Tigers To Sign Paul DeJong
9:15am: DeJong would earn a prorated $1MM base salary in the majors, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.
8:38am: The Tigers and veteran infielder Paul DeJong have agreed to a minor league contract, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The C.L. Rocks client recently opted out of a minor league deal with the Yankees.
DeJong, 32, is a veteran of nine big league seasons. The slick-fielding, righty-swinging shortstop can handle any infield position at an average or better level. At the plate, he’s a strikeout-prone, low-OBP hitter with above-average power. DeJong has taken exactly 3500 plate appearances in the majors and slashed .229/.294/.416 with 146 home runs, fanning at a 27.9% clip against a below-average 7.1% walk rate.
Though he only took 83 plate appearances with the Yankees’ top affiliate in Scranton, DeJong popped six home runs in that short time. He also drew walks at a huge 19% clip. However, he hit only .203, leading to an oddball slash line of .203/.361/.516 during his relatively short stint in the Yankees organization.
DeJong has played in each of the past nine big league seasons. Last year’s 208 plate appearances with the Nationals were the fewest he’s logged in a 162-game season, though his playing time was hindered by a frightening injury early in the season, wherein DeJong took an errant fastball to the face. He suffered facial fractures and lacerations, ultimately spending about two months on the shelf. DeJong hit .228/.269/.373 with only six homers last year, but a year prior he ripped 24 long balls in semi-regular work for the White Sox and Royals while slashing .227/.276/.427.
The Tigers aren’t immediately adding DeJong to the big league roster, though it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him get a look before long. Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney are all on the injured list (the latter on the 60-day IL). Rookie Kevin McGonigle has seized an everyday role while splitting time between third base and shortstop. Gleyber Torres is locked in at second base. Colt Keith is playing third base frequently — particularly against right-handed pitching.
That doesn’t leave much room for regular playing time, but Detroit’s bench currently features journeyman Zack Short and rookie Hao-Yu Lee. Short is hitless through his first three plate appearances, which isn’t a concern for any batter in and of itself, but he’s a lifetime .171/.269/.295 hitter in 597 big league plate appearances (including a prior stint in Detroit). It’s not reasonable to expect him to provide even DeJong’s modest levels of offense at the plate. Lee, meanwhile, has struggled in a part-time role. If the Tigers want to get the 23-year-old regular at-bats to build on last year’s .243/.342/.406 line from Triple-A (14 homers, 22 steals, 106 wRC+), they could option him out and plug DeJong into the bench mix.
The Opener: Bello, Ohtani, Cameron
White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami slugged a two-run homer off Jose Soriano last night, moving him back into a tie with Aaron Judge for the league lead. Murakami also roped a double later in the game. It was the first two-bagger of his career. Murakami was the last qualified hitter without a double, per MLB.
1. Bello to pitch behind an opener
The Red Sox will use reliever Jovani Moran ahead of struggling starter Brayan Bello on Tuesday against the Tigers. Bello has been pounded for 16 earned runs in his last three starts. He’s completed five innings just once this season. “Right now, it’s anything we can do to get him going, like I said the other day, and get to be Brayan Bello, we’re gonna try,” interim manager Chad Tracy said (h/t Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com). Starting the left-handed Moran will give Boston a platoon advantage over some of Detroit’s key bats at the top of the lineup (Kevin McGonigle, Riley Greene, Colt Keith). It will also shield Bello from the side of the plate he’s struggled against the most to begin the year. Lefties are slashing .414/.485/.828 against him.
2. Ohtani no longer hitting tonight
The Dodgers went into Monday’s matchup against the Astros intending to have Shohei Ohtani serve as the DH in his start on Tuesday. During a hitless night for the two-way star, manager Dave Roberts changed course. “Just kind of seeing how it’s playing out, I think it’s best for everyone,” Roberts told reporters, including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. “Definitely not (based on) results. It’s a little bit more body language and just watching the player.” This will be the third time Ohtani will pitch and not hit this season. He’s 0-for-15 at the plate in May.
3. Cameron scratched, Kolek to start
Royals left-hander Noah Cameron will not make his scheduled start tonight against the Guardians due to back tightness. The club announced righty Stephen Kolek will get the ball instead. Cameron put together a pair of solid outings to open the season, but he’s struggled recently. The lefty has been knocked around for 17 earned runs over his last 21 innings. It’s unclear if the back injury will send Cameron to the injured list. Kolek opened the season on the IL with an oblique strain. He’s pitched well while rehabbing at Triple-A, posting a 2.76 ERA across four starts. Kolek is likely to step into Cameron’s rotation spot if an IL stint is needed.
Photo courtesy of Mitch Stringer, Imagn Images
Marlins To Designate Chris Paddack For Assignment
The Marlins are designating veteran righty Chris Paddack for assignment, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The team has yet to formally announce the move or a corresponding transaction, but Christina DeNicola of MLB.com reports that reliever William Kempner will be recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. It’s Kempner’s first big league promotion. He’ll be making his MLB debut when he gets into a game.
It’s a hook on the 30-year-old Paddack, who signed a one-year, $4MM deal to return to the organization that originally drafted him (but traded him to the Padres in a 2016 swap for reliever Fernando Rodney). The hope had been that Paddack could provide some stable innings following offseason trades of Ryan Weathers (to the Yankees) and Edward Cabrera (to the Cubs). He looked great this spring (two runs, 13 innings pitched) but was shelled in seven regular season appearances with Miami (six of them starts).
Paddack only completed five frames once in his return to the Marlins organization: a quality start against his former Tigers teammates in Detroit (six innings, two runs). He allowed at least two runs in fewer than five innings each other time he took the mount, including a trio of appearances that saw him tagged for five, seven and eight runs apiece. His time with the Fish will draw to a close with a 7.63 ERA, an 18.5% strikeout rate and a 6.8% walk rate in 30 2/3 innings.
A former top prospect, Paddack debuted with a 3.33 ERA in 140 2/3 innings for the 2019 Padres. He’d have been a Rookie of the Year finalist, if not winner, in most seasons, but he happened to be up against Pete Alonso‘s 53-homer debut, Michael Soroka‘s 174 2/3 innings of 2.68 ERA ball, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bryan Reynolds; excellent as Paddack’s debut was, he didn’t even receive a down-ballot vote.
Injuries have held Paddack back in the years since. He missed time with a UCL sprain in 2021 and then underwent his second career Tommy John surgery — his first came as a prospect — with the Twins in 2022. His 2024 season was cut short by a forearm strain.
In 471 2/3 innings since his terrific debut campaign, Paddack has posted a 5.23 ERA. He regularly shows strong command but has never missed bats at the same level he did as a rookie. He’s also been far too homer-prone, serving up an average of 1.55 round-trippers per nine frames from 2020-26.
It’s fair to wonder how many more rotation opportunities Paddack will get. He struggled out of the rotation more often than not in Minnesota, and the Tigers dropped him to the bullpen after just seven starts last summer following a trade to acquire him. The Marlins, obviously, are moving on in quick fashion.
Perhaps another club with a pile of rotation injuries will plug Paddack into its starting five when he’s inevitably released, but other clubs will surely be interested in what he might look like as a reliever. When Paddack returned from his second Tommy John procedure with the Twins late in the 2023 season, he pitched 8 2/3 innings between the regular season and postseason, allowing three runs with a 14-to-1 K/BB ratio. He looked particularly dominant in the postseason, and his typically 93 mph four-seamer was averaging 95.5 mph. He was hit hard out of the Detroit ‘pen last year, but they were using him as a long man, and not the short-relief role in which he excelled during that brief, post-surgery run with the Twins.
For the time being, the Marlins will have five days to trade Paddack or release him. (They could also place him on outright waivers, but he’d surely clear due to his salary and struggles, and Paddack has enough service time to reject an outright assignment while retaining his remaining guaranteed salary.) It’s possible they’ll find a taker who’s willing to pay a nominal portion of that guarantee, but the most common outcome in these scenarios is a simple release. The Marlins will remain on the hook for that $4MM salary. A new team would owe Paddack just the pro-rated league minimum for any time spent on the major league roster.
As for the 24-year-old Kempner, he came to the Marlins in a Jan. 2025 swap that sent international bonus pool space back to the Giants. The 2022 third-round pick had a big season in the minors last year between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, combining for a 2.26 ERA with a 33.6% strikeout rate in 67 2/3 frames of relief. Command is a clear flaw, as Kempner walked 14.1% of his opponents along the way.
Kempner was selected to the 40-man roster back in November, thus shielding him from December’s Rule 5 Draft. He’s out to a tough start in ’26, with a 6.46 ERA in his first 15 1/3 frames at Triple-A. However, he’s fanned a preposterous 47.9% of opponents and allowed only a 63.8% contact rate. Kempner sits 95.5 mph with his heater and pairs it with a low-80s slider. He has a seldom-used cutter for a third offering but is primarily a two-pitch righty.
Kempner gives Miami a fresh arm for the next few days. Paddack’s spot in the rotation would be up this weekend. De Nicola lists Braxton Garrett and top prospect Robby Snelling as options to step into the rotation. Both pitchers have sub-2.00 ERAs with strong strikeout rates (Snelling in particular) but poor walk rates through their first handful of starts in Jacksonville.
Tarik Skubal To Undergo Surgery To Remove Loose Bodies From Elbow
The Tigers received a gut-punch medical update, as ace Tarik Skubal is headed for arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow, manager A.J. Hinch tells the team’s beat (link via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). A timetable for his recovery has not yet been determined, but Skubal will obviously be placed on the 15-day injured list for now. The Tigers will recall righty Ty Madden and go with a bullpen game opened by Tyler Holton in Skubal’s place tonight.
Skubal has been his typically excellent self so far in 2026. He’s started seven games, totaled 43 1/3 innings and notched a tidy 2.70 ERA to begin the season. His average fastball is down about a mile per hour relative to last year’s 97.6 mph peak, but this year’s 96.6 mph average is right in line with his 2024 levels, when he won the first of his two Cy Young trophies. Skubal has fanned 27.1% of his opponents against a superlative 3.6% walk rate.
Though it may not be the strongest start of Skubal’s career, his track record makes him the consensus top pitcher in the American League — if not all of MLB. Losing him for what will surely be an extended period is brutal for the Tigers, particularly given the team’s lackluster start to the season. Detroit is 18-17, tied with Cleveland for first place in the American League Central. Had the Tigers rushed out to a big lead, the loss of their ace — while still demoralizing — might have been easier to weather. Instead, their pedestrian play thus far has kept even the last-place Twins (15-20) within three games of a share of the division lead.
Every injury is different, but precedent suggests that Skubal should still be able to return to the mound this year. He’s not even a lock to be placed on the 60-day IL. Illustrating the variety of possible outcomes here, Atlanta’s Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both underwent surgery to remove loose bodies within days of each other this spring. Schwellenbach was immediately placed on the 60-day IL and still hasn’t begun throwing despite a nearly two-month layoff. Waldrep, meanwhile, was never placed on the 60-day IL and is set to throw bullpen sessions this week. He could feasibly return by late May or early June.
Cautioning that the absence might “only” be two to three months isn’t much of a silver lining for Detroit fans, but it’s still noteworthy that Skubal has a very real chance of being back later this summer — possibly with a decent portion of the season left. In the meantime, however, the Tigers’ rotation depth is being put through the wringer.
Skubal joins Casey Mize, Justin Verlander and Reese Olson on the injured list. Mize is dealing with a groin strain. Verlander has inflammation in his hip. Olson underwent shoulder surgery and will miss the entire 2026 season. Prized young righty Jackson Jobe is also on the 60-day injured list while he continues his yearlong rehab from last June’s Tommy John surgery. Jobe could potentially be an option in July or August. It’s possible he and Skubal will be ramping up to return to the rotation around the same time, even. Another promising young right-hander, Troy Melton, has been out all season due to an elbow strain.
With so many pitchers on the shelf, the Tigers will go with Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty and Keider Montero atop the rotation for the time being. Swingman Drew Anderson is an obvious candidate for the rotation. He’s posted a 5.12 ERA in 19 1/3 innings of relief this season but was dominant in the Korea Baseball Organization last year and signed a one-year, $7MM contract in free agency this winter. Anderson’s 26.5% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 13.7% swinging-strike rate all suggest that his ERA ought to be a fair bit lower; metrics like SIERA (3.45) and xERA (4.06) are far more bullish on his work.
Righty Sawyer Gipson-Long is on the 40-man roster down in Triple-A and could get a look at some point. Several of the Tigers’ minor league arms — Jake Miller, Troy Watson, Joseph Montalvo — are on the injured list in Triple-A and Double-A as well. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Detroit try to go outside the organization for some more depth, though it’s in short supply this time of season. Mize and Verlander will have spots waiting for them upon return, but Verlander has been down about a month already and isn’t yet on a rehab assignment, while the Tigers haven’t given a clear indication of how long Mize will be shelved.
The more immediate concern is how the Tigers navigate this injury and what it does to their chances in the American League Central, of course. However, Skubal’s surgery and how he pitches upon returning also cloud what could be the most lucrative trip to free agency for any pitcher in history.
Skubal clearly won’t be winning a third straight Cy Young Award now. A setback, a longer-than-anticipated rehab process and/or poor performance upon returning from the injured list could all impact what was shaping up to be the loftiest earning power of any pitcher in MLB history. If he makes it back to the mound midsummer and immediately snaps back into old form, it’s possible the injury won’t ultimately weigh down his contract much, but there are too many unknowns right now to gauge the situation with any semblance of certainty.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post first reported that Skubal was being scratched from his start tonight.
Braves Trade Jonah Heim To A’s
The Braves announced they’ve traded catcher Jonah Heim to the Athletics for cash. He was just designated for assignment this evening when Atlanta welcomed Sean Murphy back from the injured list.
The A’s subsequently announced the trade as well, placing Shea Langeliers on the paternity list in a corresponding move. They already had an opening on the 40-man roster after losing infielder Andy Ibáñez on waivers to the Mets last week. They’re off tonight but will presumably have Heim available for tomorrow’s series opener in Philadelphia.
Heim goes back to the team for which he made his MLB debut six years ago. Originally an Orioles draftee, he was traded to the Rays and then to the A’s (for infielder Joey Wendle) while in the minor leagues. The switch-hitter reached the Majors during the shortened season, playing in 13 games. The A’s traded him to the Rangers the following offseason as part of the Elvis Andrus/Khris Davis swap.
That turned out to be an excellent pickup for Texas. Heim struggled as a rookie in 2021 but broke through as a capable starting catcher the following year. He took another step forward in ’23, earning an All-Star selection and winning a Gold Glove while hitting .258/.317/.438. Heim was the starting catcher for the Rangers’ World Series run that season.
His production has taken a nosedive over the last couple years. Heim combined for a .217/.269/.334 batting line in more than 900 plate appearances between 2024-25. Although his strikeout rate was mostly unchanged, his walk rate dipped slightly and he lost a couple points on his hard contact percentage. Texas non-tendered him last winter, cutting him loose for what would have been his final season of arbitration.
Heim signed a $1.25MM free agent contract with Atlanta early in Spring Training. Murphy was rehabbing from last fall’s hip labrum surgery. The Braves needed a short-term backup but would have had a tough time carrying three catchers once Murphy returned to join Drake Baldwin. Heim showed reasonably well over 12 games, hitting .231/.311/.410 with one home run in 45 plate appearances. He had an even number of walks and strikeouts (five apiece). The defense was a little more concerning, as he failed to catch any of the 13 runners who attempted to steal against him. He didn’t commit any passed balls but was behind the dish for six wild pitches in 103 innings.
Like the Braves, the A’s have one of the best starting catchers in MLB. Langeliers will be back within the next three days or so. Austin Wynns has backed Langeliers up all season, but he’s out to an .086 start without an extra-base hit through 13 games. The A’s probably wouldn’t have assumed Heim’s salary only to carry him on the roster for a few days. Both he and Wynns have over five years of service time and could refuse a minor league assignment while collecting their remaining salaries. Wynns is playing on a $1.1MM arbitration deal.
Astros To Place Yainer Diaz On Injured List
A left oblique injury will send Astros catcher Yainer Diaz to the 10-day injured list, manager Joe Espada tells the Houston beat (relayed by Chandler Rome of The Athletic). Houston called up César Salazar this evening with Diaz unavailable, so they probably won’t bring up another catcher when the IL stint is finalized tomorrow.
Zach Dezenzo and Shay Whitcomb — the latter of whom was optioned tonight as the corresponding move for Salazar’s selection — are the only healthy position players on optional assignment to Triple-A. Teams ordinarily cannot recall an optioned hitter for at least 10 days, but an exception is made when they’re called back up to replace an injured player.
Diaz will be the sixth hitter to land on Houston’s injured list. He joins Jeremy Peña and Jake Meyers as regulars who are out of action. They’re also down six starting pitchers — including three of their projected top four arms in Hunter Brown, Tatsuya Imai and Cristian Javier — and have been without closer Josh Hader all season.
The injury continues what has been an ugly start for Diaz. The 27-year-old has been one of the better offensive catchers in MLB over his three-plus seasons. His numbers gradually trended down each year from a fantastic rookie campaign, though, and he has really struggled offensively through the first six weeks. Diaz is hitting .248/.264/.356 with a pair of home runs through 106 plate appearances.
One of the most aggressive hitters in the league, Diaz has always had a low on-base floor. He has generally hit for solid averages and ranked fourth among catchers (behind Cal Raleigh, Shea Langeliers and Salvador Perez) with 59 homers between 2023-25. Diaz’s ground-balls are up and his hard contact rate way down in the early going.
It’s nevertheless a sizable hit to Houston’s lineup. Christian Vázquez has hit very well (.316/.371/.491) in the early going, but he had one of the game’s lightest bats in each of the last three seasons. The Astros are surely pleased with what they’ve gotten from Vázquez’s minor league contract. Still, he’s probably miscast for a primary catching job at this stage of his career. The Astros have given Salazar limited MLB opportunities over the past few years.
Espada didn’t specify a timeline for Diaz’s return. There’s a wide range of outcomes on oblique injuries depending on the severity of a strain. Even moderate strains tend to cost hitters a few weeks to a month.
Orioles Outright Albert Suárez
The Orioles announced this evening that righty Albert Suárez accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Saturday. Suárez has the service time and previous outright to elect free agency but decided to remain with the O’s as non-roster rotation or long relief depth.
This is Suárez’s third season with the organization. He was a nice find as a minor league signee who had spent the 2019-23 campaigns in Asia. Suárez surprisingly held a rotation spot for a good chunk of the ’24 season, working to a 3.70 earned run average across 133 2/3 innings. He spent most of last year rehabbing a shoulder strain and dealt with forearm discomfort at the end of the season.
The injuries limited Suárez to 11 2/3 MLB frames in 2025. The Orioles non-tendered him as a result, though they brought him back on a minor league deal. He has had a couple stints at the MLB level this season, working 15 2/3 innings over six appearances. His 3.45 ERA isn’t bad on the surface, but Suárez has also allowed four unearned runs and has as many walks as strikeouts (nine apiece).
Baltimore has preferred Suárez in a relief role at the MLB level over the past year-plus. The rotation has taken a few injury hits that could eventually open an opportunity for him to make a spot start or two. Suárez is out of options, so there’s a decent chance he’ll go through the selection/outright cycle a few times over the course of the year.
Cubs Outright Ben Cowles
The Cubs have sent infielder Ben Cowles outright to Triple-A Iowa, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week.
Cowles, 26, has been on waivers a lot in the past eight months. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November of 2024, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He was designated for assignment in September of 2025, getting claimed by the White Sox. This offseason, he went back to the Cubs, then to the Blue Jays and back to the Cubs again via a series of claims.
Those transactions speak to the fact that he has been an attractive player but with some downward trends. He generally hit well on his way up the minor league ladder. In 2024, the Cubs acquired him from the Yankees as part of the Mark Leiter Jr. trade. Between the two clubs, he slashed .286/.372/.457 at Double-A that year for a 141 wRC+. He also stole 14 bases while bouncing between shortstop, second base and third base.
That was a nice mix of qualities but his results haven’t been as strong lately. He got promoted to Triple-A to start 2025 and hasn’t done anything at that level yet. He now has 611 total plate appearances at Triple-A dating back to the start of last year with a .234/.303/.370 line and 72 wRC+. That performance has pushed him to a fringe roster position but he kept getting claimed, until this week.
This is his first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, still not having made his major league debut. He therefore does not have the right to elect free agency. He’ll stick with the Cubs as non-roster depth and will try to play his way back onto the roster.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Astros Select César Salazar
The Astros are selecting catcher César Salazar back onto the big league roster, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Infielder Shay Whitcomb was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. Houston opened a spot on the 40-man roster this afternoon when they designated outfielder Daniel Johnson for assignment.
Salazar’s promotion is spurred by what appears to be a minor injury for starting catcher Yainer Diaz. He’s out of tonight’s lineup with a left abdominal issue. The Astros haven’t placed him on the injured list but seemingly want to stay away from him tonight. Christian Vázquez draws into the lineup against the Dodgers and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Salazar provides some insurance as a reserve catcher.
Unless Diaz eventually needs an injured list stay, it’ll probably be a brief stint on the roster for Salazar. He’s out of minor league options and was designated for assignment at the end of Spring Training when Houston opted for Vázquez as their backup catcher. They surely don’t have any regrets about that decision, as the veteran is out to a .333/.390/.519 start to his age-35 season.
Salazar appeared in 36 MLB games as Houston’s third catcher between 2023-25. He’s hitting .193/.333/.281 with one home run over 19 games with Sugar Land this season. The 30-year-old has a solid reputation for his glove and work with a pitching staff but isn’t likely to be much of an offensive threat.
Carl Edwards Jr. Elects Free Agency
Veteran righty Carl Edwards Jr. elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He’d been designated for assignment by the Mets on Thursday.
Edwards had a brief stint on the active roster, pitching twice over six days. He showed well in that limited look, striking out 11 across six innings of one-run ball. Edwards issued four walks but only allowed three hits. He got swinging strikes at a massive 17.2% rate.
Those six innings matched his MLB workload last season, divided over four games between the Rangers and Angels. He failed to record an out in his lone MLB appearance in 2024. Edwards hasn’t had an extended look at the big league level since he was a member of the Nationals three years ago.
He has continued to bounce around the league via a series of minor league contracts. Edwards has been a reliever for the majority of his career but started four games for Triple-A Syracuse before the Mets called him up. He worked multiple innings in both of his MLB appearances. He should find a new minor league deal, perhaps returning to the Mets, within the coming days.