Blue Jays Trade Tyler Fitzgerald To Dodgers
The Blue Jays announced they’ve traded infielder Tyler Fitzgerald to the Dodgers for cash. Toronto designated him for assignment last week. The Dodgers transferred Landon Knack to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot. Fitzgerald has an option remaining and will be assigned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.
The Louisville product didn’t appear in an MLB game with the Blue Jays and has yet to play in the big leagues this season. Fitzgerald opened the season on optional assignment to Triple-A with the Giants. San Francisco designated him for assignment and dealt him to Toronto in early April. Fitzgerald spent a week on the Jays’ bench without getting any game action. He was optioned out and again DFA on Friday when the Jays traded for Willie MacIver to deepen their catching group.
That sends Fitzgerald back to the NL West. He’d previously spent his entire career in the division with San Francisco. A fourth-round pick in 2019, Fitzgerald briefly debuted four years later and had a nice rookie showing in ’24. He hit .280/.334/.497 with 15 homers and 17 stolen bases over 96 games. Fitzgerald’s propensity for swing-and-miss raised questions about how sustainable those numbers would be. The regression hit hard last year, as he stumbled to a .217/.278/.327 showing in 243 plate appearances.
Fitzgerald continued to struggle after being optioned in June. San Francisco’s signing of Luis Arraez to play second base essentially spelled the end of his time in the organization. Fitzgerald has struggled in the early going in Triple-A, striking out 19 times in his first nine games. The roster tumult probably hasn’t helped him establish any kind of rhythm, yet the whiffs have been the main concern throughout his career.
The Dodgers don’t have a great path to playing time available. Alex Freeland, Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas and Santiago Espinal are all on the big league roster. Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman and Kiké Hernández are on the injured list.
There’s minimal cost for the Dodgers in adding Fitzgerald as multi-positional infield depth. Knack has been out all season with an intercostal strain. There’s no timetable on his return, but he’s evidently not going to be ready before the final week of May.
Marlins Place Pete Fairbanks On Injured List
The Marlins are placing closer Pete Fairbanks on the 15-day injured list with nerve irritation, reports Christina De Nicola of MLB.com. The righty left last night’s loss to the Dodgers with hand numbness. Miami recalled lefty Cade Gibson from Triple-A Jacksonville in the corresponding move.
Fairbanks’ time in Miami has gotten out to a rough start. He has surrendered 10 runs on nine hits, four walks, and a hit batter through his first nine innings. Fairbanks has technically gone 5-6 in save chances, but he has now had a trio of outings in which he has allowed three runs. That included last night’s tough appearance at Dodger Stadium.
Called upon to protect a 4-2 lead, Fairbanks walked Andy Pages and Dalton Rushing. After Miguel Rojas popped up a bunt attempt, Shohei Ohtani hit an RBI ground-rule double. The Marlins then intentionally walked Freddie Freeman. Fairbanks left the game with the bases loaded after the team noticed the hand discomfort. Tyler Phillips was pressed into a difficult situation and gave up a walk-off, two-run single to Kyle Tucker.
Fairbanks signed a one-year, $13MM free agent deal over the winter. He was a priority target for a Miami team that needed a high-leverage reliever to replace the injured Ronny Henriquez. Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix was previously the GM in Tampa Bay and knows Fairbanks well.
De Nicola notes that the Marlins are hopeful it’ll be a minimal injured list stay. Fairbanks had avoided the IL last season but has had a history of nerve issues. That has previously been connected to Raynaud’s syndrome, a diminished blood flow that leads to numbness in his fingers — usually in cold weather. The cold wasn’t an issue last night and it’s unclear if this nerve situation is related to the Raynaud’s condition. Fairbanks missed three weeks with a nerve issue between April-May 2024.
Phillips, Anthony Bender, and Michael Petersen each have one save in the early going. Petersen is generally a lower-leverage arm. Phillips, Bender or Calvin Faucher could all find themselves in the ninth-inning mix while Fairbanks is out.
Jonathan India Undergoes Season-Ending Labrum Surgery
The Royals announced that second baseman Jonathan India underwent a labrum repair on his left shoulder today. He’ll miss the rest of the season.
India’s second season in Kansas City ends after 17 games. He batted .167 with a pair of home runs while reaching base at a .310 clip. There’s a decent chance this will make an unfortunate end to India’s tenure with the Royals. Acquired from the Reds over the 2024-25 offseason for Brady Singer, he had a disappointing .233/.323/.346 line a season ago.
It’s the continuation of a downward trend for the 2021 NL Rookie of the Year. The former fifth overall pick broke into the majors with a .269/.376/.459 line and 21 home runs. His offensive numbers dropped to league average over the next three seasons as he began battling injuries. India missed time in 2022 with a hamstring strain and dealt with plantar fasciitis in ’23. He played a career-high 151 games during his final season as a Red, hitting .248/.357/.392 with 15 longballs.
Kansas City acquired India in the hope that he’d be a high-OBP presence in front of Bobby Witt Jr. atop the lineup. They also tried to move the career-long second baseman to a utility role. Neither goal worked as intended, as India struggled to get comfortable in left field or at third base. The Royals moved him back to second base full time last May. He also didn’t hit much and dropped to the bottom third of the order in August.
India hasn’t been playing at full strength for much of that time. He first injured his left shoulder diving for a ground-ball last June. He played through the injury in the second half and for the first few weeks of this season before going on the injured list on April 20. It evidently reached a point where he could no longer avoid surgery.
The Royals tendered India an $8MM arbitration contract over the offseason. It was an odd move even at the time, especially if they had any indication the shoulder might remain a problem going into 2026. Their hope for a rebound didn’t pan out and they’re left with an underwhelming second base outlook.
Michael Massey will be the primary second baseman for the time being. He has some power and was a league average hitter back in 2024. Massey battled injury and didn’t hit last season (.244/.268/.313 through 277 PAs). The lefty hitter has a homer and five doubles in 47 plate appearances this year, but he has only walked twice while striking out 11 times.
Righty-hitting Nick Loftin, a career .223/.301/.328 hitter, is K.C.’s primary alternative to Massey. Kevin Newman, Josh Rojas and Abraham Toro are all in the organization on minor league contracts. None of them has topped a .716 OPS against Triple-A pitching.
It’d be an obvious area for the Royals to address if they’re in position to add at the trade deadline. Their 11-17 start isn’t encouraging in that regard, but they’ve rebounded from an eight-game losing skid to win four of their last five. The entire AL Central has played average or worse ball to this point, so it’s much too soon to write the Royals off. Luis Arraez and Brandon Lowe are impending free agents whose potential trade candidacies in July hinge on the respective performances of the Giants and Pirates. Gleyber Torres is also in his walk year, though it’d take an unexpected Tigers collapse for them to trade him to a division opponent.
India will be a first-time free agent next winter. He’s either looking at a minor league contract or an incentive-laden, one-year MLB deal. The Royals will move him to the 60-day injured list whenever they need to open a 40-man roster spot.
Twins Select Luis García, Designate Zak Kent For Assignment
The Twins have placed right-hander Garrett Acton on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain. To take his place on the active roster, they have selected the contract of fellow righty Luis García. To open a 40-man spot for Garcia, righty Zak Kent has been designated for assignment. Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune was the first to report the moves.
Garcia is a 39-year old veteran who debuted in the big leagues way back in 2013. He began this campaign with the Mets on a one-year deal worth $1.75MM. The Mets quickly pulled the plug on García after just six appearances of poor results and diminished velocity. After being released, he landed with the Twins on a minor league deal.
As recently as last year, García was an effective big leaguer. He split the season between the Dodgers, Nationals and Angels, tossing 55 1/3 innings with a 3.42 earned run average. His 20.6% strikeout rate and 11.2% walk rate were subpar but his 49.7% ground ball rate was quite strong.
But as mentioned, his 2026 season got out to an inauspicious start. He allowed five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. His sinker averaged 94 miles per hour after being at 96.9 mph last year. Since joining the Twins, he has made two Triple-A appearances, allowing one earned run in two innings. His sinker velocity ticked back up to 96.2 mph in that small sample.
The Twins will plug him into their bullpen to cover for Acton’s injury. It’s a minimal commitment from a financial point of view. Assuming his deal with the Mets didn’t have an advanced consent clause, which would mean his salary wouldn’t become guaranteed until 45 days into the season, the Mets are on the hook for the remainder of his $1.75MM salary. The Twins will only have to pay him the prorated version of the league minimum for any time spent on the roster. García has more than enough service time to have the right to refuse an optional assignment to the minor league but the Twins could decide to cut bait on him at some point if things don’t work out, due to the minimal commitment.
Kent, 28, appears to be bucketed as a guy who is worth rostering but just barely. He rode the waiver wire this offseason, going from the Guardians to the Cardinals, Rangers, Cardinals again, then finally the Twins.
He broke camp with Minnesota this year but made just two appearances, allowing two earned runs in 3 2/3 innings, before being optioned to the minors. Combined with his work with the Guardians last year, he now has a 4.64 ERA in 21 1/3 big league innings.
His recent work in the minors has featured some punchouts but also some wildness. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has thrown 73 1/3 innings on the farm with a 4.17 ERA, strong 27.9% strikeout rate but high 14.2% walk rate.
He is now pushed into DFA limbo yet again, a process which can take as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Twins could take as long as five days to explore trade interest, though they could also put Kent on waivers earlier than they if they so choose. His results have been uneven in recent years but he is still optionable for the rest of this season, which could appeal to clubs looking for some extra depth. It’s clear that some clubs like him based on all the waiver claims this winter.
Photo courtesy of Gregory Fisher, Imagn Images
Justin Steele Out Beyond All-Star Break Due To Flexor Strain
4:40pm: Manager Craig Counsell tells 104.3 The Score that Steele has a flexor strain and will be re-evaluated in a month. The skipper tells Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network that Steele is no longer expected back before the All-Star Break.
3:55pm: Cubs left-hander Justin Steele has hit a setback in his recovery from last year’s elbow surgery, reports Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The specifics of the setback aren’t clear but Rogers suggests that Steele’s return timeline is likely to be pushed into the future.
Steele underwent surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in April of 2025. The Cubs called it a “revision repair”, something less than a full Tommy John surgery, and suggested Steele could be back in about a year’s time. He was throwing off a mound by the end of January 2026, creating some hope that he could return fairly early in 2026.
The Cubs put Steele on the 60-day injured list just as the season was beginning, meaning he couldn’t officially return prior to late May. Even that timeline may no longer be on the table, as Rogers says the plan of returning by Memorial Day may now be in jeopardy.
Further details will likely be forthcoming from the club prior to tonight’s game. Whenever Steele is finally healthy, it will still be a while before he can rejoin the club. He’ll need to build up through the standard steps of throwing bullpens, then live batting practice, then a rehab assignment, with that overall process to take at least a few weeks.
It’s the latest bit of rough injury news for the Cubs. They have had a number of pitchers hit the injured list this year. In terms of quantity, most of the guys on the IL have been relievers. But the most notable blow has been that starter Cade Horton required Tommy John surgery and will miss the remainder of the season.
As of a few weeks ago, it was possible to imagine the Chicago rotation having Steele, Horton and Edward Cabrera in the top three spots. Now Horton is ruled out completely and Steele is up in the air. Cabrera has a 2.73 earned run average but with some worrying signs under the hood. His four-seam velocity is down more than a tick, having gone from last year’s 97 miles per hour to this year’s 95.7. His strikeout rate has also fallen, sitting at 18.5% this year, a huge drop from the 25.8% rate he had in 2025.
The current rotation is therefore lacking in upside compared to the theoretical one they could have had. Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga and Colin Rea are talented pitchers but the whole group would be better if Steele and Horton were in it and if Cabrera was shoving more concretely.
Despite all the injuries, the Cubs have a strong 17-12 record. Assuming they stay in contention for the next few months, they were likely going to be looking for rotation upgrades to replace Horton. If Steele’s setback proves significant, then that should only increase their urgency there. If another injury pops up in the meantime, Javier Assad is probably the next man up, as he is currently pitching in long relief out of the bullpen.
Photo courtesy of Matt Marton, Imagn Images
A’s Place Max Muncy On Injured List Due To Broken Finger
4:05pm: Muncy did indeed suffer his injury against the Rangers on April 13 and tried to play through it, per Martín Gallegos of MLB.com.
4:00pm: The Athletics placed infielder Max Muncy on the 10-day injured list due to a fractured fifth metacarpal in his left hand, per a team announcement. Fellow infielder Brett Harris is up from Triple-A to take his place on the active roster.
The 23-year-old Muncy — not to be confused with the unrelated Dodgers third baseman of the same name — was the Athletics’ first-round pick in 2021 and has been their primary third baseman so far in 2026. He’s out to a decent .239/.308/.402 start. Muncy has smacked a pair of homers, gone 2-for-3 in stolen base attempts, and added five doubles and a pair of triples. He’s walked at a below-average 5.8% clip and struck out in an alarming 35.6% of his plate appearances. He’s been a thorn in the side of left-handed pitching, in particular, tallying five extra-base hits and five walks in only 34 plate appearances against southpaws.
It’s not entirely clear when Muncy suffered the injury, though his performance gives us a good clue. He had a mammoth showing in spring training (.380/.466/.800, five homers in 58 plate appearances) and sprinted out of the gates with a .317/.349/.533 showing in his first 63 trips to the plate during the regular season. Muncy was hit on the bands by a Nathan Eovaldi pitch on April 13, and his bat his since gone in the tank. He’s mired in an awful 3-for-32 stretch and has fanned 15 times in his past 41 turns at the plate. The original diagnosis at the time was a bruised left hand, but it’s fairly common for swelling to obscure a fracture in the immediate aftermath of a hit-by-pitch.
Muncy has yet to firmly cement himself as an everyday player in the big leagues and probably won’t do so unless he’s able to whittle down that sky-high strikeout rate. (He had a 34.9% strikeout rate even in that torrid stretch of 63 plate appearances to begin his season.) He knocked Triple-A pitching around at a hearty .325/.397/.504 clip in 141 plate appearances last year and has been consistently productive in the minors since reaching the Double-A level. Strikeouts haven’t been a major issue in the upper minors — he’s fanned at just a 23% clip in Triple-A — perhaps giving cause for optimism that he can eventually scale back his strikeouts in the majors.
Even if Muncy doesn’t settle in as a regular at the hot corner, there’s enough pop in his bat and enough versatility in his defensive repertoire that he could profile as a utility option. He has experience at shortstop, third base and second base. Scouting reports have long pegged him as an adequate shortstop who could handle second or third if needed. His hit tool is below average, but he’s generally credited with average power, if not slightly better. He’s not a burner on the bases but has above-average speed, sitting in the 72nd percentile of big leaguers this season.
The A’s haven’t provided a timetable, but a broken finger in the infielder’s glove hand seems like it’ll sideline him for more than a minimum stint. In the interim, the A’s can go with a combination of Harris and Darell Hernaiz at third base. They could also slide Jeff McNeil over to the hot corner in order to clear some playing time at second base for Zack Gelof, although the 26-year-old Gelof has struggled immensely since a promising rookie showing back in 2023.
Shaun Anderson Elects Free Agency
The Angels announced Tuesday that right-hander Shaun Anderson, who was designated for assignment a few days ago, passed through waivers unclaimed. The Halos outrighted Anderson to Triple-A, but he rejected the assignment (which is his right as a player who has previously been outrighted in the past). He’s elected free agency instead.
Anderson tossed 16 2/3 innings out of the Angels’ bullpen this season. The 31-year-old was hit hard, surrendering 13 runs (11 earned) on 17 hits and eight walks with a dozen strikeouts. He also hit a batter and threw a wild pitch.
That’s now parts of seven seasons in the majors for Anderson, although most of his looks in the majors have been fleeting — as evidenced by the fact that he’s accrued only two-plus years of service in those seven partial seasons. The 2016 third-rounder (Red Sox) has a career 6.35 ERA with a subpar 16.7% strikeout rate against a solid but unspectacular 8.8% walk rate. His slider and changeup have both graded as plus pitches at various points in the past, but not much from Anderson’s arsenal has generated positive results in recent seasons.
Anderson had a solid run with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Kia Tigers in 2023 and posted very strong minor league numbers between the Triple-A affiliates for the Rangers and Marlins in 2024 (3.00 ERA, 23.4 K%, 5.9 BB%). He spent the bulk of the 2025 season in the Angels’ Triple-A rotation and was tagged for a 6.02 ERA in 23 starts (plus one bullpen outing). That rough season skewed his career line in Triple-A, but Anderson still carries a 4.35 ERA in 428 2/3 innings at that level, even with last year’s 6.02 mark in 116 2/3 frames.
Cubs Claim Doug Nikhazy, Designate Ben Cowles For Assignment
The Cubs have claimed left-hander Doug Nikhazy off waivers from the White Sox and optioned him to Triple-A Iowa. There wasn’t any previous indication Nikhazy had been removed from the Sox roster but it appears they tried to sneak him through waivers in recent days. The Cubs designated infielder Ben Cowles for assignment to open a 40-man spot. Jordan Bastian of MLB.com was the first to report the moves.
It’s mildly surprising that the Sox put Nikhazy on the wire. He has options and has mostly been in the minors as depth since they claimed him off waivers three weeks ago. They don’t have 40-man pressure, as guys like Tanner Murray and Drew Thorpe are 60-day IL candidates. Perhaps the Sox felt now was a good time to try to pass Nikhazy through waivers since he has an 8.71 earned run average in Triple-A this year.
Instead, the Cubs have swooped in and put the kibosh on that plan. The North Siders are looking past this year’s struggles and focusing on Nikhazy’s better numbers in previous seasons. The southpaw had a strong 2024 campaign in the Guardians’ system, tossing 123 2/3 innings on the farm with a 2.98 ERA. His 10.8% walk rate was high but he struck out 25.4% of batters faced.
He hasn’t been in amazing form since then. He made a brief major league debut in 2025 but spent most of the season in the minors, where he posted a 5.02 ERA. As mentioned, this year has been even worse so far. Despite the poor results of late, he clearly still has interest around the league. The Guards put him on waivers a few weeks ago, which is when the Sox scooped him up. Now the Cubs are taking a turn.
The Cubs have had a large number of pitching injuries this year, moreso in the bullpen than in the rotation. Nikhazy gives them some extra starting depth but perhaps could be recalled if they need a spot start or another long relief option in the bullpen. His stuff isn’t overpowering, as he averages around 90 miles per hour with his fastball. Between that and his subpar control, perhaps he should be moved to the bullpen so that his stuff could play up, but he’s mostly been a starter/swingman to this point in his career.
Cowles, 26, is clearly in a fringe zone where he’s considered a borderline roster guy. The Cubs put him on their 40-man roster in November of 2024. He was designated for assignment in September of last year and claimed by the White Sox. In the offseason, he went to the Cubs, to the Blue Jays and then back to the Cubs via waiver claims. Now he’s been bumped into DFA limbo once again.
Despite all that time on various rosters, he is still looking to make his major league debut, since he hasn’t been producing much in the minors. Back in 2024, he slashed .286/.372/.457 in Double-A, which is why the Cubs gave him a roster spot in the first place. But since then, he has a .235/.305/.372 line in Triple-A.
DFA limbo can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Cubs could take five days to explore trade interest. Cowles hasn’t been hitting for the past year-plus but he does provide speed and defensive versatility. He’s generally good for about 15 to 25 steals per year. Defensively, he has spent time at the three infield spots to the left of first base as well as left field. He still has options and could be stashed in the minors for the rest of this season and one additional campaign.
Photo courtesy of Ed Szczepanski, Imagn Images
Yankees Place Giancarlo Stanton On Injured List
April 28th: The Yanks officially put Stanton on the IL today, with infielder Max Schuemann recalled as the corresponding move. It appears the Yanks will play one more game with 14 position players and 12 pitchers. They plan to recall Elmer Rodríguez to start Wednesday’s game, so it may just be a one-day stint on the roster for Schuemann.
April 27th: The Yankees are placing Giancarlo Stanton on the 10-day injured list with a “low-grade” strain of his right calf, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (relayed by Erik Boland of Newsday). They can backdate the placement to April 25.
New York recalled Jasson Domínguez to serve as the designated hitter in tonight’s 4-2 win over the Rangers. They played with 14 position players and only 12 pitchers after optioning struggling starter Luis Gil on Sunday. That means they’ll probably recall a reliever tomorrow as the corresponding move for the Stanton IL placement.
Stanton tweaked his calf on Friday while running the bases. The Yankees gave it a few days before making the IL move. Between that and Boone specifying that it’s of a low-grade variety, it doesn’t seem the club anticipates an extended absence. Stanton will need at least another week before he’s able to return to action.
It’s the first injury of the 2026 season for Stanton. He has required at least one IL trip in every year since 2018 and hasn’t reached 500 plate appearances in a season in five years. The Yankees surely anticipated at least one injury absence from the five-time All-Star.
Stanton is out to a league average start at the plate. He’s hitting .256/.302/.422 with a trio of home runs through 96 plate appearances. The power numbers are down in the early going, but Stanton still ranks at the top of the league in bat speed and exit velocity. Even if repeating last season’s .273/.350/.594 slash would be a tough ask, he should remain an impact power threat when he’s able to take the field.
This should open the DH spot for Domínguez, at least against right-handed pitching. He got the nod tonight against Jack Leiter and went 1-4 in his season debut. The Yankees face two more right-handers, Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi, to close that three-game series. The switch-hitting Domínguez has been much better from the left side in his career and would be the sensible choice to start those games.
The complicating factor is that the Yankees are expected to welcome Anthony Volpe back from the injured list this week. That’ll push José Caballero to a utility role and someone off the big league bench — presuming they don’t want to stick with a 12-man pitching staff. Ben Rice hasn’t caught all season and is destroying the ball as the primary first baseman. They may not want to mess with that arrangement by optioning J.C. Escarra and making Rice the backup catcher.
They could option Domínguez back to Triple-A, but he’s probably not benefiting much from destroying mediocre minor league pitching. He was squeezed off the season-opening roster simply because the Yankees couldn’t find a path to getting him everyday playing time, which is now open at DH as long as Stanton is on the shelf.
That could instead point to them designating a veteran role player for assignment once Volpe returns. Randal Grichuk broke camp in a short side platoon outfield role and is hitting .194 without a home run over 33 plate appearances. Paul Goldschmidt has had a slow start as well but figures to have a longer leash in his second season in the Bronx on a $4MM contract.
Mets Place Kodai Senga On Injured List
The Mets announced Tuesday that righty Kodai Senga has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to lumbar spinal inflammation. Right-hander Christian Scott has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse in his place.
Senga, the 2023 National League Rookie of the Year runner-up, has seen his standing in the Mets organization drop precipitously in recent seasons. He missed the 2024 season due to injury, came back strong early in 2025 but crumbled over the summer. Although he finished the 2025 season with a 3.02 ERA, all of Senga’s production came in the season’s first three months. He struggled so much in the summer — 6.56 ERA, eight homers, 22 walks in 35 2/3 innings — that he consented to be optioned by the Mets.
The early returns in 2026 were promising. Senga yielded only two runs with an 11-to-1 K/BB ratio in 9 2/3 spring frames. He totaled 11 2/3 innings and held opponents to four runs with a 16-to-5 K/BB ratio in his first two starts this year. He looked to be getting back on track — at least until his third start of the season. Senga was tagged for seven runs, followed with another seven-run clunker (six earned), and lasted only 2 2/3 innings (three runs allowed) in his most recent start. Over his past three turns, he’s totaled just 8 1/3 innings but been shelled for 16 earned runs on the strength of five homers — all with more walks issued (eight) than strikeouts recorded (seven).
Senga averaged a hefty 97.4 mph on his four-seamer in his 2026 debut, but it’s been downhill since then. His average fastball dipped to 96 mph in his second start and sat between 95.1 mph and 95.7 mph in each of his three subsequent starts. That’s still better-than-average velocity, but a drop of two miles per hour since March 31 certainly seems to suggest that he’s been pitching at less than 100 percent.
The Mets haven’t provided a timetable for Senga’s return. That’ll presumably come closer to today’s game, when skipper Carlos Mendoza meets with the media. Regardless, today’s injury announcement continues a worrying downward trendline for Senga. His struggles have played a notable role in the Mets’ underperformance as a whole, and getting the right-hander healthy would go a long way toward the Mets digging themselves out of the awful 9-19 hole they’ve dug in the season’s first month.
Scott, once one of the game’s top pitching prospects, will look to play his own role in that turnaround. He entered the 2024 season considered to be the Mets’ top pitching prospect and one of the top 100 prospects in the sport. He had a decent debut that summer but wound up requiring Tommy John surgery that wiped out his entire 2025 campaign. Scott made his big league return last week against the Twins, and it didn’t go well; he faced 10 batters, walking five of them and plunking a sixth. He didn’t make it out of the second inning, and the Mets optioned him back to Triple-A the following day.
That’s not a great start to his big league campaign, but Scott has had more encouraging results in Syracuse. Granted, a 5.27 ERA isn’t much to look at, but it’s come in a small sample of 13 2/3 innings. Scott was roughed up for six runs through 3 1/3 frames in his first game action since 2024, but he rebounded with just two total runs allowed across 10 1/3 innings in his next two Triple-A starts. He’s sitting on a strong 17-to-2 K/BB ratio in Syracuse, though he’s also hit a pair of batters there. Still, Scott has a nearly 30% strikeout rate and is sitting 95.4 mph on his four-seamer this year — a full mile per hour north of the 94.1 mph he averaged back in 2024.
The Mets have gotten brilliant results from rookie ace Nolan McLean and veteran Clay Holmes. Offseason acquisition Freddy Peralta had a rocky start but has strung together three sharp outings. Senga and David Peterson have struggled throughout the year. The former is now on the injured list, while the latter was moved into the bullpen for the current turn through the rotation. If Scott struggles again in Senga’s place, it’s possible Peterson will be plugged back into that rotation spot, but the situation seems fluid with several underperforming and/or injured options on the staff.