Tigers Acquire Zack Short
The Tigers have acquired infielder Zack Short from the Nationals. The Nats get cash considerations or a player to be named later. Short was not on Washington’s 40-man roster and doesn’t need to be immediately added to Detroit. He has been assigned to Triple-A Toledo. Evan Woodbery of MLive Media Group first reported that the Tigers were getting Short for cash. Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic mentioned the PTBNL.
More to come.
Nationals To Sign Max Kranick
The Nationals and right-hander Max Kranick have agreed to terms on a deal, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic. The former Pirates and Mets righty underwent flexor tendon surgery last July and was non-tendered by the Mets in November. The Covenant Sports Group client’s contract is still pending a physical.
More to come.
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Braves Designate José Suarez, Joel Payamps For Assignment
The Braves have designated relievers José Suarez and Joel Payamps for assignment, per a club announcement. Right-hander Hunter Stratton has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett, and fellow righty Anthony Molina has had his contract selected from Gwinnett as well.
Suarez has been with Atlanta in each of the past two seasons and has totaled 35 2/3 innings of 4.04 ERA ball. The 28-year-old has been tagged for a 6.61 ERA in this season’s 16 1/3 frames, however, and is out of minor league options. Suarez has piled up strikeouts at career-high levels in 2026 (26.6% strikeout rate, backed by a sharp 12.8% swinging-strike rate), but his already wobbly command has deteriorated even further; he’s walked 15.2% of his opponents this season.
Back in 2021-22, Suarez looked to be emerging as a quality fourth starter in Anaheim. He gave the Halos 207 1/3 innings with a 3.86 ERA with a slightly below-average strikeout rate but a walk rate that was a bit better than average. The wheels came off in 2023, due in no small part to a shoulder strain that sent him to the injured list for several months. He posted an 8.29 ERA in 33 2/3 innings that season and was only marginally better in 52 1/3 frames the following season (6.02 ERA).
Suarez has experience working both as a reliever and a starter. He’s making just $900K this season, so a team in need of some left-handed depth or a swingman to provide long relief could have some interest — if said club can look past this year’s ugly walk rate. Metrics like SIERA (4.12) and xERA (3.97) feel Suarez has been a good bit better than his more rudimentary earned run average would indicate. If he clears waivers, he’d have the right to reject an outright assignment, though doing so would require forfeiting the remainder of that $900K guarantee, so he’d probably accept an assignment to Gwinnett.
More to come.
The Opener: Phillies, Bennett, Opt Outs
April is in the books, and a pair of rookies are atop two league leaderboards. Reds first baseman Sal Stewart paces all hitters with 29 RBI. White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami is tied with Yordan Alvarez and Aaron Judge for the home run lead. This is the first time since RBI became a stat in 1920 that two rookies were leading those categories heading into May (h/t OptaSTATS on X).
1. Philly, Shugart get two walk-off wins
Philadelphia swept a doubleheader against the Giants on Thursday. Justin Crawford beat out an infield single to knock in the winning run in the first game. Alec Bohm delivered a sac fly in extra innings to seal the second game. Right-hander Chase Shugart earned the victory in both contests. He came on to strike out Matt Chapman in the top of the ninth inning of Game 1, making him the pitcher of record when Bryson Stott tied it, then Crawford won it. Shugart wriggled out of a first-and-third, no outs situation in the top of the 10th inning in Game 2. A sac bunt and a deep drive to center field in the bottom of the frame clinched his second win of the day. Interim manager Don Mattingly is off to a 3-0 start.
2. Bennett to get the ball for Boston
Left-hander Jake Bennett was scratched from his Triple-A start on Wednesday so he could be an option for the big-league club this weekend. With Garrett Crochet hitting the IL yesterday, Bennett is a logical choice to start tonight against the Astros. The 25-year-old was acquired in the offseason from the Nationals for fellow prospect Luis Perales. MLB Pipeline ranked Bennett at No. 18 in Washington’s system last season. He ranked sixth with the Red Sox following the trade. Bennett lost all of 2024 due to injury, but returned last year and put together a strong campaign. The lefty posted a 2.27 ERA in 75 1/3 innings spanning three levels. Bennett has allowed just two earned runs over five starts at Triple-A this year.
3. Opt-out day for Article XX(B) players
We’ve reached May 1, the second of three opt-out dates for Article XX(B) free agents. The designation typically applies to players with at least six years of MLB service time who signed minor league deals at least 10 days before the start of the season. The uniform opt-out dates are five days before Opening Day, today, and June 1. Players may also have opt-outs on other dates negotiated into their contracts, but these are the three specific days that apply to the Article XX(B) group. If an opt-out is triggered, teams have two days to add the player to the 40-man roster. If they decline, the player can become a free agent.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images
Latest On Padres’ Pitching Staff
The Padres have weathered their shaky early-season rotation to conclude April with a strong 19-11 record. Their starting pitching group should improve within the next couple weeks, which could lead to some decisions for the front office.
Griffin Canning seems assured of a rotation spot once he’s back from last summer’s ACL tear. Canning has taken five rehab starts with Triple-A El Paso. He got to five innings and 68 pitches on Tuesday. Pitchers can spend up to 30 days on a minor league rehab assignment. Canning began his rehab work on April 4. He could make one more Triple-A start but should be activated by the beginning of next week.
Lucas Giolito isn’t too far behind. The righty consented to an optional assignment to build up after signing a one-year deal on April 22. That came with the stipulation that he be recalled within 25 days. He’ll be on the MLB roster by the middle of May at the latest. Giolito made his second start with Low-A Lake Elsinore tonight, building to 70 pitches over 4 1/3 frames. He may not need the full 25-day window.
None of San Diego’s current five starters can be optioned. Michael King isn’t going anywhere, and Randy Vásquez has nailed down his spot with an excellent April. Walker Buehler, Germán Márquez, and Matt Waldron are the three pitchers trying to hold rotation spots.
Márquez will take the ball tomorrow to open a weekend series against the White Sox. King and Vásquez round out that set. The Friars have not yet listed probable starters for next week’s road series in San Francisco — which would be Buehler’s and Waldron’s turns if they stay on their current schedule.
Buehler has a 5.40 earned run average through six starts. He’s getting ground-balls but has a modest 7.8% swinging strike rate and has only once gone beyond five innings. Márquez will make his sixth start of the year on Friday. He has two scoreless outings but has allowed four runs in each of his three other appearances while struggling with the home run ball.
The knuckleballer Waldron was blown up by the Angels and Rockies in his first two starts of the season. He had a more competitive though unspectacular outing against the Cubs yesterday, giving up three runs over five innings. The out-of-options righty has only fanned eight of 69 opponents (11.6%) since returning from a brief injured list stint.
Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune floats the possibility of the Friars going to a six-man rotation or using openers/tandem starts on days when King doesn’t pitch. They were off today but play on 10 straight days beginning tomorrow. After an off day on May 11, they’ll play nine consecutive games.
Of course, the drawback with a six-man rotation or tandem starts would be the need to drop to a seven-man bullpen. San Diego optioned David Morgan this evening, per the MLB.com transaction tracker. They didn’t announce a corresponding move and seem likely to activate Yuki Matsui from his season-opening groin strain tomorrow. Jeremiah Estrada began a rehab stint this week as well.
The Padres can option Kyle Hart to clear one active roster spot. Their only other optionable reliever (aside from Mason Miller) is hard-throwing rookie Bradgley Rodriguez, who has a trio of holds and has allowed only three runs across 14 1/3 innings. He’d be tough to send down. They’ve held the out-of-options Ron Marinaccio all season. He has allowed 10 runs over 16 2/3 frames in a low-leverage role.
There’s still no defined timeline on Joe Musgrove or Nick Pivetta. The former has yet to resume throwing off a mound after a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery. Pivetta went down with a flexor strain a couple weeks ago and might be months off.
Vince Velasquez Elects Free Agency
Righty Vince Velasquez elected free agency after being outrighted by the Cubs on Tuesday, according to the MiLB.com transaction tracker. Infielder Scott Kingery was also outrighted and had the right to test the market, but he evidently accepted the assignment. He’s in the lineup tonight with Triple-A Iowa.
Velasquez signed an offseason minor league deal with Chicago. He started three of four appearances with Iowa, allowing eight runs (seven earned) through 17 innings. He struck out 19 opponents while issuing nine walks and hitting a batter.
The Cubs brought Velasquez up for a long relief spot last week. He pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames in a blowout loss to the Dodgers. That was his first MLB appearance in three years. Velasquez threw 31 pitches and wasn’t going to be available the next day, so the Cubs designated him for assignment. He went unclaimed on waivers.
There’s a decent chance Velasquez returns to the Cubs on a new minor league deal. That’s the most common outcome in these situations, but the 33-year-old could explore opportunities elsewhere if he sees a better path back to the highest level with a different organization.
Angels Re-Sign Shaun Anderson To Minor League Deal
The Angels announced they’ve re-signed righty Shaun Anderson to a minor league contract. He elected free agency on Tuesday after being outrighted off the big league roster.
Anderson and the Angels clearly have a strong relationship. This is the sixth minor league deal upon which they’ve agreed over the last two seasons. The Halos have called him up a few times when they need a long reliever. He’s usually designated for assignment a few days later when they bring up a new fresh arm. Anderson clears waivers, elects free agency, then returns on a new non-roster deal.
The 31-year-old got a little longer run this month. Anderson was on the MLB roster between March 29 and April 26. He made nine appearances and allowed 13 runs (11 earned) over 16 2/3 innings. He punched out 12, issued eight walks, and surrendered a trio of homers. Anderson is up to 28 MLB frames in a Halos uniform with a 7.71 ERA since the start of 2025.
The Florida product spent the majority of last season at Triple-A Salt Lake. He worked out of the rotation and allowed just over six earned runs per nine through 24 appearances. He’ll probably stay stretched out as a starter with the Bees.
Foster Griffin, Early Prize Of The International Free Agent Arms
The 2025-26 free agent class featured a lengthy list of pitchers coming over from Asia. They brought varying resumes and asking prices but were typically lumped together during offseason discussions. Left-hander Foster Griffin was one of the less heralded members of the group. Despite the lack of fanfare, he’s off to the best start.
Griffin landed with the Nationals on a modest one-year, $5.5MM agreement. A 2014 first-round draft pick, Griffin pitched briefly with the Royals and Blue Jays in parts of two seasons. After six MLB appearances in 2022, he departed for Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Griffin put together three strong campaigns with the Yomiuri Giants. The lefty delivered a 2.57 ERA with a 25.1% strikeout rate across 54 appearances (53 starts). Griffin missed time in 2025 with a leg injury that limited him to 78 innings. He was excellent when healthy, posting a 1.62 ERA backed by a 2.35 xFIP.
Through six starts, Griffin basically looks like the guy he was during his NPB stint. It’s a 2.67 ERA with decent strikeouts and a low walk rate. The main difference has been home runs, as Griffin has been taken deep five times in 33 2/3 innings. His worst home run per nine innings rate in Japan was a 0.69 mark in 2024. That number is up to 1.34 with Washington. The increase in long balls makes sense given the league context of MLB compared to NPB.
Griffin returned to big-league action with nearly twice as many pitches as he had in his last MLB stint. The lefty has added a sweeper, sinker, and splitter to a repertoire that included a four-seamer, cutter, curveball, and changeup. He’s throwing them all regularly, too. Griffin has used all seven of his pitches at least 7.8% of the time. The cutter leads the way at 30.1%, but no other Griffin offering has more than a 16% usage rate.
The diverse arsenal has helped Griffin limit damage, even with a fastball that averages 91 mph. His 37.9% hard-hit rate and 88.9 mph average exit velocity are squarely league average. Griffin’s 12.6% barrel rate is a concerning mark and could explain the elevated home run numbers. The lefty’s 3.94 xFIP and 3.95 SIERA suggest he won’t be a sub-3.00 ERA pitcher for long, but the ingredients are there for Griffin to stabilize a rotation without many reliable arms.
The Nationals filled out their pitching staff with cheap veterans around Cade Cavalli and Jake Irvin. Zack Littell (one-year, $7MM) and Miles Mikolas (one-year, $2.25MM) joined Griffin as experienced arms capable of eating innings. Littell has allowed a league-leading 13 home runs, four more than any other pitcher. Mikolas was hammered for 15 earned runs in his first two outings. He’s since been moved to a bulk relief role, though he started against the Mets today. Littell and Mikolas might not be long for the rotation, but going 1-for-3 on a group of free agent pitchers that cost less than $15MM combined seems like a win for new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni.
There are some signs to suggest it may not be sustainable. Griffin has allowed a .233 batting average on balls in play and has a 90.3% strand rate, both very fortunate numbers. That’s why some measures like his aforementioned xFIP and SIERA are not as bullish on his work so far this season. It’s possible he’s been walking a tightrope in this small sample and could fall off at any point.
Caveats aside, it’s not as though the other guys who crossed the Pacific are doing any better. Here’s a quick review of the other pitchers to come over from Asia this offseason…
Tatsuya Imai, Houston Astros (three years, $54MM)
Imai was one of the biggest starting pitchers on the market this winter. MLBTR ranked him at No. 7 in the annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents article. The righty earned his first MLB win with 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Athletics, but that outing was sandwiched by two disastrous starts against the Angels and Mariners. Imai was pulled in the first inning in Seattle after four walks and a hit by pitch. He soon went on the IL with right arm fatigue.
Cody Ponce, Toronto Blue Jays (three years, $30MM)
Ponce came in at No. 39 on our top free agents list. He pitched in NPB and the Korea Baseball Organization over the past four seasons. Ponce’s long-awaited MLB return was ruined by a knee injury in his first start. He came up limping after reaching for a ground ball and was eventually diagnosed with a torn ACL. Ponce pitched well in MLB Spring Training, but his 2026 MLB sample will consist of just 2 1/3 innings.
Ryan Weiss, Houston Astros (one year, $2.6MM)
It was a winding road for Weiss to get to the big leagues. The former Diamondbacks farmhand spent time in the independent Atlantic League, Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League, and KBO before winding up with the Astros. Weiss has mostly been used in long relief. He’s recorded a 6.65 ERA across 21 2/3 frames. Weiss has punched out more than a batter per inning, but he has a bloated 15.1% walk rate. He’s also allowed a home run in six of eight appearances. Free baserunners and a penchant for homers is a rough combination.
Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox (two years, $12MM)
Kay came in with the most MLB experience of the group. He pitched in parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays, Cubs, and Mets. The lefty had some prospect pedigree when he debuted with Toronto in 2019, but the results tended to be underwhelming. Kay has scuffled to a 6.12 ERA in six appearances with the White Sox. He’s shown the improved velocity that put him back on the MLB radar, sitting 95.8 mph with the four-seamer, but the pitch has been pounded for a .368 BA and a .684 SLG.
Drew Anderson, Detroit Tigers (one year, $7MM)
Anderson last pitched in the big leagues with Texas in 2021. He put together a strong MLB Spring Training (0.69 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate) and broke camp as the long man in Detroit’s bullpen. Anderson has struck out opponents at a solid 25.8% clip, but he’s also been done in by walks (12.1%) and home runs (1.80 HR/9). The righty does have a sub-4.00 xFIP and SIERA, so perhaps better days are ahead. He pitched two scoreless innings to get the win against the Braves this afternoon.
Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images
Brandon Woodruff Sent For MRI After Velocity Dip
6:52pm: Woodruff has indeed gone for an MRI, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Murphy said an injured list stint is a possibility but did not commit to that pending the imaging results.
1:53pm: Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff was removed from today’s game in the second inning with his velocity notably lower than usual. It quickly became obvious that something was off, as he started the game with his velocity way down. His fastballs were averaging around 85 miles per hour today, whereas he had been around 93 mph in his previous outings this year.
At this point, it’s unclear what the problem is, as Woodruff evidently wasn’t experiencing any pain. “He wasn’t himself,” manager Pat Murphy said in a mid-game interview on the TV broadcast, relayed by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He felt like, felt kind of dead. He said he didn’t feel any pain, just nothing was coming out. We’ve seen a little bit of this, but never at this level, where he can’t get the ball over 85 mph. He’s so important to us. We’re not going to risk anything, maybe long-term by having him to try to step on it. He’s going through this process and hopefully will be okay.”
A 7 mph drop in velocity would be worrisome for any pitcher. The concern is heightened since this relates to Woodruff, given his recent history. Shoulder problems limited him to just 11 starts in 2023. He eventually required surgery, which wiped out his entire 2024 campaign. He was able to return to the mound in the summer of 2025 and made 12 good starts, but finished the season on the injured list with a lat strain.
The Brewers felt good enough about Woodruff’s health to make him a $22.025MM qualifying offer, a notable gesture for a club that rarely pays players at that level. Woodruff took some time to explore his opportunities but eventually accepted the QO and returned to Milwaukee for 2026.
Coming into this year, he was ramped up in measured fashion and it wasn’t clear if he would be built up in time for the Opening Day roster, but he did eventually break camp with the Brewers. Through his first five starts, he had a solid 3.77 earned run average, though with some yellow flags. His 20% strikeout rate was a big drop from last year’s 32.3% clip. He seemed to benefit from a .235 batting average on balls in play. ERA estimators like his 4.06 FIP and his 4.27 SIERA felt he was lucky to have his ERA under 4.00.
Presumably, Woodruff is slated for some testing, with more information to be revealed in the coming days and weeks. If Woodruff needs to spend some time on the injured list, that would be a blow to the Milwaukee rotation. He is capable of ace-level production when at his best, with a 3.13 ERA and 28.8% strikeout rate in his career. But due to the shoulder issues, he hasn’t made more than 12 starts in a season since 2022.
The rest of the Milwaukee rotation is currently manned by Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat. Someone would have to step up to replace Woodruff if he needs to miss some time. DL Hall, Shane Drohan and Jake Woodford have been working multiple innings out of the bullpen of late and could perhaps step up with a spot start or working as a bulk guy in a bullpen game.
They also have guys in the minors they could pull from. Logan Henderson, Coleman Crow, Robert Gasser and Carlos Rodriguez are all on optional assignment in Triple-A. Any one of them could be an option to make a spot start or perhaps get a few turns in the rotation, depending on how Woodruff’s situation eventually pans out.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images