Guardians Select Will Dion
The Guardians announced that they have selected to contract of left-hander Will Dion. The 40-man roster had a vacancy due to Rule 5 pick Peyton Pallette being designated for assignment a few days ago. To open an active roster spot for Dion, left-hander Logan Allen was optioned to Triple-A Columbus.
More to come.
Latest On Wander Franco’s Legal Proceedings
Rays shortstop Wander Franco‘s retrial reached a verdict yesterday, with Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times among those to cover the details. Franco was found guilty of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor but will not serve prison time because the three-judge panel ruled that he was both a defendant and a victim in the case. He was given a judicial pardon which exempts him from punishment but the conviction stands. The minor’s mother was sentenced to ten years for money laundering and threats of exposure. The full verdict with more details will be read in court on the morning of June 16th.
It’s a similar result to the previous trial, which concluded in June of last year. At that time, Franco was found guilty. He received a two-year suspended sentence and would only have to serve the sentence if he didn’t meet certain conditions. The minor’s mother was found guilty of trafficking her daughter and sentenced to ten years. Both sides appealed and a new trial was ordered. Once again, the victim’s mother has received a ten-year sentence while Franco has been found guilty but is not expected to serve prison time.
“We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time,” Major League Baseball said in a statement late Monday afternoon.
“The Tampa Bay Rays are aware of today’s ruling in the Dominican Republic involving Wander Franco,” the team said in a statement. “We respect the legal process and the decision issued by the court. This is a serious matter, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the case. The Rays will continue to cooperate fully with Major League Baseball as it completes its review under the league’s joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. Out of respect for the legal process and all parties involved, we will have no further comment at this time.”
In August of 2023, investigators in the D.R. began looking into accusations that the Rays shortstop had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl while he was 21. The age of consent in that country is 18. In July of 2024, Franco was formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor, as well as human trafficking. In September of last year, it was reported that the case would proceed to trial.
Major League Baseball placed Franco on administrative leave in August last year when the accusations first emerged, standard procedure for players who are being investigated under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was reinstated for the offseason in a procedural move but placed back on administrative leave when the 2024 campaign began. He was moved to the restricted list in July of 2024 when he was formally charged, at which point he was no longer receiving big league pay or service time.
Throughout the proceedings, accusations had also emerged against the girl’s mother, that she received payments from Franco worth thousands of dollars to remain silent about her daughter’s abuse.
Back in 2021, Franco and the Rays signed an 11-year, $182MM extension which was set to run through 2032. In the wake of his conviction, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to get the work visa necessary for him to return to the United States. Even if he somehow were able to get a visa, he may not be able to get back on the field. Under the aforementioned league policy, MLB can suspend players even in situations lacking a conviction. In Franco’s case, even though he may not serve time, he has been twice found guilty. The Rays haven’t been paying him for almost two years now and that will continue to be the case if he can’t get a visa or receives a suspension that keeps him on the restricted list.
Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images
Rays To Sign Craig Kimbrel
Veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel is heading to the Rays on a major league deal, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Kimbrel was designated for assignment by the Mets last week and elected free agency. The 37-year-old is represented by SportsMeter.
The Rays have yet to announce the move. The club has multiple openings on its 40-man roster, so no tweak will be needed there. Kimbrel is expected to be available for tonight’s game against the Orioles, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The Mets added Kimbrel on a minor league deal in January. He failed to break camp with the team, but was called up in early April. The right-hander didn’t allow an earned run over his first four appearances in New York. He has struggled recently, permitting seven earned runs over 9 2/3 innings in May. He covered 2 2/3 frames on Wednesday, ceding two earned runs. The Mets DFAed him on Friday.
The well-traveled Kimbrel will have appeared with 11 MLB teams once he gets into a game with the Rays. Tonight could be considered a revenge game for the righty, but he’s pitched for three other clubs since his 2024 stint in Baltimore. Kimbrel put himself back on the big-league map to close 2025. He opened the year with the Braves, but only threw an inning in the majors. The veteran bounced to the Rangers, then landed in Houston. Kimbrel put together 13 solid appearances with the Astros, posting a 2.45 ERA with a 34.8% strikeout rate.
Tampa Bay lost Pete Fairbanks to free agency and Edwin Uceta to a shoulder injury heading into 2026. Griffin Jax got the first crack at the vacated closer role, but faltered. He’s now being stretched out as a starter. Bryan Baker has assumed the 9th-inning gig and performed quite well. The former Oriole has piled up 14 saves through 24 appearances. He’s been scored upon just twice in May. Kimbrel and his 440 career saves are unlikely to unseat Baker anytime soon.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Cole Ragans Pauses Rehab After Experiencing Elbow Stiffness
Royals left-hander Cole Ragans will be shut down from throwing for the next few days after feeling stiffness in his elbow. Kansas City’s ace went to the injured list with a left elbow impingement in early May. Ragans pitched well in a rehab outing on Saturday, but “did not recover well” from the start, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including Anne Rogers of MLB.com.
Ragans will take some time to see if the elbow stiffness fades before resuming his rehab. The lefty relayed to Rogers that the symptoms were similar to the pain he felt during his final big-league start before heading to the injured list. Ragans was pulled after three scoreless frames against the Guardians on May 6. He returned to the mound over the weekend, tossing 4 1/3 innings with Omaha. Ragans struck out three and had his typical fastball velocity.
The 28-year-old Ragans delivered a workhorse campaign in his first full year with Kansas City. He reached a career-high 186 1/3 innings over 32 starts in 2024. The lefty has now battled significant injury issues in each of the past two seasons.
Ragans missed three weeks with a groin strain early last year. He returned for one start in June, then went right back to the IL after straining his left rotator cuff. Ragans was knocked out of his third start of 2026 after taking a comebacker off his throwing hand. He recovered in time to make his next appearance, only to go down with the elbow issue in early May.
The stuff looks normal for Ragans this year, but the command has been out of whack. He has a massive 15.2% walk rate through 35 1/3 frames. The veteran has thrown just 60.4% of his pitches for strikes, easily a career-worst mark. Ragans piled up 12 walks in his first two starts after the hand injury, so it’s possible the comebacker was to blame for his poor control numbers. His Location+ was right at league average for one of those games, though. Ragans has an unsightly 87 Location+ for the season.
The Royals are patching together the rotation with Ragans and Kris Bubic on the shelf. The results have been solid so far. Stephen Kolek came off the IL to take Ragans’ spot. He dominated the Mariners over the weekend, tossing a complete game shutout. The righty has put together 15 1/3 scoreless innings in his past two outings. Bailey Falter and Luinder Avila are tag-teaming Bubic’s rotation spot. The pair limited the Red Sox to two earned runs over five innings last week. Falter and Avila are expected to team up against the Yankees on Tuesday.
Photo courtesy of Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images
Spencer Turnbull Signs With Mexican League Team
Veteran right-hander Spencer Turnbull has signed with Cerveceros de Tecate of the Mexican Northern League, relays Evan Woodbery of MLive.com. Turnbull made a handful of appearances with the Blue Jays last season. He closed the year in the Royals’ minor league system.
Turnbull, 33, spent parts of seven seasons in the big leagues. The majority of his time in the majors came with the Tigers. Detroit selected Turnbull with a second-round pick in the 2014 draft. He briefly debuted with the club in 2018, then emerged as a full-time member of the rotation in 2019. The righty had a sub-4.00 FIP and a 4.62 SIERA, but didn’t get much help from a Detroit squad that lost 114 games. Turnbull led the league with 17 losses that year.
After a decent performance in the shortened 2020 campaign, injuries derailed Turnbull’s career. He got off to a strong start in 2021, including a no-hitter against the Mariners, but went down with a forearm strain after nine appearances. The injury eventually required Tommy John surgery. Turnbull missed all of 2022. He came back the following season but was limited to seven starts with a neck injury.
Turnbull landed with the Phillies in 2024 after wrapping up his time in Detroit. He looked like a reliable swingman piece in the Philadelphia bullpen. The righty struck out more than a batter per inning across 54 1/3 innings, which included seven starts and 10 relief outings. He had a solid 3.80 xFIP and a 3.67 SIERA in the multi-faceted role. Turnbull’s season was cut short in late June due to a lat strain. He made three appearances for the Blue Jays last year, posting an ERA above 7.00. Turnbull had minor league stints with the Cubs and Royals before heading to Mexico.
Photo courtesy of Eric Hartline, Imagn Images
Cubs Re-Sign Ty Blach To Minor League Deal
May 26: Blach is headed back to the Cubs on a minor league deal, per MLBTR’s Steve Adams. He’ll remain with the organization as a depth option at Triple-A.
May 25: Left-hander Ty Blach has elected free agency, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been outrighted by the Cubs to Triple-A Iowa a few days ago but has instead exercised his right to head to the open market.
A player has the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency if he has a previous career outright or at least three years of big league service time. Blach qualifies on both counts and has exercised that right.
The Cubs signed him to a minor league deal in April. He made five Triple-A appearances, effectively stretched out as a starter. Only three of those five were officially starts but he went at least three innings each time he got the ball. He posted a 5.23 earned run average in that small sample before getting called up last week. He made one appearances for the big league squad, tossing three scoreless innings of relief in a 9-3 loss to the Brewers last Monday.
After that outing, Blach was probably going to be unavailable for a few days. Since the Cubs had Caleb Thielbar coming off the IL and Blach is out of options, the circumstances pushed Blach off the 40-man roster and now to free agency.
The 35-year-old Blach has a 5.39 ERA in his career, in 523 innings logged in 157 games. Part of that is likely due to him spending several years pitching in Coors Field as a member of the Rockies but he has also been a soft-tossing low strikeout guy. His four-seamer and sinker have averaged around 90 miles per hour in his career. He has punched out 12.9% of batters faced, barely half of the league average.
In these situations, it’s fairly common for a player to quickly re-sign with the club he was just with. However, that’s not a guarantee and Blach will have the chance to see what other opportunities may be out there for him.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
Cubs Designate Nicky Lopez, Promote Kevin Alcantara
May 26: Lopez has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A Iowa, per his MLB.com transactions page.
May 23: The Cubs designated infielder Nicky Lopez for assignment, and called up outfielder Kevin Alcantara from Triple-A Iowa in the corresponding move. Alcantara was already on the 40-man roster and the Cubs already have an open spot on their 40-man roster, so Lopez’s DFA leaves Chicago with just 38 spots filled. 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine reported earlier today that Alcantara was present in the Cubs’ clubhouse.
After receiving 22 plate appearances in 13 MLB games over the last two seasons, Alcantara is back in the Show for another go, even if his path to playing time again seems limited. The right-handed hitting Alcantara projects to get some at-bats against southpaws, spelling either Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field or Michael Conforto at DH. Moises Ballesteros is currently the left-handed side of the DH timeshare, but since Ballesteros has only three hits in his last 55 plate appearances, he figures to lose playing time and could even be a candidate to be optioned back to Triple-A.
Because Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are both free agents after the season, the expectation has been that Alcantara might have to wait until 2027 to get any extended looks in Chicago’s outfield. He still doesn’t turn 24 until July and he has yet to correct the swing-and-miss issues that have stood out as a red flag in the minor leagues. Granted, Alcantara has looked great when making contact, as evidenced by his 15 homers and his .247/.339/.567 slash line over 180 PA in Iowa this season. He does have 60 strikeouts within those 180 PA, and those holes in his swing may be more glaring against MLB pitching.
Lopez was acquired from the Rockies for cash considerations in late April, but he played in only four games during his month on the Cubs’ active roster. Chicago’s lineup is among the most stable in all of baseball, and Lopez joins Scott Kingery and Dylan Carlson as experienced players who have come and gone from the active roster with only a slight amount of playing time.
Once a regular in the Royals’ infield, Lopez has hit only .228/.298/.281 over 1220 PA with five different big league teams since the start of the 2022 season. He has a wealth of experience as shortstop, second baseman, and third baseman, but is little more than a depth option at this stage of his career.
It is possible another team in need of infield help could claim Lopez off waivers, but should he clear waivers and be outrighted, Lopez can decline that assignment in favor of free agency. Since Lopez has three different stints with the Cubs in 2025 alone, he might well become a free agent but then quickly re-sign with the team on a new minor league contract, since there’s obviously some connection between the two parties.
The Opener: Astros No-Hitter, Cowser, Misiorowski
Mets righty Nolan McLean hadn’t given up more than three earned runs in any start through nine outings. He’s now allowed 13 earned runs over his last two starts, after the Reds put up a touchdown on Monday. New York has lost six of seven after briefly rebounding in mid-May.
1. Astros toss combined no-hitter
Astros right-hander Tatsuya Imai and a pair of relievers worked together to no-hit the Rangers on Monday night. It was the first no-no in the big leagues since 2024. The outcome featured some improbable participants. Imai had been tagged for nine earned runs in 8 2/3 innings since coming back from a month-long stint on the IL for arm fatigue. The righty walked four, but navigated six innings for the first time as a big leaguer. After an inning from Steven Okert, it was Alimber Santa who finished the final two frames. The righty was making his MLB debut. “I never pictured myself coming in and finishing off a no-hitter,” Santa told reporters (h/t Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “What I pictured was coming in and throwing strikes and maybe striking out one batter.”
2. Cowser does it again
The Orioles are off to a challenging start to the campaign, but the club has picked up three wins over the past four games, including two in exciting fashion. Outfielder Colton Cowser entered the weekend with just one home run all season. He came through with a three-run shot to walk off Kenley Jansen and the Tigers in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader. Cowser repeated the effort on Monday against the Rays, blasting a two-run homer to win the game in the bottom of the 13th inning. Baltimore will look to keep it going on Tuesday with Shane Baz heading to the mound against his former team.
3. Misiorowski breaks 100+ mph record
Brewers right-hander Jacob Misiorowski delivered another dazzling start on Monday, striking out 12 over seven innings in a win over the Cardinals. The lanky righty walked JJ Wetherholt to begin the game, then retired the next 15 batters. Misiorowski didn’t allow a hit until Pedro Pages led off the sixth inning with a single. He completed seven innings for the second time in three starts, capping off his outing with a strikeout of Masyn Winn that included six fastballs of 100+ mph. Misiorowski’s 57 pitches of 100+ mph easily set a record in the pitch-tracking era, which goes back to 2008 (h/t Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “That’s what I do,” Misiorowski said. “I throw hard.”
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
Athletics To Promote Gage Jump For Debut
The A’s are calling up left-hander Gage Jump, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 23-year-old is among the top prospects in the organization. When he first appears in a game, it will be his MLB debut. The team has yet to announce the move. The A’s have a full 40-man roster and would need to make an adjustment to add Jump.
MLB Pipeline ranks Jump at No. 3 in the Athletics system. FanGraphs‘ Eric Longenhagen has him behind only shortstop Leo De Vries. Jump has a mid-4.00s ERA at Triple-A this season, but he’s delivered a hefty 33.1% strikeout rate. He allowed just two earned runs over 9 2/3 innings in MLB Spring Training this year.
The A’s took Jump with the 73rd overall pick in the 2024 draft out of LSU. He immediately provided workhorse-level production in his first taste of pro ball, tossing 112 2/3 innings in 2025. Jump posted a 3.28 ERA and a sub-3.00 FIP between High-A and Double-A. He didn’t crack MLB Pipeline’s top 100 prospects last year, but sits at No. 41 in this season’s rankings.
Jump has shown a diverse pitch mix with Las Vegas. He’s leaned on the four-seamer more than half the time, but also thrown plenty of sliders (18.3%) and curveballs (13.1%). Jump has also used both a sweeper and a changeup more than 5% of the time. Control has been a bit of an issue, as Jump’s 11.8% walk rate is a significant increase from his 2025 mark.
The workload for Jump had been a bit limited to begin the year. He hadn’t completed five innings with the Aviators through eight appearances. Jump went seven strong innings in his last start, striking out nine without issuing a walk. He could step into a rotation that doesn’t have much stability outside of Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs. Manager Mark Kotsay mentioned a possible IL stint for Aaron Civale after Monday’s game, which would open up a rotation spot.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
White Sox To Call Up David Sandlin For MLB Debut
The White Sox are planning to promote right-hander David Sandlin, reports Elijah Evans of Just Baseball and Future Sox. The 25-year-old is already on Chicago’s 40-man, but the team will need to make space for Sandlin on the active roster. Confirming the move, James Fegan of Sox Machine noted that Sandlin is likely going to start for the White Sox, although it’s not entirely clear how he would fit into the rotation. It’s possible he’s only coming up to make a spot start, considering Chicago is in the midst of playing 13 games without a day off.
Sandlin, 25, began his professional career with the Royals in 2022, and Kansas City traded him to Boston in 2024. The Red Sox then dealt the righty to the White Sox this past winter – along with Jordan Hicks, two players to be named later, and cash – in exchange for Gage Ziehl. Sandlin was the prize of the deal for the White Sox, who were willing to take on most of Hicks’ remaining salary to acquire him. In fact, at the time of the trade, general manager Chris Getz even described Sandlin as “essentially” part of the return for Luis Robert Jr., since the GM was able to use some of the money he saved by trading Robert (and his $20MM salary) to pay Hicks, and, therefore, to secure Sandlin. Getz went on to say that Sandlin would compete for a spot on Chicago’s Opening Day roster, praising his “mid-rotation” arsenal and stuff. “He’s got a chance to really impact our starting rotation this year,” Getz explained (per MLB.com’s Scott Merkin).
Sandlin didn’t end up pitching in big league spring training. Back and forearm soreness (per Fegan) forced him to start the season on the minor league injured list instead. However, from his first rehab start at High-A Winston-Salem to his latest outing for Triple-A Charlotte, he has been nothing short of electric. Leading with a four-seam fastball that flirts with triple digits, he’s given up just 12 hits in 16 1/3 innings, striking out 26. While his walk rate is high, he hasn’t let the free passes lead to much damage; Sandlin didn’t allow an earned run until his most recent start.
Most prospect evaluators roughly agree with Getz’s assessment of Sandlin. He has No. 3 or 4 starter upside, but he needs to improve his control and hone the rest of his arsenal (besides that high-velocity heater) if he’s going to get there. While his results this season have been promising, his Triple-A numbers from 2025 demonstrate why there’s cause for concern. In his first 23 2/3 innings at the highest minor league level, he walked 13 batters, beaned two more, and gave up 35 hits en route to a 7.61 ERA and 5.27 FIP.
Davis Martin has been a revelation for the White Sox this season. Anthony Kay and Sean Burke have been solid, despite their ups and downs. Noah Schultz and Erick Fedde have struggled badly. Even so, it’s hard to imagine that Sandlin would take either of their spots in the rotation. Schultz could be optioned, while Fedde could be DFA’d. Yet, Sandlin isn’t stretched out to take on a full starter’s workload, and he’s never made more than 18 starts or thrown more than 106 innings in a professional season. So, it seems more likely that he’s joining the team to give the rest of the rotation an extra day of rest. Of course, that doesn’t mean he can’t stay in Chicago if he pitches well. This might be a spot start for now, but the White Sox aren’t going to send down anyone who can give them quality innings. They’re currently in a playoff position, despite a mediocre 4.47 ERA and 4.19 SIERA. If Sandlin succeeds, he shouldn’t have trouble sticking around.