Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Archives for August 2025

Phillies Release Cal Stevenson, Activate Aaron Nola

By | at

The Phillies announced this morning that they’ve released center fielder Cal Stevenson. It had not been previously reported that Stevenson was placed on waivers, but he evidently must have cleared waivers will now head into free agency. Stevenson could not be outrighted to the minor leagues after being placed on the minor league injured list earlier this week.

Stevenson’s departure from the 40-man roster makes room for Aaron Nola’s return from the 60-day injured list. Nola will take the active roster spot of Zack Wheeler, who was placed on the injured list with a blood clot yesterday. In addition, the Phillies announced that third baseman Alec Bohm has been activated from the 10-day injured list. Bohm will take the roster spot of utility man Otto Kemp, who has been optioned to Triple-A. Both Bohm and Nola’s returns to action were previously reported last week.

Stevenson, 29 next month, was a tenth-round pick by the Blue Jays back in 2018. He’s played in parts of four MLB seasons but has yet to establish himself as more than a depth option. He made his big league debut in Oakland back in 2022 and moved on to San Francisco for the 2023 campaign before spending each of the past two seasons with the Phillies. In Philadelphia, Stevenson has appeared in just 23 games and been used primarily as a bench piece when on the roster. At the plate, he’s gone 8-for-32 with three walks, six strikeouts, and three doubles between the past two seasons. A career .178/.276/.238 hitter in 118 big league plate appearances, Stevenson has spent most of this season playing for Triple-A LeHigh Valley with middling offensive numbers.

Now that he’s a free agent, he’ll have the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs or perhaps look at opportunities outside of affiliated ball. The specifics of Stevenson’s injury aren’t known, and if it’s a significant one it’s possible he’ll go unsigned over the final weeks of the season before looking to find a new club for the 2026 campaign. A skilled defensive center fielder with 22 steals in the minors this year, he should garner at least some interest as a depth option for teams in need of center field help.

As for Nola and Bohm, both have been out of commission for quite some time. Bohm missed about a month due to due a fractured rib, and while his 98 wRC+ doesn’t look like much it’s worth noting he was hitting a far more robust .299/.360/.410 in his final 150 plate appearances before heading to the injured list. Nola, meanwhile, last pitched in May due to an ankle injury and a stress reaction in his rib cage. His nine starts prior to hitting the injured list weren’t pretty, as he allowed a 6.16 ERA with a 5.05 FIP in 49 2/3 innings of work. Some of that is due to a 3 2/3 inning, nine-run blowup immediately before his placement on the IL, but he allowed four or more earned runs in five of his nine starts prior to the injury. A healthy and effective return from both players would do a lot to help the Phillies get ready for the postseason, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding Wheeler’s availability going forward.

As for Kemp, the utility man made his big league debut with the Phillies earlier this year and has gotten into 46 games so far while splitting time between the infield corners and left field. He’s slashed just .228/.298/.359 in 161 plate appearance, but his versatility and decent numbers (.740 OPS) against left-handed pitching make him a solid depth option for the club to have at Triple-A going forward.

Orioles Promote Samuel Basallo

By | at

The Orioles announced a flurry of roster moves this morning, highlighted by the club’s decision to select the contract of top prospect Samuel Basallo. Basallo will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Zach Eflin, who was transferred to the 60-day injured list and was already known to be done for the 2025 season. In addition, Baltimore activated outfielder Colton Cowser from the 7-day concussion-related injured list. Ryan Noda and Daniel Johnson were optioned to the minor leagues to make room for Basallo and Cowser on the active roster.

Basallo, who celebrated his 21st birthday just last week, entered the year as a consensus top-15 prospect in baseball and has more than proved himself worthy of that status with his work at Triple-A this year. The Santo Domingo native was signed as an international amateur by the Orioles back in 2021 and, after struggling in his first taste of Triple-A late last year, has slashed an incredible .270/.377/.589 (151 wRC+) in 76 games for the club’s Norfolk affiliate this year. He’s crushed 23 homers in that time, and while his 23.7% strikeout rate is the highest he’s posted in a full season so far that’s more than made up for by his aforementioned power and a strong 13.7% walk rate.

Those numbers would be impressive for any player, but they become all the more incredible with the context that Basallo is a catcher in the midst of his age-20 campaign. Basallo’s aforementioned 151 wRC+ is the fourth-highest figure in Triple-A’s International League this year, and he’s done that despite being the youngest qualified hitters at the level. Just ten hitters in their age-22 season or younger have qualified, and among them only four others (Justin Crawford of the Phillies as well as Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara of the Cubs) have posted above-average numbers. All four of those youngsters are top-100 prospects in their own right, and only Caissie’s 142 wRC+ comes within spitting distance of Basallo’s elite numbers.

All of that is to say that Basallo has absolutely nothing left to do offensively at Triple-A. The youngster’s defense behind the plate has been the subject of some questions both from outside evaluators and even from the brass within his own organization, however. GM Mike Elias suggested back in June that Basallo’s defense needed some work before he could be called up to the majors, but it appears the youngster has either assuaged those concerns about his glove or simply done so much with the bat that the Orioles can’t justify holding him back for the sake of his glove any longer.

It will be worth watching how the Orioles use Basallo in the coming weeks. He’s only played catcher, first base, and DH in the minor leagues. That should leave him limited to those three positions at the big league level as well, but the O’s already have starters at all three positions at the moment. Adley Rutschman is back in the lineup behind the plate after missing some time earlier this year and figures to remain the primary option at the position for now even in the midst of a middling season. Youngster Coby Mayo is in the midst of his own long-awaited tryout at first base, and it makes little sense for the Orioles to limit the 23-year-old’s playing time as they look to decide if he can serve as their first baseman of the future headed into 2026. That’s left Ryan Mountcastle to shift off first base and take the lion’s share of playing time at DH in recent days. The 28-year-old has struggled to a .250/.285/.373 (81 wRC+) this year, but spent most of the season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain and has slashed an excellent .276/.333/.517 with two homers, two steals, and a double in eight games since being activated.

Perhaps everyone in that quartet will be able to start four or five games a week with pinch-hitting opportunities on days they aren’t starting. It’s also possible that Mayo could get some occasional looks at third base (currently held down by Jordan Westburg) to help create more vacancies at first base. Mountcastle even has some experience in the outfield, although he hasn’t played on the grass since 2021 so it’s unclear if he’s still capable of handling the position. If making an occasional appearance in left wouldn’t be an injury risk for Mountcastle, it would be fair to say that his bat could make up for whatever defensive miscues he might be vulnerable to after a long layoff at the position.

Now that Cowser is back from the injured list, Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun notes that (according to interim manager Tony Mansolino) the 25-year-old will slide into center field upon his return. Cowser’s been entrenched as the club’s regular left fielder since his excellent rookie campaign last year, and while injuries and ineffectiveness have limited him to an 89 wRC+ in 56 games he’ll still be a substantial offensive upgrade over the players tasked with holding down the position since Cedric Mullins was traded to the Mets last month like Johnson and Greg Allen.

That leaves two outfield spots for the taking. One figures to be left to Dylan Beavers, another one of the club’s top prospects who made his big league debut just yesterday and went 1-for-5 with a double and two strikeouts. Like Basallo, he clearly has nothing left to prove in the minors after hitting .304/.420/.515 (152 wRC+) at the level with a 16.3% walk rate, 23 steals, and 18 home runs in 94 games this year. Beavers should get regular playing time in one corner going forward, but the short-term solutions at the other corner don’t inspire confidence.

Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Carlson are the options available on the roster at present now that Noda and Johnson are ticketed for Triple-A, but both come with questions. Carlson has a meager 56 wRC+ this year and hasn’t been an above-average player since 2021. Jackson, meanwhile, is a 25-year-old who only just reached the Triple-A level earlier this year and was promoted primarily due to a scorching hot stretch of 40 games at the level where he bashed 11 homers and hit .377. That sort of performance is surely unsustainable at the big league level, and while his 107 wRC+ at the big league level so far is decent, a .435 BABIP and a 31.4% strikeout rate don’t appear likely to be sustainable.

That could leave room for Mountcastle to pick up occasional reps in left field, health permitting. Even if he can patrol left without risk of re-injuring his balky hamstring, however, it’s worth noting that would surely be a temporary solution to the logjam Basallo’s promotion creates given that the Orioles have two options for regular at-bats in left field on the injured list at present. Tyler O’Neill has been sidelined by wrist inflammation in recent weeks but should be a fixture of the club’s lineup once he returns. The 30-year-old has the opportunity to opt out of the final two years of his contract with Baltimore but seems unlikely to exercise that option after appearing in just 43 games and posting a pedestrian 98 wRC+ when on the field.

Heston Kjerstad is another option to get reps in the outfield at some point, but seems less certainty to be called upon than O’Neill. Kjerstad was placed on the minor league injured list due to what was described at the time as fatigue in late July and hasn’t appeared in a game since, but the former top prospect has struggled badly this year with a .192/.240/.327 (56 wRC+) slash line. Even in spite of those brutal numbers, however, the club’s commitment to playing youngsters like Basallo, Beavers, and Mayo down the stretch could suggest that they’ll try to get Kjerstad another look in the majors during these final weeks of a lost 2025 season.

Braves Outright Davis Daniel

By | at

The Braves sent right-hander Davis Daniel outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to the MLB.com transaction log. The tracker also indicates that Carlos Carrasco elected free agency after being designated for assignment on Thursday. Daniel had not previously been DFA, so his removal from the 40-man roster drops their count to 37.

Atlanta acquired Daniel in a minor offseason trade. The Auburn product had been designated for assignment by the Angels, who flipped him to the Braves for minor league pitcher Mitch Farris. Daniel has spent much of the season on optional assignment to Triple-A. He has made three big league appearances (two starts) and allowed six runs on nine hits and seven walks over 10 innings. The minor league results haven’t been a whole lot better. Daniel has pitched to a 5.32 earned run average with a subpar 18.8% strikeout rate through 88 frames with Gwinnett.

Over parts of three big league campaigns, Daniel carries 5.13 ERA across 52 2/3 innings. This is his fifth season in Triple-A. He owns a 5.40 mark in 67 appearances at the top minor league level. This is Daniel’s first career outright, so he doesn’t have the ability to decline the assignment. He’ll remain with the Stripers for the remainder of the season.

The Braves acquired Carrasco to patch together a couple starts. He took the ball three times but was tagged for 15 runs while averaging fewer than five innings per appearance. The 38-year-old righty has an ERA above 7.00 between the Yankees and Braves. He’ll be limited to minor league offers if he intends to continue pitching.

Kyle Stowers To Miss Several Weeks With Side Strain

By | at

The Marlins will be without outfielder Kyle Stowers for several weeks after he suffered a Grade 1 strain in his left side, manager Clayton McCullough informed reporters (link via Christina De Nicola of MLB.com). He’ll go on the 10-day injured list before tomorrow’s series finale in Boston. Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase first reported that Miami will recall Joey Wiemer from Triple-A Jacksonville in the corresponding move.

Stowers felt the discomfort on a swing early in Friday’s game. He stayed in for the rest of the contest but lingering soreness sent him for imaging today. A Grade 1 strain is of the lowest severity, but even relatively minor side/oblique strains can cost hitters upwards of a month. Stowers seems likely to miss most of the remaining schedule.

It’ll hopefully be no more than a blip for Miami’s breakout slugger. Stowers earned his first All-Star selection and has a .288/.368/.544 slash line across 457 plate appearances. He has hit 25 home runs and had a good shot at cracking the 30-homer mark had he stayed healthy. While he’d fallen into a bit of a slump in August, he was the National League Player of the Month in July thanks to a monster .364/.451/.818 showing with 10 longballs in 24 games. That not coincidentally overlapped with Miami’s 15-10 showing last month, offering a hint of Stowers’ ability to carry a lineup when he’s going well.

Dane Myers has spent a good chunk of this season as the starting center fielder. He has ceded playing time since Jakob Marsee was promoted to take the center field job. Myers will probably get more playing time in left field. Wiemer, who was claimed off waivers from the Royals a couple weeks ago, is now in line for his team debut in a rotational corner outfield role.

Jon Gray Goes Unclaimed On Waivers

By | at

Rangers righty Jon Gray went unclaimed on waivers, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Texas quietly placed Gray on waivers on Thursday. The 48-hour process came and went without another team putting in a claim, with that window closing this afternoon.

Gray pitched today. The waiver process technically closed at 1:00 pm Eastern, two hours before first pitch, but the Rangers could’ve continued to use Gray even if he’d still been on waivers at game time. Teams are permitted to continue playing those whom they’ve placed on outright waivers so long as they were not previously designated for assignment.

This move itself is likely to be inconsequential. Texas cannot send Gray, who has well over five years of MLB service, to the minors without his consent. They could release him, but all that’d do is remove him from the roster. Placing him on waivers was solely an attempt to dump the remaining $3.1MM on his $13MM salary. They were hoping another team would claim him and assume the rest of the contract. No one bit, and the Rangers would pay that money if they release him. They’ll probably keep him on the roster and could try to place him on waivers again in a week or two to see if they’ll find a taker.

It’s more interesting as a potential precursor to other moves. Rosenthal writes that the Rangers currently have no plans to place anyone else on waivers. However, today’s 14-2 drubbing at the hands of the Blue Jays dropped them to 61-63. They’ve lost four straight and eight of their last 10. They’re now eight games back in the division and five out in the Wild Card picture. Dropping any further in the standings over the next couple weeks could incentivize them to waive a number of veterans just before the end of August.

That has become increasingly prevalent over the past couple seasons. The Angels used waivers to dump the final month of Lucas Giolito’s and Reynaldo López’s contracts in 2023, allowing them to dip just below the luxury tax threshold. The Giants tried a waiver dump with Taylor Rogers and Thairo Estrada last summer, but no one took those contracts off their hands. It’s generally a course of action taken by a team that was a fringe contender at the trade deadline — and thus didn’t sell short-term veterans — that fell firmly out of contention in August.

The timing isn’t coincidental. Players need to be in an organization by September 1 to be eligible for postseason play. A player on a notable salary is much less likely to be claimed after the beginning of September, so the attempted waiver dumps tend to happen in the final few days of August.

Gray clearly doesn’t have surplus value in the eyes of MLB. He missed most of the season after breaking his wrist when he was hit by a comebacker in Spring Training. Texas has used him in relief since he was activated from the injured list on July 23. He’s allowed 12 runs in 14 innings, recording 12 strikeouts against six walks. Opponents have already tagged him for five home runs. His 94.7 MPH average fastball speed is slightly down from his usual 95-96 range even though he has only once worked more than three innings. He has lost a tick on his slider as well.

It may be impossible to find a taker for Gray. They can try again in a couple weeks, potentially hoping that a team would be more willing to take on the approximate $2MM he’s due in September than they were to assume $3MM right now. The Rangers have a number of other players who’d be very likely to get claimed if they choose to go that route.

Merrill Kelly, for instance, would be owed just over $1MM for the stretch run. He’s an impending free agent to whom the Rangers cannot make a qualifying offer because they acquired him midseason. Waiving him just one month after trading three pitching prospects to the Diamondbacks would make for poor optics, but the Rangers could welcome the chance to save the money if they don’t expect to re-sign him and determine they’re all but officially done this season.

Relievers Danny Coulombe, Hoby Milner, Phil Maton and Shawn Armstrong are all impending free agents who’ll be owed just a few hundred thousand dollars in September. The same is true of starter Patrick Corbin. It’d be harder to find a taker for Tyler Mahle, who’ll make just under $2.5MM for the season’s final month and is working back from a shoulder injury. Still, he’s another impending free agent they could make available. It’s also possible they go this route with Adolis García, who’ll probably be non-tendered in his final year of arbitration eligibility. He’d be due around $1.4MM in September and might clear anyway.

None of that seems to currently be under discussion. Gray would’ve been the obvious first player to make available since he’s not performing well regardless. Yet the team’s play over the past couple weeks could put a drastic roster overhaul on the table 10-14 days from now. Outright waivers are in reverse order of the MLB standings and — unlike the old revocable trade waiver system — are not AL or NL specific. Non-contenders have no reason to claim expensive rentals, so any waiver dumps (from Texas or otherwise) would be most meaningful to teams on the fringe of the Wild Card races like the Royals and Reds.

For Texas, this all comes against the backdrop of the luxury tax line. They intended to stay below the $241MM base threshold throughout the offseason. Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News and Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports each suggested the Rangers’ deadline additions would push them past the tax line. However, Rosenthal writes that Texas is “already believed” to be below the $241MM mark. An unofficial estimate from RosterResource has them around $237MM but has yet to account for incentives that count against the tax number as they’re triggered.

Red Sox Expected To Show Interest In Nathaniel Lowe

By | at

Nathaniel Lowe’s tenure with the Nationals has come to an end. Washington placed him on unconditional release waivers this afternoon, the anticipated outcome after they designated him for assignment on Thursday. Waivers are a 48-hour process; those will be resolved no later than Monday.

Another team could claim him and assume the remaining $2.33MM of his $10.3MM salary, but that’s difficult to envision. In the likelier event that he goes unclaimed, the Nationals would remain on the hook for virtually all that money. At that point, Lowe would be free to sign anywhere. A new team would pay him the prorated $760K league minimum for the final few weeks of the season.

Chris Cotillo of MassLive writes that the Red Sox are likely to show interest once the veteran first baseman officially reaches free agency.  (To be clear, Cotillo is not reporting that Boston has any plans to claim Lowe off waivers and take on the remaining salary.) Money won’t be a factor, as every team would be offering the league minimum — which comes off the Nats’ remaining obligations. Assuming multiple teams are willing to offer Lowe a major league contract, he’ll make his decision based on how many at-bats are available, the potential to contribute to a playoff run, and possibly geographical preferences.

The Sox have used an Abraham Toro/Romy Gonzalez split at first base since Triston Casas’ knee injury. They were expected to pursue first base help before the trade deadline but didn’t come away with any offensive additions. Gonzalez, a right-handed hitter, has more than held up his end. He’s mashing lefty pitching at a .357/.407/.673 clip with six homers in 108 plate appearances.

Gonzalez has a near-.900 OPS against southpaws in his career. He’s a .220/.239/.342 hitter versus right-handers. He’s only reaching base at a .270 clip against righties this season. Gonzalez has started four of the past six games (all of which have been against righties), but he shouldn’t be playing regularly unless he holds the platoon advantage. That leaves a decent amount of playing time for the switch-hitting Toro. An offseason minor league signee, Toro is hitting .238/.293/.387 in 198 plate appearances from the left side of the plate. He’d hit well in the immediate aftermath of the Casas injury but has slashed .194/.252/.287 over 32 games since July 1.

Lowe is a lefty bat with a better big league track record. His stint in Washington was a disappointment, as he hit .216/.292/.373 across 490 trips to the dish. That’s essentially a match for Toro’s season. Between 2021-24, Lowe posted an impressive .265/.352/.435 showing in more than 2000 plate appearances against righty pitching. It’s easy to see why the Sox would look to add him as a platoon partner with Gonzalez.

Toro is out of minor league options. The Sox are carrying three catchers on the active roster after claiming Ali Sánchez off waivers from Toronto this week. If the Red Sox were to sign Lowe, one of Toro or Sánchez would almost certainly be designated for assignment as a corresponding move. While Boston makes the most sense as an on-paper fit, teams like the Reds or Royals could also look for a first baseman or DH. A team that signs Lowe (or claims him off waivers) could theoretically retain him in 2026 via arbitration, but no club is likely to tender him the eight-figure contract that’d require.

Josh Hader Diagnosed With Shoulder Capsule Sprain, Hopes To Return In Playoffs

By | at

TODAY: Hader spoke with MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters today, and essentially ruled out a regular-season return given the amount of time it would take him to rebuild arm strength after a three-week shutdown.  The closer is hopeful of being ready to pitch by the postseason.

AUGUST 15: The Astros announced that closer Josh Hader has been diagnosed with a capsule sprain in his left shoulder. He won’t throw for three weeks, and next steps for the star left-hander will be determined at that time. Houston placed Hader on the 15-day injured list earlier this week, though manager Joe Espada had already acknowledged prior to today’s announcement that his closer would miss more than two weeks.

Hader’s IL placement was the first injury of his big league career — and it’s a significant one. The ’Stros haven’t said whether surgery will be a consideration, but capsule repair procedures tend to come with considerable layoffs. Brewers righty Brandon Woodruff recently missed more than a year due to surgery to repair a capsule tear. Hader’s teammate, J.P. France, underwent capsule surgery early last July and only began a minor league rehab assignment on July 21 — more than a year later. He still hasn’t returned to a big league mound. On the other side of the coin, Michael Conforto suffered a capsule tear with the Mets late in the 2017 season and was back in the field the following April. That, however, was in his non-throwing shoulder — and the rehab process for an outfielder versus a pitcher will vary with any arm injury.

Obviously, every injury is different. Diagnoses and treatment plans are handled on a case-by-case basis. It’s not clear yet whether the damage in Hader’s shoulder is as significant as it was for Woodruff, France or any of the numerous pitchers who’ve previously undergone capsule procedures — nor is it even clear whether Hader will require surgical intervention at all. The Astros haven’t said one way or another and probably won’t do so until that reevaluation at the three-week checkpoint. Regardless of whether surgery is deemed necessary, Hader seems ticketed for a notable absence.

Right-hander Bryan Abreu got the first save opportunity in Hader’s absence, though Espada has suggested that he’ll take a committee approach to the ninth inning and make his decisions based on matchups rather than set roles. Lefties Steven Okert, Bennett Sousa and Bryan King could all factor into the ninth inning as well, depending on where the Astros are in the opposing lineup.

Even if Hader manages to avoid surgery, losing him for three weeks — likely a bit longer, if he needs a rehab assignment — is a critical blow at a time when the American League West race has tightened considerably. Houston’s once formidable lead has largely evaporated. The red-hot Mariners recently won seven straight games and have picked up a victory in eight of their past ten contests. That, coupled with a recent 2-8 stretch for Houston, has pulled Seattle within a game and a half of first place.

Notably, the two teams still have a series against one another left on the schedule: a three-game set in Houston from Sept. 19-21. The Astros will obviously hope Hader can somehow be ready to contribute at that point, but that feels optimistic based on the initial diagnosis.

Hader is being paid $19MM in the second season of a five-year, $95MM contract. He’s been exceptional this year, saving 28 games and pitching to a pristine 2.05 ERA with a 36.9% strikeout rate and 7.6% walk rate in 52 2/3 innings.

Phillies Notes: Duran, Bohm, Nola

By | at

It seems like Jhoan Duran and the Phillies have dodged a major bullet after the closer had to be carted off the field during Friday’s game.  Duran was hit on the right ankle by a Paul DeJong comebacker in the ninth inning of yesterday’s 6-2 win over the Nationals, leaving the reliever in some obvious discomfort as he briefly tried to walk off the pain.  The cart was summoned as a precautionary measure, and Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer wrote last night that Duran was able to freely walk through the clubhouse en route to the trainer’s room.

The Phillies revealed that Duran’s x-rays were negative, and the closer himself delivered another positive update to Lauber today, saying he felt “100 percent.”  Lauber noted that Duran wasn’t even walking with a limp.  It doesn’t seem like an IL stint will be required, and the right-hander may not need more than a day or two (if that) before he’s able to get back onto the mound.

Acquired from the Twins at the trade deadline, Duran came at a high price, as the Phillies had to give up big league-ready starter Mick Abel and top catching prospect Eduardo Tait.  The Phils felt the cost was worth it to land a controllable (though 2027) closer, and the early returns have been stellar — Duran is a perfect 4-for-4 in save chances since joining the Phillies, and he has allowed only two hits over four scoreless innings of work.  For the 2025 season as a whole, Duran has a 1.86 ERA, 25.5% strikeout rate, and 8.2% walk rate across 53 1/3 combined innings with Minnesota and Philadelphia.

If Duran has indeed avoided the injury bug, it sets the stage for (knock on wood) a healthy weekend for the Phillies as two prominent players are set to be activated from the injured list on Sunday.  Manager Rob Thomson said earlier this week that Aaron Nola would be return from the 60-day IL to start Sunday’s game, and the skipper told The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes and other reporters today that Alec Bohm would also be activated from the 10-day IL to face Washington tomorrow.

Bohm has missed four weeks dealing with a fractured left rib.  The injury was suffered a week prior to Bohm’s IL placement when he was hit by a pitch, and after using the All-Star break to try and heal up, Bohm reaggravated his rib problem in the first game of the second half.  He started a Triple-A rehab assignment last Sunday, and served as both a third baseman and DH over five games with Lehigh Valley.

Bohm has a 98 wRC+ and a modest .278/.324/.391 slash line over 383 plate appearances in 2025, as he is still trying to fully shake off a brutal start to his season.  After posting a .513 OPS in his first 126 PA, Bohm hit a much more palatable .309/.362/.455 over his next 257 PA before hitting the injured list.  He’ll return to his usual third base position for the Phillies, which should push Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp back to their utility roles.

Nola will be making his first start in over three months, as he was initially sidelined by a sprained ankle back in mid-May.  However, it was revealed in June that Nola was also dealing with a stress reaction in his right rib cage, which soon led to a move to the 60-day IL.  This was only Nola’s third IL stint of the last nine seasons, and his prior two IL stints lasted only around seven weeks combined, speaking to Nola’s durability.

Trying to pitch through his ankle injury proved problematic for Nola, who allowed 13 earned runs over his last 8 2/3 innings and two starts before he succumbed to the injured list.  This boosted his ERA up to 6.16 over 49 2/3 frames, and the hope is that the long layoff can allow Nola to look more like his old self down the stretch run.

The right-hander’s return also has a larger impact on the Phillies’ rotation as a whole.  Thomson said the team will operate with a six-man rotation for at least one week, as the rest of the pitching staff (Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, and Taijuan Walker) has pitched so well that nobody deserves a demotion to the bullpen.  While someone will have to be moved to relief work eventually, the Phillies will try to get creative in keeping their starters’ arms fresh for the playoffs, whether that means extra rest, skipped starts, or using two starters at once in a piggyback fashion.

Nationals Request Unconditional Release Waivers On Nathaniel Lowe

By | at

TODAY: The Nationals announced that they have requested unconditional release waivers on Lowe.

AUGUST 14: The Nationals announced Thursday that they’ve designated first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment. He’ll be the corresponding move to open an active roster spot for Dylan Crews, whose previously reported reinstatement from the 60-day injured list is now official.

It’s an unexpected end to what’ll go down as a lackluster tenure with the Nats for Lowe, whom Washington acquired from the Rangers over the winter. The Nats sent lefty Robert Garcia to Texas in hopes that Lowe, who came to D.C. with two years of club control remaining, could be a multi-year option providing middle-of-the-order punch to a young lineup. It hasn’t gone as hoped, to say the least.

Lowe, 30, was a steady source of production with the Rangers from 2021-24, hitting .274/.359/.432 (124 wRC+) with 78 home runs — including a career-high 27 round-trippers back in 2022. He hasn’t come anywhere near that level of production with the Nationals. In 490 plate appearances, he’s batted just .216/.292/.373 with a 26.5% strikeout rate that stands as the highest of his career in a full season. Lowe’s 9.6% walk rate is better than average but still the second-lowest of his career and a ways shy of the 11.3% clip he recorded during that four-year peak with the Rangers.

Lowe hit a grand slam yesterday, his first homer since July 19, but that was just his third hit in the month of August despite regular playing time. He hasn’t had a multi-hit game since July 18 and is batting only .167/.271/.294 in his past 36 games (144 plate appearances). The home run yesterday was a big hit but not enough for Lowe to save his job with the Nats.

The Nationals likely explored potential deals for Lowe prior to the trade deadline, but his ongoing slump and fairly hefty $10.3MM salary would’ve served as significant impediments to finding a deal. With the deadline now behind them, the Nats will have no recourse other than to place Lowe on outright waivers or release waivers. At this point, that’s little more than a paper distinction. Lowe crossed five years of major league service time less than a month into the season, meaning he can reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency and still retain the remainder of that guarantee as he heads to the open market.

All 29 other teams will have the opportunity to claim Lowe, but in light of his immense struggles, it’s hard to see another team claiming the remaining $2.49MM on his contract. If Lowe passes through waivers unclaimed, he’ll become a free agent who can sign with any team. A new team would only owe him the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. The Nationals will remain on the hook for the rest of his salary.

If Lowe can catch on elsewhere and return to form, he’d technically remain under club control with that new team through 2026. However, he’d be due a (small) raise on that $10.3MM salary, so he’d need to make quite the impression in the final few weeks of the season in order to convince a new club that he’s worthy of an $11MM+ expenditure. The Nationals were clearly going to non-tender him — they wouldn’t have made this move if not — and in all likelihood Lowe will be a free agent in search of rebound opportunities this winter.

The Nats have up to five days to place Lowe on waivers. If they wait the maximum amount of time, that guaranteed salary will drop slightly, to about $2.2MM, but it’s still unlikely that another club would claim that sum.

With Lowe out the door in D.C., the Nats can give increased first base reps to a resurgent Josh Bell, which would free up the DH spot to rotate several young players. Alternative options at first bae in the upper minors include Juan Yepez, Yohandy Morales and Trey Lipscomb, though of that trio only Lipscomb is on the 40-man roster — and both Yepez and Morales have struggled in Triple-A.

Pirates To Move Andrew Heaney To Bullpen Role

By | at

Andrew Heaney has made 23 starts for the Pirates this season, but manager Don Kelly told reporters (including Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) today that Heaney will be utilized out of the bullpen for the remainder of the season.  The news creates an immediate vacancy in the Bucs’ rotation, as Heaney was slated to start Sunday’s game against the Cubs.

Just to quell any immediate speculation, Hiles reports in a follow-up message that star prospect Bubba Chandler won’t be called up to take Heaney’s spot.  Chandler is scheduled to start for Triple-A Indianapolis today, and fellow prospect Hunter Barco just pitched on Wednesday, so he doesn’t have enough rest to be ready for another start tomorrow.  Turning to Triple-A pitchers already on the 40-man roster, Johan Oviedo just pitched yesterday, and Tom Harrington is on Indianapolis’ injured list.  It is possible the Pirates could just use a bullpen game tomorrow, with Carmen Mlodzinski the likeliest candidate to soak up the majority of innings.

However Pittsburgh decides to ultimately fill the rotation spot, it is noteworthy in its own right that Heaney is headed to the pen.  Heaney has posted a 4.99 ERA over 119 innings, with lackluster advanced metrics pretty much across the board except for a decent 7.4% walk rate.  The long ball has once again been a problem for Heaney, as only four pitchers in all of baseball have allowed more homers than the left-hander’s 24 big flies.  After being a very adept strikeout pitcher earlier in his career, Heaney’s strikeout rates were middling in 2023-24 and have now plummeted to just 16.1% this year.

The Bucs inked Heaney to a one-year, $5.25MM free agent deal last winter, and the thinking behind the signing was that the southpaw would be a veteran bridge for the rotation until some of the younger minor league arms were ready for prime time in the latter half of the season.  This tactic assumed that Heaney would’ve been dealt at the trade deadline, though the Yankees were the only team publicly linked to Heaney’s market, and ultimately the southpaw stayed put since Pittsburgh apparently couldn’t find an acceptable offer.

The move to the pen will have an impact on Heaney’s wallet, as his contract contains up to $750K in incentive bonuses related to his innings totals.  He’ll receive an extra $50K for pitching at least 120 innings, a $100K bonus for hitting 130 innings, plus an extra $150K for the 140, 150, 160, and 170-inning thresholds.  The 120-inning bonus is a lock and 130 innings seems plausible, though the higher bonuses will be harder to achieve with a more limited relief workload.

Between Heaney’s lack of production and the fact that the Bucs never saw him as a long-term option, there are plenty of legitimate baseball reasons behind the southpaw’s removal from the rotation.  However, given the Pirates’ notoriously tight budget, the financial element to Heaney’s role change can’t be ignored.  It was just last season that Rowdy Tellez was released in late September when he was just four plate appearances shy of unlocking a $200K bonus from his Pirates contract.

Heaney has mostly worked as a starter during his 12 MLB seasons, but he has made his share of bullpen appearances and worked as a swingman.  Posting some good numbers as a reliever might help him finish 2025 on a high note, and perhaps give him another way of promoting himself in free agency.  It seems likely that Heaney would prefer a starting job if he can find it, but working as an innings-eating reliever or as a swingman could help open up his market to teams wary about his recent results as a starter.

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