Zack Wheeler On Track For Late April Return
TODAY: Wheeler threw 77 pitchers over four innings in today’s outing, recording four strikeouts while allowing four earned runs on six hits and a walk. Wheeler told the Trentonian’s Greg Johnson and other reporters that he feels ready to return to the majors, and felt the cooler and rainy conditions for today’s game contributed to his low-90s velocity.
“I’m a high 90s guy, mid 90s guy, and it’s not there right now. You kind of have to pitch a little bit more when that happens,” Wheeler said. “You’ve got to move the ball around and you’ve got to hit your spots, you’ve got to fool guys a little bit more than kind of just rearing back and throwing. I think that’s probably going to be the biggest adjustment, if that is still down when I do come back. Like I said before, hopefully this warmer weather allows me to kind of get back to close to where I used to be at least, and hopefully get there throughout the season.”
APRIL 18: Right-hander Zack Wheeler has been on the mend from thoracic outlet surgery since last September, with an early-season return being the goal for the Phillies. That could happen very soon, as Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Wheeler will make one more rehab start for the Double-A Reading Fightin Phils on Sunday. If all goes well, he could rejoin the major league club next weekend for their series against the Braves.
At the time of the surgery, Wheeler’s recovery was expected to take 6-8 months. A return at the short end of that range would have brought him to the opening week of the season and left no time for a full ramp-up. Given that Wheeler has continued to pitch like an ace into his mid-30s, the Phillies were never going to risk bringing him back too early. That said, his recovery was progressing well overall, and manager Rob Thomson indicated last month that the club expected a return not “too far beyond” Opening Day. Evidently, the 35-year-old has shown enough in his rehab stint to rejoin the big-league rotation by the end of April.
Wheeler made 24 starts last year and was in top form the whole way. He posted a 2.71 ERA in 149 2/3 innings with a career-high 33.3% strikeout rate and just a 5.6% walk rate. That performance was good for 4.0 fWAR, which tied him for 11th among big-league starters despite throwing significantly fewer innings than usual. His dominance was interrupted by an IL stint in August for a right upper extremity blood clot, which led to the discovery of venous TOS and his subsequent season-ending surgery. Venous TOS is the less severe form of the injury, with the Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly being the best example of returning to form following surgery.
The Phillies are surely hoping Wheeler can do the same. Their rotation has performed unevenly through their first 19 games to the tune of a 5.55 ERA. While Cristopher Sánchez is dominating as usual and Jesús Luzardo and Andrew Painter are outperforming their surface numbers, Taijuan Walker has struggled badly through four starts. He allowed two earned runs in five innings against Arizona last week but has given up at least four earned runs in his other three starts. Most recently, he allowed seven earned runs on seven hits and three walks in just four innings against the Braves.
Though he’s likely to get one more start, Walker could lose his spot to accommodate Wheeler’s return, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. That leaves Walker ticketed for a bullpen role, though he’ll surely get more starts throughout the year in the event of an injury. Walker made 17 relief appearances from 2024-25 with unspectacular results. Given his struggles so far in 2026, he’ll likely be limited to low-leverage spots.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
AL West Notes: Garcia, Angels, Wisdom
Robert Garcia came out of a relief appearance on Thursday with a sore throwing shoulder, and Rangers manager Skip Schumaker told reporters (including the Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant) that Garcia underwent an MRI today to access the damage. The results of the testing isn’t yet known, but while Schumaker believes the situation isn’t too serious, Grant notes that Garcia is likely to need a few more days of rest and recovery even if the MRI comes back clean.
It has been an unusual start to the season for Garcia, who has a 3.38 ERA over eight innings despite recording more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six). Batted-ball luck has played a role, as Garcia has benefited from a .238 BABIP and a 52.4% grounder rate. Despite the shaky performance to date, the Rangers can hardly afford to lose Garcia to the injury bug, given how fellow relievers Chris Martin, Luis Curvelo, and Carter Baumler are already on the 15-day IL.
More from around the AL West…
- Angels manager Kurt Suzuki updated the media (including Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group) on the status of several injured pitchers today. Grayson Rodriguez and Ben Joyce are both expected to start facing hitters in a live batting-practice setting within the next few days, while Alek Manoah has been facing hitters at the Angels’ spring facility in Arizona. This trio began the season on the 15-day IL, as Rodriguez has been dealing with shoulder inflammation, Manoah with a finger contusion, and Joyce is in the final stages of his recovery from a May 2025 shoulder surgery. Kirby Yates also began the year on the 15-day IL due to left knee inflammation, but the reliever started a Triple-A rehab assignment on Friday. Yates told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that the rehab assignment will consist of at least a few more games, as Yates is still working on building up his velocity and gaining some weight.
- Catching up on an IL placement from Friday, the Mariners sent Patrick Wisdom to the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) due to a left oblique strain. Wisdom just had his minor league contract selected to the 26-man roster on Tuesday and he appeared in that day’s game as a pinch-hitter before getting hurt. The lone appearance marked Wisdom’s first MLB game since 2024, when the infielder was still a member of the Cubs.
Astros Sign Daniel Johnson To Minors Contract
The Astros have signed Daniel Johnson to a minor league deal, according to the outfielder’s MLB.com profile page. Johnson became a free agent earlier this month when he was released from a previous minors contract with the Marlins.
A veteran of four big league seasons, Johnson hit .189/.246/.302 over 57 plate appearances with the Giants and Orioles in 2025. His 31 games marked a new career high, topping Johnson’s 30 appearances for Cleveland in 2021. Johnson only has 67 games on his MLB resume, with a .196/.243/.322 slash line and five home runs to show for 152 plate appearances.
Johnson is both a left-handed hitter and capable of playing all three outfield positions, making him a useful depth addition for the Astros on a couple of fronts. Houston’s active roster is overloaded with right-handed bats, and Joey Loperfido (one of the few lefty swingers) was just placed on the 10-day IL due to a quad strain. Loperfido, Jake Meyers, and Zach Dezenzo are all on the injured list, depleting an Astros outfield core that was already thin coming into the season.
Houston selected Taylor Trammell‘s contract earlier this month in the wake of these outfield injuries, and Dustin Harris was just claimed off waivers from the White Sox yesterday. This duo, Cam Smith, Brice Matthews, and Shay Whitcomb comprise the Astros’ makeshift outfield mix, plus Yordan Alvarez can chip in as a left fielder when he isn’t the designated hitter. Johnson can add some speed and defense at least at Triple-A to back up this group, and though his roster flexibility is limited since he is out of minor league options.
Orioles Outright Jayvien Sandridge
Orioles left-hander Jayvien Sandridge has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, the club announced. Sandridge was bumped off the 40-man to clear space for catcher Sam Huff, who had his contract selected earlier this week.
The 27-year-old Sandridge bounced around this offseason. The Yankees designated him for assignment in January. He was traded to the Angels for cash. Sandridge then went through the same process in March, getting DFAed by the Angels and traded to the Orioles, again for cash. No club took a shot on Sandridge this time through the waiver process.
The move to Baltimore was a homecoming for Sandridge. He was drafted by the organization in the 32nd round of the 2018 draft. The lefty only spent two seasons in the Orioles’ system. Sandridge had stints in various levels of the minors with the Reds and Padres before coming to the Yankees. He made his big-league debut for New York last year during the Subway Series. The Mets’ Pete Alonso welcomed Sandridge to the majors with a three-run home run. He was charged with two runs and recorded two outs in his lone appearance.
Sandridge’s MLB outing was a decent representation of his minor league career. He struck out a pair, but also walked two and hit a batter against the Mets. Sandridge has shown solid swing-and-miss stuff in the minors, including a 32.7% strikeout rate across three levels last season. He’s punched out nearly 13 batters per nine innings in three Triple-A campaigns. The problem has been the walks. Sandridge’s 11.5% walk rate in 2025 was the best mark of his career. He’d been above 17% in each of the three previous seasons.
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Royals Recall Mason Black
Right-hander Mason Black is set for his Royals debut on Sunday. He’ll be joined by catcher Elias Diaz, who had his contract selected by the club. Right-hander Mitch Spence and infielder Tyler Tolbert were optioned to make room for Black and Diaz, the team announced. Right-hander James McArthur was moved to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man spot for Diaz.
Kansas City acquired Black from the Giants for right-hander Logan Martin in November. Black had some fanfare when he first came up with San Francisco in 2024, but he failed to provide consistent results. The righty finished his Giants tenure with a 6.47 ERA in 10 games over the past two seasons.
The 26-year-old Black was almost exclusively used as a starter in San Francisco, but he’s moved to a relief role with Kansas City. He has a 3.86 ERA over seven appearances at Triple-A this year. Black locked down the first two saves of his professional career with Omaha. Despite the full-time move to the bullpen, Black has just a 12.5% strikeout rate so far. Often, those numbers improve when starters make the change to relief work, as their stuff usually plays up in shorter outings.
Spence joined the organization in February following a trade from the Athletics. He didn’t break camp with the team, but came up in early April when right-hander Luinder Avila was sent down. Spence was tagged for six earned runs across four innings in mop-up duty against the Yankees on Saturday. He’ll head back to Triple-A after just the one big-league appearance.
Tolbert made the team out of camp, beating out Drew Waters for a roster spot. Michael Massey‘s calf strain in MLB Spring Training helped Tolbert and Nick Loftin earn roster spots. Loftin was sent down when Massey returned. Now, it’s Tolbert’s turn. He appeared in eight games with the Royals, with the majority of his work coming as a pinch runner or defensive replacement. Tolbert managed a hit in five plate appearances.
McArthur missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing elbow surgery. He opened the 2026 campaign on the 15-day IL due to elbow inflammation. His return timeline is uncertain. The righty was a key member of Kansas City’s late-inning group when he last pitched, recording 18 saves in 2024.
Photo courtesy of Scott Sewell, Imagn Images
Yankees Trade Braden Shewmake To Astros
The Yankees have traded infielder Braden Shewmake to the Astros. Minor league right-hander Wilmy Sanchez is heading to New York in the deal. Both teams have announced the swap.
The Astros have also placed Joey Loperfido on the IL. The move was expected after the outfielder left Friday’s game with a quad injury. Right-hander Jayden Murray was recalled to take Loperfido’s spot. The Astros had been rolling with 12 pitchers, but will now be back to a more traditional 13-man staff.
Shewmake could provide some infield depth to a Houston squad missing multiple shortstops. Jeremy Pena is on the IL with a hamstring injury. Nick Allen left with back spasms on Friday. He’s yet to return to the lineup. Shewmake would be an option to get called up if Allen is forced to the IL.
The Astros are Shewmake’s fourth organization since the start of 2025. After getting designated for assignment by the White Sox, he was claimed by the Royals. Kansas City DFAed him shortly after, and he was scooped up by the Yankees. Shewmake posted an 82 wRC+ in 72 games with New York’s Triple-A affiliate last season. He hit .250 with a couple of doubles and a stolen base in 10 games with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre this year.
Sanchez came to Houston as an international free agent in 2022. He steadily worked his way up the system, with generally solid results at each stop. After splitting time as a starter and reliever to begin his pro career, Sanchez transitioned to the bullpen full-time in 2024. He notched a 3.50 ERA across 54 innings between Single-A and High-A. Sanchez pushed his strikeout rate up to 33.9% in his first year as strictly a reliever.
The 2025 campaign was a rough one for Sanchez. He made the jump to Double-A and stumbled to a 6.05 ERA in 46 appearances. After working around some control issues at previous levels, Sanchez’s walk rate spiked to a career-worst 17.5% with Corpus Christi. He’s trimmed that number back to 14.8% through five Double-A outings this year. The results have improved, as Sanchez has allowed just one run over seven innings.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
Dodgers Promote Ryan Ward
April 19: Ward’s promotion is now official. The Dodgers announced Freddie Freeman is heading to the paternity list to clear a spot for the rookie. Ward is starting at first base against the Rockies.
April 18: The Dodgers are calling first baseman/outfielder Ryan Ward up to the Major League roster, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports. The corresponding 26-man move isn’t yet known, and Ward was already added to Los Angeles’ 40-man roster back in November.
Ward will be making his big league debut the first time he appears in a game, and his first trip to the Show comes at the relatively old age of 28. In a less-stacked organization, Ward surely would’ve been in the majors much earlier, as he has crushed Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .264/.347/.511 slash line and 94 home runs over 1867 plate appearances in Oklahoma City over the last four seasons.
The fact that Ward has delivered these numbers in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League provides something of an asterisk. Ward also has extreme splits, even in his PCL MVP season of 2025 — the left-handed hitter crushed righties (1.038 OPS in 463 PA) and struggled badly against southpaws (.686 OPS in 189 PA) last season. Defensively, MLB Pipeline’s scouting report notes that Ward has a “lack of range and a below-average arm relegating him to left field or first base.”
Pipeline ranks Ward as only the 19th-best prospect in the Los Angeles farm system, while Baseball America doesn’t include Ward at all within their list of the top 30 Dodgers prospects. This is due in part to the Dodgers’ absurdly deep minor league system, but it again reflects how Ward isn’t considered a premium prospect, particularly at his age.
That said, Ward has done well for himself since being selected as an eighth-round pick in the 2019 draft, and his long journey to the majors is now finally nearing a payoff. Rockies right-handers Ryan Feltner and Michael Lorenzen are scheduled to start the next two games against the Dodgers, so Ward will probably have his MLB debut in the books before the weekend is over.
Teoscar Hernandez fouled a ball off his foot in yesterday’s 7-1 win over the Rockies, so that could potentially be the reason for Ward’s call-up. Alex Call is the only full-time outfielder on the L.A. bench —Hyeseong Kim and Santiago Espinal have some outfield experience but are infielders by trade, and both Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez are on the injured list until closer to the end of May. The set nature of the Dodgers’ lineup means that Call has only played in five games this season while spelling Hernandez, Andy Pages, and Kyle Tucker, though optioning Call to the minors doesn’t seem likely since Call is the top backup center field candidate.
Pirates Recall Wilber Dotel For MLB Debut
Right-hander Wilber Dotel will join the Pirates on Sunday, the club announced. Fellow righty Cam Sanders was optioned back to Triple-A. Dotel is among the top pitching prospects in the organization yet to appear in the big leagues. He’s already on the 40-man roster, so an additional move was not required.
The 23-year-old Dotel was off to a rocky start in Indianapolis. He was knocked around for eight earned runs in his first two outings. The righty tossed 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his most recent appearance, which came last Sunday. Dotel will initially pitch out of the bullpen, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pirates’ relievers had to cover nine innings in a wild 13-inning loss to the Rays on Saturday.
MLB Pipeline ranks Dotel as the No. 12 prospect in the organization. He’s behind Seth Hernandez (No. 2), Hunter Barco (No. 4), and Antwone Kelly (No. 8). Barco has already had multiple stints with the big-league club. The 19-year-old Hernandez was the club’s top pick in last year’s draft. Kelly began the year with Dotel in Triple-A, but he’s scuffled to a 9.75 ERA.
Pittsburgh signed Dotel out of the Dominican Republic in 2020. He’s generally delivered solid results from a run prevention perspective, but control has been an issue. Dotel had a walk rate above 11% at every minor league stop heading into 2025. He was able to trim the free passes to an 8.0% rate in 27 starts at Double-A last season. The righty also boosted his strikeout rate to 24.5%, his best mark since 2022 in the Complex league.
Dotel hasn’t made a relief appearance for a couple of seasons. Pittsburgh has a sturdy top four in the rotation with Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, and Braxton Ashcraft. Carmen Mlodzinski was used as a traditional starter in his first three appearances before coming in behind an opener in his last outing. He’s been effective this season, holding down the fifth spot in the rotation while Jared Jones works his way back from elbow surgery. Dotel doesn’t have a clear route to a starting gig at the moment.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Bender of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, via Imagn Images
Nationals To Recall Andrew Alvarez
Left-hander Andrew Alvarez is heading back to the big leagues, first reported by Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. The 26-year-old pitched well in his first opportunity with the Nationals last season. Alvarez is taking the roster spot of right-hander Paxton Schultz, who was sent down on Saturday, the team announced.
The new management in Washington has made a habit of shuffling arms in the bullpen. Once Alvarez gets into the game, he’ll be the fifth reliever to make an appearance who wasn’t on the Opening Day roster. Schultz was coming off one of his most effective outings of the season. The righty tossed three innings of one-run ball in relief of a struggling Zack Littell on Friday. A season-high 48 pitches likely sealed Schultz’s fate.
Alvarez was first promoted in September of last season. He fired five scoreless innings against the Marlins to earn a win in his debut. It was the first of three scoreless outings for Alvarez, who finished with a 2.31 ERA across five starts. The lefty allowed just two earned runs over nine innings in MLB Spring Training, but opened the year at Triple-A. Alvarez has a 4.66 ERA through four games with Rochester.
While the strikeout and walk numbers were underwhelming, Alvarez got ground balls at an excellent 58.2% clip in his 23 1/3 innings with the Nats. He flashed a five-pitch mix, but relied primarily on a low-90s fastball and two breaking balls.
Alvarez last pitched on Tuesday, so he’s on regular rest today. That’s a notable scheduling note considering it’ll be Miles Mikolas handling the bulk of the innings for the Nats. The former Cardinal has been pounded for 20 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings. Washington has taken steps to adjust Mikolas’ workload. In his most recent outing, PJ Poulin opened the game. In the start before that, he tag-teamed with Brad Lord, with both pitchers covering three innings. Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports that Poulin will open again today against the Giants.
Mikolas is on a cheap one-year, $2.25MM deal. It’s not out of the question that his rotation spot could devolve into an open competition. Mitchell Parker is already back on the big league roster after beginning the season at Triple-A. He made 30 starts with the club in 2025. Lord made 19 starts in a swingman role last year. Alvarez has been used exclusively as a starter for the past few seasons.
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Astros Notes: Harris, Loperfido, Allen, Sousa
Outfielder Dustin Harris is expected to be with the Astros “soon,” manager Joe Espada told reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Harris was nabbed off waivers from the White Sox on Saturday. The 26-year-old appeared in six games with Chicago.
Harris was off to a decent start in a part-time role. He got on base at a hefty .438 clip and chipped in two steals to open the season. The 26-year-old was called up when Austin Hays went to the IL in early April. Harris was squeezed off the roster after the White Sox called up infield prospect Sam Antonacci.
The lefty-swinging Harris was drafted by the Athletics but has spent most of his professional career with the Rangers. The outfielder debuted with the club in 2023. He totaled 50 plate appearances between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Harris hasn’t had an extended chance to flash the power/speed combo he showed in the minors. He put together a 20/25 season between Single-A and High-A in 2021. Harris has swiped 30+ bags in the minors in each of the past three years.
Harris would seem to be a replacement for Joey Loperfido. The outfielder is expected to land on the IL, per Espada, as relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Loperfido was removed with a quad injury in the sixth inning of Friday’s loss to the Cardinals.
Houston acquired Loperfido from the Blue Jays straight up for Jesus Sanchez in mid-February. He broke camp with the club and has appeared in all but two games so far. Loperfido has spent time at all three outfield spots, with the majority of his work coming in left field. He’s slashing .259/.333/.345 across 66 plate appearances.
Shortstop Nick Allen was also knocked out of that game against St. Louis. Isaac Paredes replaced him due to back spasms (h/t McTaggart). Paredes himself was then removed from the contest with a leg injury. Shay Whitcomb replaced him in the infield. Whitcomb started at third base on Saturday, with Paredes returning to the lineup at DH. Allen was not in the starting nine.
Allen joined the organization following a trade from the Braves in November. The glove-first veteran had made five starts since shortstop Jeremy Pena went down with a hamstring injury last weekend. Allen’s absence would lead to more time at shortstop for Carlos Correa, with Paredes slotting in at third. The Astros are already rolling with that configuration on a semi-regular basis. Paredes has also picked up starts at first and second base.
On the pitching side, left-hander Bennett Sousa is nearing a return. The reliever’s last obstacle in the minors is pitching on consecutive days, which he’s in line to do next week, per Kawahara. Sousa went down with an oblique strain near the end of MLB Spring Training.
After brief stints with the club in 2023 and 2024, Sousa emerged as a key member of the bullpen last season. He delivered a 2.84 ERA across a career-high 50 appearances. The lefty secured seven holds and four saves. Houston entered the 2026 campaign with Bryan King and Steven Okert as the left-handers in the bullpen. Once healthy, Sousa will give them another option from the left side, as will the eventual return of Josh Hader.
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