterday’s extra-inning win over Texas as well, becoming the first player in franchise history to hit one in consecutive contests.

Julien is working as the primary designated hitter. The lefty-hitting infielder had manned second base while Jorge Polanco was on the shelf. While he struggled defensively, he’s been an excellent offensive player, putting together a .285/.378/.478 line in 292 trips to the plate. Wallner, meanwhile, has grabbed the left field corner opposite Max Kepler with 10 homers, six doubles and a triple through 156 plate appearances. That has pushed the struggling Joey Gallo into a platoon center field role alongside Michael A. Taylor.

Minnesota could soon welcome Byron Buxton back into the outfield rotation. The Twins had limited the Gold Glove winner to designated hitter early in the season in an effort to keep him healthy. Buxton nevertheless landed on the injured list with a hamstring strain a few weeks ago, but he doesn’t seem far off a return. He went through an on-field workout today and could soon head on a minor league rehab stint, tweets Darren Wolfson of SKOR North. The Twins are expected to give Buxton center field reps on that assignment as they evaluate his readiness to handle defensive work for the final few weeks.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Minnesota Twins Notes Byron Buxton Carlos Correa Edouard Julien Matt Wallner Royce Lewis

34 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

    Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Braves Release Alex Verdugo

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

    Rangers Option Josh Jung

    Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

    Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Yordan Alvarez Shut Down Due To Setback With Hand Injury

    Astros Place Jeremy Peña On Injured List With Fractured Rib

    Tucker Barnhart To Retire

    Tyler Mahle To Be Sidelined Beyond Trade Deadline

    Reds Release Jeimer Candelario

    Dave Parker Passes Away

    Griffin Canning Diagnosed With Ruptured Achilles

    Pirates Reportedly Have Very Few Untouchable Players At Trade Deadline

    Recent

    Diamondbacks Place Pavin Smith On IL, Select Tristin English

    Details On Bryan Reynolds’ Limited No-Trade Protection

    Tigers Select PJ Poulin

    Blue Jays Place Andres Gimenez On 10-Day Injured List

    Yankees Sign Geoff Hartlieb To Major League Deal

    Nationals Recall Shinnosuke Ogasawara For MLB Debut

    Orioles Acquire Alex Jackson From Yankees

    Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

    Dan Straily Announces Retirement

    Braves Select Jesse Chavez

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version