Royals Claim Matthew Lugo, Select Beck Way
The Royals have claimed outfielder Matthew Lugo off waivers from the Angels, according to announcements from both clubs. The Halos had designated him for assignment last week. The Royals have optioned him to Triple-A Omaha. Additionally, the Royals announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Beck Way and optioned right-hander Eli Morgan. Kansas City had two 40-man openings for Lugo and Way due to catcher Elias Díaz and left-hander Bailey Falter being designated for assignment in recent weeks. The Royals also announced today that Falter cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha. Díaz was outrighted last week.
Lugo, now 25, seemed to have a breakout season in 2024. Originally a draftee of the Red Sox, he was traded to the Angels that summer as part of the deal sending Luis García to Boston. Between those two organizations, Lugo hit .287/.376/.578 in the minors for a massive 156 wRC+, indicating he was 56% better than league average offensively.
Unfortunately, his results since then haven’t been nearly as encouraging. He has 642 minor league plate appearances dating back to the start of 2025 with a .261/.339/.430 line and 91 wRC+. He has also been sent the plate 70 times in the big leagues, with a .232/.243/.464 line and 89 wRC+ in those. Defensively, he’s considered a passable corner outfielder but isn’t elite out there. He has some ability on the basepaths, generally stealing 10 to 20 bases a year in the minors.
Ideally, Lugo will get his offense back to that form he showed in 2024, or something close to it. The Royals had some open roster space and Lugo has options, so there’s little harm in putting in a claim to get a close-up look at him at Omaha. He has a couple of options remaining, so he could be easily kept on the farm through the end of the 2027 season, though it’s also possible he gets bumped off the 40-man roster before then.
Way, 26, was a fourth-round pick of the Yankees in 2020. He was one of three players sent to the Royals in the 2022 deadline deal sending Andrew Benintendi to the Bronx. A starter at that time, Way has since been moved to a relief role. Last year’s results weren’t strong, as he posted a 5.93 earned run average in 74 1/3 innings on the farm.
This year’s numbers have been much better, though his 4.50 ERA in 30 innings doesn’t jump off the page. If it weren’t for a .361 batting average on balls in play and 62.5% strand rate, his ERA would be notably lower, hence his 3.22 FIP. His 32.6% strikeout rate and 50% ground ball rate are both well above average, while his 7.8% walk rate is also better than par. His four-seamer and sinker are both averaging in the upper 90s. He also throws a cutter, slider and changeup.
The Royals will give him a shot to see if he can get big league hitters out. Since this is his first major league call, he has a full slate of options, meaning he could be shuttled to Omaha and back when the club needs fresh arms.
Falter, 29, was acquired from the Pirates at last year’s deadline. Since then, he has been either injured or ineffective. Late last year, a left bicep contusion put him on the IL for over a month. This year, left elbow inflammation put him on the IL for about six weeks. Around those IL stints, he put up an ugly 12.46 ERA in 21 2/3 innings. He is out of options, so that performance got him bumped into DFA limbo and through the waiver wire unclaimed.
The lefty has the right to elect free agency but is unlikely to do so. Players with at least three years of big league service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of the open market, but they need five years of service to exercise that right while keeping their salary commitments in place. Falter is under the five-year line and making $3.6MM this year, so he presumably doesn’t want to walk away from that money.
Assuming he accepts his assignment, he’ll try to get back on track in Omaha and earn his way back onto the roster. Prior to joining the Royals, he was working as a decent back-end guy. He logged 296 innings for the Pirates with a 4.32 ERA.
Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images
Athletics Select Kade Morris
June 2nd: The A’s made it official today, announced they have selected Morris. They also recalled Barnett. In corresponding moves, they optioned Lopez and right-hander Michael Kelly. To open a 40-man spot for Morris, righty Brooks Kriske has been transferred to the 60-day injured list. Kriske hit the 15-day IL on May 13th with a right shoulder impingement. His 60-day count is retroactive to that date, meaning he won’t be eligible for reinstatement until July 12th. His current status is unclear but Martín Gallegos of MLB.com reported shortly after his IL placement that Kriske wouldn’t throw for three weeks.
June 1st: The Athletics are calling up pitching prospect Kade Morris, reports Martín Gallegos of MLB.com. The club will need to open active and 40-man roster spots for the right-hander, who will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Morris, 24 this month, was a third-round pick of the Mets in 2023. He was flipped to the A’s at the 2024 trade deadline in the deal which sent Paul Blackburn to Queens. At the time of the deal, Morris was still at the High-A level but he has since bumped up to the upper tiers of the minor leagues. He got a very brief look at Triple-A at the end of that 2024 season but started 2025 at Double-A. He got promoted to Triple-A more permanently a year ago, making his first 2025 Triple-A start on June 1st.
In that past year, he has made 30 starts for Triple-A Las Vegas. He has logged 159 innings, allowing 4.92 earned runs per nine in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. His 18.5% strikeout rate is a few ticks below major league average but his 9% walk rate is around par while he has induced grounders on about half the balls in play he has allowed. His four-seamer and sinker both average around 94 miles per hour. His slider is his most-used secondary pitch.
Most prospect evaluators put Morris just outside the top ten prospects in the club’s system. That includes Baseball America, who had Morris at #13 coming into the season but now list him at #11. The BA report notes that he has good control of his arsenal but his main vulnerability is not having a good weapon for lefties since his changeup isn’t strong. Lefties have a .277/.409/.511 line against him this year and the line was .332/.395/.533 last year.
FanGraphs is a bit more bullish. In April, they gave Morris the #3 spot in the system, behind only Leo De Vries and Gage Jump. The report notes that a slight improvement to his changeup would make him a playoff-caliber starter, though he’s currently more of a back-end guy.
The A’s have taken a few rotation hits lately. Shoulder tendonitis sent Aaron Civale to the injured list a week ago. A shoulder strain put Luis Severino on the IL over the weekend. Those two injuries have led to the A’s reaching into their depth, with Gunnar Hoglund not an option since he required season-ending hip surgery. Jump got the call last week to replace Civale, joining the rotation alongside Jeffrey Springs, J.T. Ginn and Jacob Lopez.
Perhaps Morris is getting the call to take Severino’s rotation spot, or maybe to serve as a long reliever. The A’s also have Mason Barnett, Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang, Luis Morales and Joey Estes on the 40-man roster, so they have some other options who could be mixed in while Civale and Severino are on the shelf. Since this is the first time Morris has been given a roster spot, he has a full slate of options and could be easily sent back to Vegas if he’s not sticking around for an extended audition.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Padres Select Jase Bowen
June 2nd: The Padres officially announced their selection of Bowen today. Laureano lands on the 10-day IL due to right hip inflammation, retroactive to May 31st. Pivetta has been moved to the 60-day IL as the corresponding 40-man move.
June 1st: The Padres are calling up outfielder Jase Bowen, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The Friars will need to open space on the active and 40-man rosters for Bowen, who will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.
Bowen, now 25, was originally an 11th-round pick of the Pirates back in 2019. As a hitter, he has shown some pop but there have been some concerns regarding his approach. Through the end of 2024, he had over 2,000 plate appearances on the farm. He hit 64 home runs but his 7.5% walk rate and 25.6% strikeout rate were both subpar figures. He had a combined .243/.315/.406 line and 99 wRC+ in that time.
His 2025 numbers were a little bit intriguing. He missed time due to injury and only made 366 plate appearances but produced a strong .272/.353/.449 line, leading to a 124 wRC+. He improved his walk rate to 10.7% but was punched out at a 28.7% clip. His output was aided by a .376 batting average on balls in play. He didn’t have a roster spot at season’s end and became a minor league free agent, which is when the Padres signed him to a minor league deal.
This year, he has been with Triple-A El Paso and putting up good numbers, but with similar caveats to last year. He has 13 home runs, a 9.5% walk rate, a .292/.362/.600 line and 121 wRC+. However, his 26.6% strikeout rate is still a bit high and he again benefitted from a high BABIP, this time a .349 mark.
Even if his offense over the past two years isn’t totally sustainable, he can contribute in other ways. Back in April, FanGraphs ranked Bowen the #17 prospect in a weak Padres’ system. They raised concerns about his approach at the plate but noted he is a strong runner, which helps him on the basepaths and in the outfield. He stole at least 16 bases in each season from 2021 to 2025. Defensively, he’s spent time in all three outfield slots. If he can maintain any of his recent offensive numbers, that would be great. But even if not, he profiles as a decent fourth outfielder who can run down the ball and swipe a bag from time to time.
The Padres have recently had Fernando Tatis Jr. covering second base, leaving them with an outfield of Gavin Sheets, Jackson Merrill and Ramón Laureano. On the bench, they’ve got Nick Castellanos and Bryce Johnson, but both of them have been struggling. Castellanos has a .191/.221/.339 line while Johnson is at .188/.257/.250. Neither of them are optionable, so perhaps one of those two will be designated for assignment to open roster space for Bowen.
It’s also possible someone in that group is headed to the injured list with an unreported injury. If that’s the case, then the Friars could open a 40-man spot by moving someone to the 60-day injured list. Nick Pivetta would be a good candidate since he’s already been on the 15-day IL for almost two months, initially landing there April 13th. He hasn’t yet begun a rehab assignment and therefore isn’t in line for a near-term activation.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Astros Activate Josh Hader
2:25pm: The Astros have now officially announced Hader’s reinstatement. Correa was indeed moved to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot. They also placed infielder Braden Shewmake on the 10-day IL, retroactive to May 31st, with a right adductor strain. Outfielder Zach Cole was recalled to replace Shewmake.
12:56pm: The Astros announced yesterday that righty Logan VanWey was being optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land. The team didn’t specify a corresponding move, noting that a transaction would be announced Tuesday. Manager Joe Espada now tells SportsTalk 790’s Matt Thomas that closer Josh Hader will be reinstated from the injured list and active for tonight’s game. Hader is on the 60-day IL, so in addition to VanWey’s option, Houston will need to open a 40-man roster spot. That can be achieved simply by transferring Carlos Correa to the 60-day IL following his season-ending ankle surgery, however.
Hader’s 2025 season ended in mid-August due to a capsule strain in his left shoulder. He didn’t end up requiring surgery and was even hopeful of being able to return at some point during a potential postseason run. The Astros wound up falling shy of the playoffs, so we never found out whether he’d have been able to do so.
The plan for Hader was a mostly normal offseason. General manager Dana Brown said in mid-November that his closer had already thrown off a mound three times. The hope organization hoped to have the multi-time All-Star back in the Opening Day mix. That might well have been the case based on Hader’s shoulder alone, but he began experiencing biceps pain early in spring training. He was eventually diagnosed with tendinitis, ruled out for Opening Day, and has now missed more than two months of the season.
Hader has pitched well for most of his minor league rehab stint. The 32-year-old breezed through his first seven appearances, allowing just one run on four hits and a walk with 11 punchouts in seven frames. He was roughed up a bit in his final two outings, yielding five runs (three earned) on four hits and a pair of walks without a strikeout. That nudged his minor league ERA up to 4.15, but the bulk of his work between Double-A and Triple-A is reason for encouragement.
It’s worth noting that Hader’s sinker has averaged 93.9 mph in Triple-A — well shy of last year’s 95.5 mph, which was already his lowest mark since 2020. He’s very likely still building up velocity after a long layoff and a pair of fairly notable arm issues, so it’s not a major warning light, but it’ll still be worth keeping an eye on his velocity in the early stages of his return. Hader had no problem missing bats even back in 2017-18, when his sinker was sitting 94.4 mph, but he pushed that average up to 96.4 mph over a four-year period from ’21-’24.
Hader’s return should be a substantial boon for an Astros bullpen that has been pieced together for much of the season. Bryan Abreu was a natural fill-in for Hader in the ninth inning after last year’s dominant performance in a setup role — or so it seemed. Abreu, however, has lost about three miles per hour off his heater this year, dropping from an average of 97.3 mph to 94.8 mph. He stumbled through an abysmal April before getting better results in May, but Abreu’s velocity isn’t any better now than it was in March — and he’s walked nearly 24% of his opponents this season. He doesn’t look close to his former self.
Houston has also seen at least modest steps back from key relievers like Steven Okert and Bryan King. Both have comparable ERAs to last season but with diminished rate stats. Lefty Bennett Sousa, who posted a 2.84 ERA in 50 2/3 frames last year, has pitched 3 1/3 innings this season and is on the injured list due to elbow inflammation.
All of that has conspired to leave Houston relievers with a major league-worst 5.16 ERA on the season. The Astros’ bullpen is tied for the sixth-lowest strikeout rate in baseball (20.5%) and has the third-highest walk rate (12.4%). It’s a major reason the team finds itself seven games under .500. Getting Hader back in the fold should help protect late leads, but he’s only one of several high-end contributors whose absence has helped dig a brutal hole for the ‘Stros to try to escape in the two months leading up to this year’s Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Dairon Blanco, Sergio Alcántara Sign With Mexican League Teams
Outfielder Dairon Blanco has signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican League, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. He was playing in the minors for the Rangers but was released last week. Romero also reports that infielder Sergio Alcántara has signed with Pericos de Puebla in the same league.
Blanco, now 33, was a part-time player for the Royals from 2022 to 2025. For the most part, he was a bench outfielder whose best asset was his speed. Though he appeared in only 171 games and made just 285 plate appearances, he stole 59 bases in 73 tries in that time. He also received strong grades for his outfield glovework, as one would expect for a guy with big wheels.
His offense wasn’t considered as attractive but he wasn’t a zero at the plate. He slashed .257/.312/.416 over those four seasons with the Royals, leading to a 99 wRC+, indicating he was just barely below league average as a hitter. The right-handed hitter did best with the platoon advantage, slashing .296/.353/.509 against lefties compared to .228/.281/.349 against righties.
Blanco spent most of last year on optional assignment, only getting into nine big league games. The Royals designated him for assignment in March. He was claimed off waivers by the Rangers, though that club outrighted him off the roster that same month. He spent a couple of months as non-roster depth, hitting .230/.324/.295 in Triple-A, before the Rangers released him.
Alcántara, 29, began the year with the Phillies on a minor league deal. He hit .223/.389/.348 in 35 Triple-A games before being released. As a big leaguer, he has generally been a glove-first infielder. He has a .207/.278/.340 line in 506 plate appearances spread across four different seasons from 2020 to 2025.
In 532 shortstop innings, he has been credited with three Defensive Runs Saved and seven Outs Above Average. Oddly, the metrics are less kind with regards to his work at second and third base, even though those positions are considered less demanding than shortstop. Regardless, he has over 300 innings at each of those spots.
When players with big league experience sign with Mexican League teams, the contracts usually have provisions that allow MLB teams to sign them with no buyout. If either Blanco or Alcántara perform well south of the border, that could lead to a new minor league deal with an affiliated club.
Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Steve Adams
- Good afternoon! I’ll get going at the top of the hour, but feel free to start sending in questions ahead of time.
- Let’s get underway!
o-birds
- Will the Orioles be able to sign Gunnar before he becomes a free agent, knowing Boras is a players agent why do teams draft them knowing they will be difficult to sign when they become free agents? Thank you Steve 😊
Steve Adams
- I don’t see any real chance of a Henderson extension.Avoiding an agent in the draft seems pointless though. Very few players, regardless of representation, sign team-friendly extensions — relatively speaking, anyhow. And there are plenty of Boras guys who’ve signed long-term deals. The narrative is a bit overstated. Cooper Pratt just signed an eight-year deal before he even reached the majors, and he’s a Boras guy.
You get the player for six-plus years regardless.
Dodgers101
- Will skubal be sealed at the deadline?
Steve Adams
- Assuming that’s “traded” — the short, boring and most accurate answer is: “Maybe?”If the Tigers are 10+ games back, then yeah, I imagine he’ll be moved. They’ll get a big return in a trade that eclipses the draft pick they’d net upon him rejecting a QO and signing elsewhere.
But today’s brand of front office almost universally waits until the eleventh hour to make even minor decisions. The Tigers aren’t going to punt on the season in early June. Unless they’re still just absolutely buried in the standings, I doubt they’ll make a final call on Skubal any sooner than 72-ish hours before the deadline. If they have a glimmer of hope, they’re going to wait until the last possible second.
Giants Hire Gary Pettis As Third Base Coach
The Giants announced Tuesday that they’ve hired Gary Pettis as their new third base coach. He’ll replace Hector Borg, who was relieved of third base coaching duties recently and reassigned to a player development role within the organization.
An 11-year major league veteran known for his stellar outfield defense and baserunning prowess, the now 68-year-old Pettis has 27 years of coaching experience, including 22 prior seasons in the majors. The five-time Gold Glove winner served as both a third base coach and first base coach across stints with the White Sox, Angels, Mets, Rangers and Astros. Pettis spent a decade as Houston’s third base coach and was on the staff for both of the Astros’ World Series victories.
Pettis brings a highly experienced dugout veteran to rookie big league manager Tony Vitello’s staff. Notably, he served on the Rangers’ coaching staff under then-manager Ron Washington, who’s now the Giants’ infield coach. In addition to his work as the third base coach, Pettis will have plenty of wisdom to share with the Giants’ lineup about the finer points of baserunning, and he’ll presumably work with the team’s young outfielders as well.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale first reported that the Giants were hiring Pettis as their new third base coach.
Reds Designate Brandon Leibrandt, Lyon Richardson For Assignment
The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Zach McCambley and recalled fellow righty Luis Mey. In corresponding moves, lefty Brandon Leibrandt and righty Lyon Richardson have been designated for assignment.
The Reds have been making frequent roster moves on the pitching side in recent days, as they try to cover for some injuries. On Friday, Graham Ashcraft hit the 60-day injured list with a sprained UCL, with the club selecting Yunior Marté to replace him. The next day, Pierce Johnson hit the IL with elbow inflammation and the club selected Richardson to the roster in his place, designating Kyle Nicolas for assignment to open a 40-man spot. Yesterday, the club selected Leibrandt and designated Marté for assignment.
Chase Burns was supposed to start yesterday’s game but was scratched due to illness. He hasn’t been placed on the IL and may start Wednesday’s game but the Reds had to improvise yesterday. Richardson tossed the first inning, allowing four runs. Caleb Ferguson tossed two scoreless, followed by Leibrandt going six, allowing five runs in a game the Reds dropped to the Royals 9-2. Richardson and Leibrandt have now been quickly bumped into DFA limbo to get fresh arms into the mix.
Leibrandt, 33, now has 21 1/3 innings of major league experience in scattered fashion. He threw nine innings over five appearances for the Marlins in 2020, then logged 6 1/3 for the 2024 Reds, followed by yesterday’s six. He has a 5.91 earned run average in that time. He has a 4.14 ERA in 385 Triple-A innings and has also bounced to independent ball and the Chinese Professional Baseball League in Taiwan.
Richardson, 26, was a second-round pick of the Reds back in 2018. He mostly worked as a starter on his way up the minor league ladder but struggled in that role upon reaching Triple-A. In 2025, he was in a primary relief role with mixed results. He tossed 32 Triple-A innings with a 4.22 ERA. His 23.5% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate were both around average while his 50% strikeout rate was quite strong. In 37 2/3 innings in the majors, he got ground balls at a similar clip but his 17.4% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate were both subpar.
He exhausted his final option year in 2025 and the Reds were able to outright him off the roster in the offseason. He began this year as non-roster depth, tossing 30 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 4.75 ERA. His 10.7% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 26% of opponents while inducing grounders on 48.7% of balls in play. The poor ERA was partially due to an unfortunate 52.5% strand rate, which is why his 3.62 FIP painted a more flattering picture.
That got him back up to the majors but only for one subpar outing as an emergency opener. He’ll likely end up back on the waiver wire. Since he just cleared in January, he could clear again, unless a club snakebit by injuries takes a flier on him. Since he has already been outrighted once in his career, he would now have the right to elect free agency if he is outrighted again in the coming days.
McCambley, 27, has spent most of his career in the Marlins organization until recently. The Phillies took him in the Rule 5 draft but he was returned to the Marlins at the end of spring training. He was flipped to the Reds last month in exchange for outfielder Rece Hinds.
His Triple-A numbers have been encouraging apart from a lack of control. Between the Marlins and Reds this year, he has thrown 30 1/3 innings at the top minor league level with a 2.37 ERA. He has given a free pass to 14.9% of opponents but has struck out 30.6% of batters faced while inducing grounders on 53.4% of balls in play. The ERA is nice but he has benefitted from a .254 batting average on balls in play and 86.6% strand rate, so his 4.54 FIP is almost double his ERA. It’s been an unusual few months in terms of transactions but he is now finally in position to make his major league debut.
Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images
Braves Select Carlos Carrasco
The Braves announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Carlos Carrasco. The righty takes the 40-man spot that was opened when he himself was designated for assignment a few days ago. He cleared waivers, elected free agency, re-signed and is now back with the big league club again. In terms of the active roster, fellow right-hander Anthony Molina was optioned to Triple-A Gwinnett yesterday.
Carrasco and the club have done these dance steps many times. He was acquired from the Yankees in a cash deal in July of 2025. Since then, they have repeatedly gone through this cycle where he is added to the roster, helps absorb some innings and gets designated for assignment. After clearing waivers, he either accepts an outright assignment or elects free agency and then signs a new deal.
The appeal for Atlanta is clear, as they effectively get a 41st man on their 40-man roster. Whenever they want a fresh arm, they can call on Carrasco, who has generally done well when called upon this year. He has a 2.45 earned run average in four appearances. For Carrasco, he gets some sporadic big league pay and service time. Perhaps he would prefer a more steady gig but the fact that he keeps clearing waivers suggests no other club is willing to give him that.
Carrasco went four innings on May 27th and wasn’t going to be available for a few days. Atlanta swapped him out for Molina but then didn’t need Molina in the interim. With yesterday’s off-day, the staff isn’t taxed but they decided to bring Carrasco back as a long relief option.
Atlanta kicks off a six-game homestand tonight with three games against Toronto followed by three versus Pittsburgh. They are scheduled to go with Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes and Chris Sale against the Blue Jays. That should set them up to start with Martín Pérez and Spencer Strider against the Pirates, with Elder’s spot coming up again for the final game against the Bucs. If any of those games turns lopsided, Carrasco could be called upon to spare the rest of the relief corps.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke, Imagn Images
Bailey Ober Diagnosed With Flexor Strain
Twins righty Bailey Ober recently hit the injured list with inflammation in his right elbow. A subsequent MRI revealed a mild flexor strain, general manager Jeremy Zoll told the Twins beat (via The Athletic’s Dan Hayes). The imaging did not raise concern regarding Ober’s ulnar collateral ligament, though he’s receiving a second opinion as a precaution. Ober will be shut down from throwing entirely for the next 10 to 14 days. He’s likely to spend the majority or entirety of this month on the shelf.
It’s another notable hit to a Twins rotation that has been decimated by injury this season. Pablo López suffered a UCL tear in his first bullpen session of spring training and underwent internal brace surgery not long after, wiping him out for the entire season. Right-hander David Festa went down with a shoulder impingement during spring training and hasn’t pitched this season. A pair of big young arms Minnesota added at last year’s deadline — righty Mick Abel and lefty Kendry Rojas — are both on the shelf, too. Abel has been out for six weeks now with elbow inflammation, while Rojas recently landed on the 15-day IL due to a triceps injury. Meanwhile, Simeon Woods Richardson has struggled to the extent that the Twins designated the out-of-options righty for assignment.
June was a problematic month for Ober in 2025 as well. After a nice start to his season, he was blown up for 30 runs in 30 innings before heading to the injured list with a hip impingement. He spent a month on the IL and pitched decently in his return. He’s now looking at a second straight season with around a monthlong absence.
Ober, 30, opened the season on an impressive run. He capped off a stretch of nine strong outings (3.46 ERA in 52 innings) with a complete game shutout over the Marlins back on May 12. He’s struggled in three starts since, with worse results each time. Ober was tagged for eight runs (seven earned) over 4 2/3 innings his most recent time out and has yielded a total of 14 earned runs over his past 14 2/3 innings.
This is Ober’s fourth full season in the majors and the sixth overall in which he’s logged some big league time. The towering 6’9″ righty was never an especially touted prospect but has emerged as a capable mid-rotation stalwart in Minnesota. He carries a career 4.13 ERA with a 23.2% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate in 684 1/3 frames at the major league level. He’s controlled through 2027 and is earning a reasonable $5.2MM salary this season. If the Twins operate as sellers for a second straight deadline, it stands to reason that Ober would be a natural trade candidate — that is, as long as he’s healthy.
Zoll did provide a bit more positive news for Twins fans in his media session with the beat (via Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune). Rojas is slated to resume throwing today, signaling a potentially short stay on the injured list. Abel will also take a big step toward returning when he pitches two innings in a simulated game this Thursday.
The Twins’ rotation at the moment includes Joe Ryan, Taj Bradley and current/recent top prospects Connor Prielipp and Zebby Matthews. They’ll go with Prielipp and Bradley in their next two games, but Thursday’s starter is listed as TBD. With five starters on the injured list and a sixth designated for assignment, their in-house options to step into that spot are slim. The same can be said of stopgaps on the waiver wire, though journeyman Austin Voth is currently out there after being DFA by the Blue Jays. A bullpen game is another option, though Minnesota’s bullpen is among the worst in the sport.