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Archives for June 2025

Angels Acquire LaMonte Wade Jr.

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The Angels and Giants swung a trade this evening, as San Francisco sent first baseman and outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr. to Anaheim in exchange for a player to be named later or cash. The Giants are sending cash to Anaheim as part of the deal alongside Wade. The Angels designated right-hander Michael Darrell-Hicks for assignment to make room for Wade on the 40-man roster.

Wade, 31, was designated for assignment by San Francisco last week. A ninth-round pick by Minnesota back in 2015, he appeared in 42 games for the Twins across the 2019 and 2020 seasons before being dealt to the Giants prior to the 2021 campaign. Wade immediately became a fixture of the Giants lineup, slashing .253/.326/.482 in 109 games for San Francisco in his first year with the club. Injuries limited him to just 77 games in 2022, but he bounced back in 2023 and ’24 to slash a combined .258/.376/.401 (120 wRC+) in 252 games for the Giants where he primarily played first base but also got occasional looks in the outfield corners and at DH.

In his final year ahead of free agency, Wade seemed likely to once again serve as a solid left-handed bat for the Giants who could be trusted to hold things down at first base while the club waited for the arrival of top prospect Bryce Eldridge. Unfortunately, that’s not how things played out. Wade failed to hit much at all in 50 games for the Giants this season, posting a putrid .167/.275/.271 slash line (59 wRC+). At least some of those struggles can be attributed to poor fortune on batted balls, as Wade’s .211 BABIP is down nearly 90 points relatively to what it had been during his previous four seasons with the Giants. With that being said, Wade was hitting for less power than ever before in his career, and even his .287 xwOBA was well below average. With San Francisco in the thick of the Wild Card race this year, they couldn’t justify continuing to wait around for Wade to get right and pulled the plug on him last week in order to bring veteran first baseman Dominic Smith into the fold.

For the Angels, the addition of Wade is an interesting one. The club already has a left-handed first baseman entrenched in an everyday job with Nolan Schanuel, who has done quite well for himself with a 119 wRC+ in his age-23 season so far. Notably, Anaheim’s announcement of the move referred to Wade as an outfielder, hinting that he might primarily find use in the corner outfield mix for the Halos going forward. That would be a sensible use for the veteran, given that the club’s current outfield group of Jorge Soler, Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, and Mike Trout hit exclusively from the right side. Wade could serve as a lefty complement to Ward in left field and Soler at DH once Trout resumes playing right field on a regular basis. In the short term, Wade can also provide the Angels with some additional coverage in the outfield in the event that Soler needs to head to the injured list due to a nagging groin issue he’s been struggling with in recent days.

Wade has always been best suited for a platoon role, as he’s a career .193/.288/.250 hitter against fellow lefties and has not collected a hit against a left-handed pitcher this year. Even the club’s depth and bench outfield options like Chris Taylor, Matthew Lugo, and Scott Kingery bat right-handed, which should give Wade a niche on the club’s roster. That should be a fairly safe environment for Wade to try and bounce back, as he can be more or less completely platoon protected. It remains to be seen if Wade can resume generating enough power to get his production anywhere close to the 115 wRC+ he posted with the Giants from 2021-24, but one encouraging sign is that his strikeout (20.9%) and walk (12.7%) rates from that timeframe are almost identical to his 20.7% strikeout rate and 12.4% walk rate this year.

That suggests that his skills haven’t regressed at least from a discipline perspective, and even if his power doesn’t bounce back it’s not impossible to imagine Wade being a roughly league average bat against righties going forward. That’s enough to make him a useful bench piece for a team with a heavily right-handed lineup like Anaheim, and they clearly though bringing him into the fold was worth absorbing at least a portion of $5MM salary Wade is making this year. It’s not yet clear exactly how much cash the Giants sent to Anaheim to offset that financial blow, but shedding even a portion of the first baseman’s salary is a win for San Francisco given that Wade would’ve been able to elect free agency and leave them on the hook for the full deal had he cleared waivers.

Departing the Angels’ roster to make room for Wade is Darrell-Hicks. The 27-year-old made his big league debut with Anaheim earlier this year and made six appearances, where he surrendered eight runs on ten hits while walking four and striking out six in 7 2/3 innings of work. That lackluster performance is fairly representative of his work at Triple-A Salt Lake this year as well, where he has an 8.87 ERA in 22 1/3 frames. That said, he’s just one season removed from posting a dominant season split between Double- and Triple-A, with a 2.60 ERA in 62 1/3 innings of work across 40 appearances. The Angels will have one week to either work out a trade involving Darrell-Hicks or else place him on waivers. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, Anaheim will have the option to outright him to the minor leagues as non-roster depth for the remainder of the year.

Blue Jays Notes: Scherzer, Varsho, Francis

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Blue Jays fans received an encouraging update on the status of right-hander Max Scherzer’s rehab from the thumb injury that has sidelined him on and off for over a year. As relayed by Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet, Scherzer threw fifty pitches as part of a three-inning simulated game today. Manager John Schneider told reporters (including Zwelling) that Scherzer came out of the outing feeling good after having thrown all of his pitches, and that the next step for the right-hander is to throw a side session in a few days, as he would between starts if he were healthy and pitching in the rotation.

It’s a major step forward for Scherzer, who has made just one start this year after signing a one-year deal with Toronto during the offseason. MLB.com suggests that a rehab assignment could be the next step for Scherzer if he comes out of his side session looking good, and that could put him on schedule to make his return to the Jays before the end of the month. A healthy and effective Scherzer would provide a massive boost to a Toronto rotation that has been among the league’s weakest this year, and could help the Jays stay in the AL Wild Card conversation after their recent impressive stretch of play put them in a three-way tie with the Twins and Rays for the league’s three Wild Card spots. In the meantime, the Jays appear poised to continue relying on veterans Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt to hold things down at the front of the rotation, with Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis, and recently-added Spencer Turnbull bringing up the rear.

Speaking of Francis, the right-hander has had a rough go of it this year with a 5.84 ERA and 6.47 FIP across 12 starts. Those ugly numbers have led to some questions about whether or not he’ll remain in the rotation going forward, but Shi Davidi of Sportsnet writes that Schneider has dismissed the possibility of making a change when it comes to Francis, whether that be a demotion to the minors, a move to the bullpen, or even the use of an Opener in front of the 29-year-old.

“…we need him. That’s the bottom line,” Schneider said of Francis, as relayed by Davidi. “We need him to help contribute and be the pitcher that he can be. So you keep working to make adjustments. The stuff is where it should be. It’s just the mix and the location you’ve got to tighten up a little bit, that’s all.”

That vote of confidence in Francis as a starter seems likely to keep him in the rotation for at least the time being, but it’s possible that could change if he doesn’t turn things around in the near future. After all, Scherzer is on the mend and could be back in action later this month as previously mentioned. Turnbull was added to the roster today and could take the ball later this week for his first big league start of the year, and southpaw Eric Lauer has arguably pitched well enough in a long relief role to merit at least some consideration for a starting job as well.

Turning to the lineup, the Jays have missed both the bat and the glove of center fielder Daulton Varsho since he was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain last week. It was a frustrating turn of events for the center fielder, who had already missed the first month of the season while rehabbing the rotator cuff surgery he underwent back in September. In the month Varsho was available, however, he provided a 108 wRC+ and swatted eight homers while offering his characteristically excellent defense in center field. The good news is that Zwelling reports Varsho was among the hitters to face Scherzer during his simulated game today, and even hit a home run off the future Hall of Famer.

That Varsho is healthy enough to face live pitching and participate in a simulated game is a good sign, but it should be noted that the news doesn’t necessarily mean he’s especially close to a return. Given the fact that Varsho’s calling card is his defense, it seems fair to expect the Blue Jays to keep him on the shelf until he’s ready to return not just to the lineup, but also to the field. With lower half injuries like the one Varsho is dealing with, it’s not uncommon for players to be ready to hit before they’re ready to field, and MLB.com notes that the Blue Jays have not yet even provided a firm timeline for his return to action.

Pirates Reportedly Receiving Interest In Isiah Kiner-Falefa

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The Pirates are expected to make much of their roster available on the trade market this summer after stumbling to a 26-40 start this season that has left them more or less buried in the NL playoff picture. According to a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale this morning, at least one player is already drawing interest on the trade market: infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa. It should be noted that Nightengale does not connect the infielder to any specific clubs, and there’s no indication that a deal is anywhere near close at this time.

It’s not exactly a shocking revelation. After all, Kiner-Falefa is enjoying quite a strong season in Pittsburgh; in 53 games this year, he’s slashed an impressive .304/.351/.381 (106 wRC+) while serving primarily as the Pirates’ shortstop. He’s not rated out especially well at the position this year, but he’s typically been a strong defender at both second and third base throughout his career and even won a Gold Glove award at the hot corner. Given Kiner-Falefa’s strong reputation as a defender, he’d be a very impactful addition for a team in need of infield help if he can maintain this above average offense going forward.

That being said, there’s clear red flags in Kiner-Falefa’s profile that suggest he’s likely to regress in the future. Kiner-Falefa’s .306 career BABIP is solid, but even it doesn’t compare to the .360 figure he’s put up this year. That’s all but guaranteed to come down at some point, and he’s actually hitting for less power than last season with plate discipline numbers that aren’t markedly different. Kiner-Falefa’s .298 xwOBA is almost a perfect match for the .299 wOBA he put up last season, which indicates he’s likely to resume being a below-average hitter going forward, although he may at least stay fairly close to league average considering last year’s 93 wRC+.

The good news for the Pirates is that even if Kiner-Falefa regresses to the mean, he’ll be a very attractive trade candidate in a market that looks fairly desperate for infield help. The Yankees are already known to be on the hunt for a right-handed bat who can play the infield, and Kiner-Falefa both fits the bill and is a player the club liked enough to acquire in the past. If the Red Sox end up buying this summer, an infielder could make sense for them depending on the status of Alex Bregman. The Mariners are always looking for help on offense, the Brewers could use an upgrade over Caleb Durbin, and the Astros could use infield help if they hope to make Jose Altuve a regular in left field.

Those are just a handful of contenders who could theoretically use an infielder like Kiner-Falefa on their roster. Perhaps some of them will prioritize addressing other needs this summer or end up not being buyers at all, but it’s also possible that some teams that weren’t mentioned here could enter the fray due to an injury in their own infield mix. In any case, it seems likely there will be at least some demand for infield help this summer, and that demand could outstrip the supply when it comes to rentals. It’s always possible that a team could surprisingly make a controllable piece available as the Rays did with Isaac Paredes last year, but that sort of deal would come with a much higher acquisition cost that could scare away some buyers.

With few surefire sellers, there aren’t a ton of quality infield options expected to be available. Amed Rosario of the Nationals, Thairo Estrada of the Rockies, and Josh Rojas of the White Sox are among a handful of potential trade candidates, but of that group only Rosario is hitting as well as Kiner-Falefa at present and none have his defensive reputation. That could put the Pirates in a fairly solid bargaining position when it comes to the infield market, especially given the fact that they have a second potential rental option for teams in need of infield help in the form of second baseman Adam Frazier.

Angels Sign Ben Gamel To Minor League Deal

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The Angels have signed outfielder Ben Gamel to a minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker on Gamel’s MLB.com profile page. Gamel was subsequently assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake. Gamel had previously been at Triple-A with the Tigers on a minor league deal, but last appeared in a game with the club back in April and was granted his release by the organization late last month.

Gamel, 33, is a veteran of nine MLB seasons who has yet to appear in the majors in 2025. He made his big league debut with the Yankees all the way back in 2016, though he was almost immediately traded to the Mariners. He didn’t hit much that first year across 33 games, but he fashioned himself into a roughly average regular for Seattle over the next two years. Gamel hit .274/.335/.398 (102 wRC+) during that time but departed for the Brewers in the deal that sent Domingo Santana to Seattle. His two years in Milwaukee did not go over nearly as well, however, as he was a below average hitter overall and ended up non-tendered by the club during the 2020-21 offseason.

The outfielder has become something of a journeyman in the years since then, bouncing around the league and appearing for five teams in the past four years. With 281 games in the majors under his belt split between Cleveland, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Queens, and Houston since the start of the 2021 campaign, Gamel has hit a roughly league average .239/.338/.372 (98 wRC+) while primarily playing the outfield corners but making occasional appearances in center field and at first base. His most successful stop during that stretch was with the Astros last year, for whom he posted a 117 wRC+ in 20 games down the stretch before suffering a fibula fracture that sidelined him in mid September. Despite that injury cutting Gamel’s time with the club short, the Astros re-signed him to a big league deal during Spring Training but ultimately cut him loose when they opted to put top prospect Cam Smith on the Opening Day roster as their regular right fielder.

Gamel signed his aforementioned minor league deal with Detroit shortly thereafter, but went on the injured list after just 17 games and was later released. Now that he’s signed with the Angels, it seems likely the Gamel will return to minor league games in the near future as he looks to earn an opportunity in Anaheim’s outfield mix. A heavily right-handed outfield should work in Gamel’s favor in terms of earning a big league opportunity, although the Angels swinging a trade for LaMonte Wade Jr. earlier today might complicate his fit on the big league roster somewhat. Even so, Gamel has been a consistent, roughly league average performer in the majors for nearly a decade now and seems likely to fight his way back to the majors in some capacity before the season is up, so long as he’s healthy and able to resume playing.

Blue Jays Recall Spencer Turnbull For Season Debut

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The Blue Jays announced this afternoon that they’ve recalled right-hander Spencer Turnbull from Triple-A Buffalo. In a corresponding move, right-hander Paxton Schultz was optioned to Triple-A.

Turnbull, 32, signed with Toronto on a one-year deal last month. The right-hander was added to the 40-man roster at the time of the signing but agreed to be optioned to the minor leagues at the time of his signing so he could build up his arm after missing all of Spring Training due to being unsigned. He made his fifth rehab appearance on Friday, when he threw 80 pitches across 4 2/3 innings of five-run ball against the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate. Despite those shaky results, it represented Turnbull’s longest appearance both in terms of pitch count and batters faced.

That may have been close enough to a full big league start that the Jays were comfortable adding him back to the roster, but it’s worth noting that Turnbull’s optional assignment could only last a maximum of 35 days. That window would have expired tomorrow, meaning that Turnbull’s addition to the roster was imminent unless he suffered an injury or agreed to a longer stay in the minors. Despite his shaky rehab outings, the addition of Turnbull into the fold should hopefully provide a stabilizing force for a Jays pitching staff in serious need of reinforcements.

The righty had an up-and-down career over five years with the Tigers where he at times flashed the ability to be a quality mid-rotation arm but was too often held back by injuries. He enjoyed his healthiest season in years with the Phillies last year, and while he did ultimately miss the second half of the season with a lat strain he made 17 appearances (including seven starts) where he pitched to an impressive 2.65 ERA with a 3.85 FIP and 3.67 SIERA aross 54 1/3 innings of work. He struck out a career-high 26.1% of opponents while walking a fairly manageable 9.0%, and despite the season-ending injury re-entered free agency with a fairly strong argument for a solid contract.

While he ultimately lingered on the open market long enough to get snapped up by the Blue Jays on what was effectively a $1MM guarantee, the talent Turnbull flashed last year would go a long way to shoring up a beleaguered pitching staff in Toronto. They’ve been operating with a four-man rotation of late, and it seems fairly likely that Turnbull will now join that mix at least until an injured pitcher like Max Scherzer or Alek Manoah is ready to step back into a rotation role with the team. With no starter in line for their game against the Cardinals on June 11, it would be no surprise if the right-hander ends up taking the ball that day.

With that being said, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet suggested the possibility that Turnbull could either begin his time with the Jays in the bullpen or perhaps piggyback with southpaw Eric Lauer, who has been pitching in a long relief role for Toronto this season. Turnbull’s no stranger to a swing role after his work in Philadelphia last year; he started his first six appearances with the Phillies before moving to the bullpen last May and being utilized in a flexible role that saw him make both single-inning relief appearances lasting less than 20 pitchers and multi-inning appearances that pushed 60 pitches. Whether the Blue Jays ultimately decide to start Turnbull or use him in the bullpen at first, that flexibility is sure to come in handy during his time with the club.

Orioles Notes: Westburg, Mullins, O’Neill

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The Orioles have had a rough start to the season to say the least, but they’ve finally begun to turn things around with seven wins in their last eight games. That still leaves them at 26-37 overall and 7.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, giving them long odds of actually fighting their way back into the playoff conversation this year. With that being said, their battered lineup does appear to be on the verge of getting some notable reinforcements. The first of those, as relayed Rich Dubroff off Baltimore Baseball, figures to be infielder Jordan Westburg.

Westburg was an All-Star last year amid a breakout campaign where he slashed an excellent .264/.312/.481 with a wRC+ of 125 as the Orioles’ primary third baseman. He collected 2.8 fWAR in just 107 games last year, posting an impressive season despite the fact that a hand fracture kept him out for much of the second half. That strong campaign led to some big expectations for him headed into his age-26 campaign, but he posted a somewhat middling .217/.265/.391 (86 wRC+) across 98 plate appearances this year before he was sidelined in April by a hamstring strain.

Despite his mediocre performance in that small sample early in the season, the Orioles will surely be delighted to have Westburg back, which Dubroff notes that interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters is “likely” to happen this coming Tuesday. Orioles third basemen are collectively hitting just .243/.303/.305 (76 wRC+) so far this season, a figure that even Westburg’s lackluster start to the season would easily clear to say nothing of his 2024 performance. Ramon Urias has been tasked with serving in a regular role at the position since his own return from the injured list, and while his numbers are about league average overall he’s looked miscast (78 wRC+) in a regular role since returning from the IL. Perhaps Westburg’s return and Urias’s move back into a part-time role can add another quality regular to the lineup while also allowing Urias to be more impactful off the bench going forward.

Also expected back in the relatively near future is center fielder Cedric Mullins, who Dubroff relays Mansolino expects back in the lineup during the club’s coming homestand, which runs from June 10 to June 15. While that wording seems to imply he’ll be back more towards the end of this coming week, the return of Mullins will still be a welcome boost for the Orioles. His time on the injured list has caused a downgrade for the club both offensively and defensively, as Colton Cowser has been forced to slide over to center from left field to accommodate the addition of Dylan Carlson to the lineup on an everyday basis. In 27 games with the Orioles this year, Carlson has hit just .212/.274/.394 with a wRC+ of 89 and peripheral numbers that suggest he’s benefited from some good luck.

While moving Cowser back to his natural position and adding Mullins’s bat to the lineup over Carlson figures to be an unequivocal upgrade, it’s less clear what version of Mullins the Orioles will be getting when he returns. While he has an impressive 121 wRC+ overall on the season, Mullins hit an incredible .292/.432/.551 (184 wRC+) in his first 111 plate appearances this year but stumbled badly near the end of April and posted a paltry .174/.198/.348 (49 wRC+) slash line in his final 96 trips to the plate before going on the shelf with his own hamstring strain, which was fortunately less severe than the one suffered by Westburg. While Mullins should surely be expected to split the difference between that scorching start and his ice cold streak prior to injury, whether he trends more towards the positive or the negative side of that spectrum will have major consequences for Baltimore this year regardless of if they make it back to the postseason or not, as Mullins is arguably the team’s top trade piece.

Also working his way back from injury is outfielder Tyler O’Neill, who has been shelved since the middle of May due to a shoulder impingement. O’Neill’s first year in Baltimore had been a disappointing one in 24 games prior to the injury, as he hit just .188/.280/.325 in 93 plate appearances prior to hitting the shelf. His return to action could provide a boost to the lineup all the same, however, given that he’s just one year removed from a dazzling campaign in Boston where he crushed 31 homers in just 113 games. MLB.com notes that O’Neill began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk yesterday, and while it’s not entirely clear when the outfielder can be expected back in the fold it seems likely he remains on track to return within the next week or two.

Tigers Notes: Vierling, Olson, Urquidy, Boyd

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A right rotator cuff strain delayed Matt Vierling’s season debut until May 23, and he played in only four games before inflammation in that same right shoulder sent him back to the injured list.  The Tigers utilityman’s luck may be starting to change, however, as a visit with Dr. Keith Meister earlier this week resulted in what Vierling described as “absolutely the best-case scenario” of just inflammation.

“I was nervous it might be something more serious, but the MRI showed that everything was fine structurally….I will start throwing [Sunday] and build up from there.  There is no exact timeline but hopefully sooner than later,” Vierling told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters yesterday.  Vierling also noted that he received an injection in his shoulder during his appointment.

Vierling is the only position player on the Tigers’ injured list, after a swath of early-season injuries left the club heavily depleted in the outfield.  Parker Meadows and Wenceel Perez have now both returned from the IL, Zach McKinstry remains a Swiss Army knife around the diamond, and Javier Baez has also evolved from a shortstop into more of a utility player (and a part-time center fielder).

All that’s missing now is Vierling, who filled a multi-positional role for Detroit in 2023-24 by suiting up at third base and at all three outfield positions, as well as a couple of appearances at first and second base.  Vierling also hit a respectable .259/.320/.406 over 1097 plate appearances over those two seasons, and his right-handed bat can help balance out a Tigers lineup that is still heavy in left-handed hitters.

Turning to the pitching side of the injured list, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch provided McCosky and company with an update on Reese Olson’s status.  Olson received an injection in his inflamed right ring finger last Wednesday, and threw a bullpen session on Saturday.  The next step will be incorporating changeups in Olson’s throwing sessions and future bullpens, which is the key step since it was throwing the changeup that led to the inflammation in the first place.

Olson increased his changeup usage this season, throwing the pitch 25.3% of the time and making it his chief secondary offering behind his sinker (31%).  An average pitch for Olson over his first two MLB seasons, the changeup was now suddenly his most effective offering as per Statcast’s run value metric, with the changeup registering a +5 this year.  This was, of course, over the small sample size of 48 2/3 innings in 2025, and the increase in effectiveness came at a price in the form of this IL trip.  Olson hasn’t pitched since May 17, and it looks like he’ll continue to be sidelined into the second half of June.

Jose Urquidy won’t be a factor (if at all) for the Tigers until much later in the 2025 season, as the right-hander is almost exactly one year removed from a Tommy John surgery.  Urquidy inked a one-year, $1MM guaranteed deal with Detroit in March that gives the Tigers a $4MM club option for 2026, essentially making this season a wait-and-see scenario for the team in gauging Urquidy’s recovery from rehab.

Urquidy hit a big checkpoint in his process on Friday, as Hinch said the righty threw a bullpen session at the Tigers’ spring complex in Lakeland.  Many steps remain in the throwing progression, and McCosky writes that “Urquidy is still maybe a month or more away from a rehab assignment.”  If all goes well, Urquidy could possibly be a factor for Detroit in late August or September, which would allow him to at least bank a few MLB innings as a bridge towards a fully healthy 2026.

With the Cubs visiting Detroit for a series, former Tiger Matthew Boyd was in town reuniting with some old friends in the clubhouse and on the media beat.  Boyd was a free agent this last winter, and he told MLive.com’s Evan Woodbery that he had some talks with the Tigers about a possible deal before eventually going to Chicago on a two-year, $29MM contract.  That signing has worked out wonderfully thus far, as Boyd has a 3.10 ERA over 68 2/3 innings and has been a stabilizing force within the Cubs’ injury-riddled rotation.

Boyd has spent eight of his 11 MLB seasons in a Detroit uniform, though the second of his two stints with the Tigers didn’t end well.  The southpaw signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Tigers during the 2022-23 offseason, but he produced only a 5.45 ERA over 71 innings before a Tommy John surgery ended his 2023 season and kept him on the shelf for most of the 2024 campaign.  Boyd was able to return by the end of 2024 and, as a member of the Guardians, looked very sharp in posting a 2.72 ERA in 39 2/3 regular-season innings and then an 0.77 ERA over 11 2/3 postseason frames.

That performance was enough to land Boyd two guaranteed years from the Cubs, plus the contract contains a mutual option for 2027.  It is possible that giving Boyd a second year was too much for the Tigers, as the club was focused mostly on shorter-term additions to its pitching staff.  Detroit brought Jack Flaherty (for two years and $35MM, with an opt-out after 2025) and Alex Cobb (one year, $15MM) into the fold this past winter as alternatives to another reunion with Boyd.

Twins Place Zebby Matthews On 15-Day IL, Reinstate Danny Coulombe

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2:21PM: Matthews has been feeling some shoulder soreness for a couple of weeks, and some increased discomfort after the start on Wednesday led to the team’s decision to put him on the injured list.  “It’s not something we’re too concerned with,” Matthews told the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Bobby Nightengale and other reporters.  “It seems to be something we can respond to, hopefully, pretty quick….It’s mainly during the last part of the throw is when I feel it.  Everything else, it feels pretty good. We’re just trying to get it to loosen up and get back to feeling normal.”

9:18AM: The Twins announced that right-hander Zebby Matthews has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 5) due to a strain in Matthews’ throwing shoulder.  In the corresponding move, Minnesota activated left-hander Danny Coulombe from the 15-day IL.

The unwelcome news on Matthews come out of nowhere, as there wasn’t any indication that the 25-year-old was hurting coming off his best start of the season.  Matthews limited the A’s to one run on four hits and three walks over five innings in the Twins’ 6-1 victory on June 4.  Even that solid outing lowered Matthews’ ERA to only 5.21 over 19 total innings this season, though advanced metrics (such as a 3.31 SIERA, 30.1% strikeout rate, and a .375 BABIP) indicate that Matthews has deserved better than his inflated ERA.

It looked like Matthews had performed well enough to keep his spot in the Twins’ rotation, though Pablo Lopez’s extended absence might have gotten Matthews more starts out of sheer necessity.  With Matthews himself now out of action, the Twins will have to dig deeper into their depth chart to cover two rotation spots.  David Festa had been installed into Lopez’s place, and Simeon Woods Richardson will likely be recalled from Triple-A to take over for Matthews.

Neither Festa or Woods Richardson have pitched well this season, so there will be even more pressure on Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, and Chris Paddack to continue carrying the rotation.  It is fair to wonder if Minnesota might look to the waiver wire or try to swing a low-level trade to add some veteran depth to the pitching mix, though adding a more prominent arm on the trade market isn’t likely to become a reality until closer to the deadline.  The severity of Matthews’ shoulder strain is also naturally a factor, as the urgency for pitching depth would diminish if Matthews is able to return before the end of the month.

The bullpen will at least get a boost with the return of Coulombe, who last pitched on May 14 before an extensor strain in his left forearm sent the veteran reliever to the IL.  Coulombe has yet to allow an earned run over 16 2/3 innings and 19 appearances for Minnesota this season, and he has an outstanding 3.3% walk rate and 31.7% strikeout rate to go along with that spotless ERA.  The Twins had been operating without a left-hander in their bullpen prior to Coulombe’s activation, as Kody Funderburk was optioned to Triple-A on Friday.

In other Twins bullpen news, Michael Tonkin restarted his minor league rehab assignment and tossed a scoreless inning for Triple-A Saint Paul last night.  Tonkin has yet to pitch in the majors this season due to a mild rotator cuff strain suffered during Spring Training, and his previous rehab assignment was halted a month ago due to biceps tendinitis.

Yankees Claim CJ Alexander

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The Yankees and Athletics have each announced that infielder CJ Alexander is heading to New York on a waiver claim.  The A’s designated Alexander for assignment three days ago.

Alexander was optioned to the Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, where he’ll act as a left-handed hitting depth option at multiple positions.  Most of Alexander’s pro experience has come at third base, which is notable given how the hot corner has often been considered a weak link in New York’s otherwise sterling lineup.  Jazz Chisholm Jr. has the position locked down for now since DJ LeMahieu is being deployed at second base, and it is possible the infield situation might resolve itself if LeMahieu can regain any of his old form at the plate.

Oswald Peraza and Pablo Reyes are ahead of Alexander on the big league depth chart in terms of backup infielders, so Alexander may have a tough time cracking the Yankees’ roster.  The 28-year-old Alexander can also play first base and both corner outfield positions, and he is a left-handed hitter (Peraza, Reyes, and LeMahieu all swing from the right side).

A 20th-round pick for the Braves in the 2018 draft, Alexander made it to the Show with the Royals in 2024, and got into another handful of games with the A’s this year.  Alexander’s brief time in the majors has resulted in only four hits in 25 plate appearances (for a .320 OPS), but he has hit well at Triple-A, with a .264/.330/.502 slash line and 42 home runs to show for 908 career PA at the top minor league level.

Phillies Claim Ryan Cusick, Designate Kyle Tyler

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The Phillies announced that right-hander Ryan Cusick was claimed off waivers from the White Sox and optioned to the Florida Complex League.  In the corresponding roster move, Philadelphia designated right-hander Kyle Tyler for assignment.

In less than two weeks’ time, Cusick is now joining his fourth different team after a whirlwind series of waiver claims.  The odyssey started when he was designated for assignment by the Athletics on May 27, and he has since gone from the A’s to the Tigers to the White Sox and now to the Phils.  Cusick will now head not to Philadelphia’s Triple-A affiliate but to the FCL for what might be a mechanical tune-up in the wake of a difficult minor league season.

The 25-year-old Cusick was the 24th overall pick of the 2021 draft, selected by the Braves but then quickly flipped to the Athletics that offseason as part of the trade package that brought Matt Olson to Atlanta.  Cusick has struggled to live up to that first-round potential, as his career 5.20 ERA over 238 2/3 minor league innings hasn’t resulted in any Major League playing time.

A starter for most of his career, Cusick appears to have moved into the bullpen on a full-time basis this season, but the results haven’t been there, as he has more walks (14) than strikeouts (11) while posting a 6.32 ERA over 15 2/3 combined innings with the Athletics’ and Tigers’ Triple-A affiliates in 2025.  The Phillies will become the latest team to see if they can solve Cusick’s control problems and turn him into a playable big league reliever.

Tyler can relate to Cusick’s waiver wire travels, as Tyler also changed teams four times on waiver claims within a month’s span in March-April 2022.  His MLB resume consists of a 4.31 ERA over 48 innings with the Angels, Padres, and Marlins, with the bulk (31 2/3 IP) of that work coming with Miami last year.

Tyler started seven of his eight games with the Marlins, and has mostly worked as a starter over the last three seasons in the minors after working in more of a swingman capacity earlier in his career.  All 12 of Tyler’s outings with Triple-A Lehigh Valley came as a starter, though he had only a 4.31 ERA, 15.6% strikeout rate, and 7.6% walk rate.  The Phillies are deeper than most teams when it comes to starting pitching, while Tyler’s numbers don’t jump off the page, another club in need of rotation depth could be motivated to put in a claim.

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