Latest On Padres’ Pitching Staff
The Padres have weathered their shaky early-season rotation to conclude April with a strong 19-11 record. Their starting pitching group should improve within the next couple weeks, which could lead to some decisions for the front office.
Griffin Canning seems assured of a rotation spot once he’s back from last summer’s ACL tear. Canning has taken five rehab starts with Triple-A El Paso. He got to five innings and 68 pitches on Tuesday. Pitchers can spend up to 30 days on a minor league rehab assignment. Canning began his rehab work on April 4. He could make one more Triple-A start but should be activated by the beginning of next week.
Lucas Giolito isn’t too far behind. The righty consented to an optional assignment to build up after signing a one-year deal on April 22. That came with the stipulation that he be recalled within 25 days. He’ll be on the MLB roster by the middle of May at the latest. Giolito made his second start with Low-A Lake Elsinore tonight, building to 70 pitches over 4 1/3 frames. He may not need the full 25-day window.
None of San Diego’s current five starters can be optioned. Michael King isn’t going anywhere, and Randy Vásquez has nailed down his spot with an excellent April. Walker Buehler, Germán Márquez, and Matt Waldron are the three pitchers trying to hold rotation spots.
Márquez will take the ball tomorrow to open a weekend series against the White Sox. King and Vásquez round out that set. The Friars have not yet listed probable starters for next week’s road series in San Francisco — which would be Buehler’s and Waldron’s turns if they stay on their current schedule.
Buehler has a 5.40 earned run average through six starts. He’s getting ground-balls but has a modest 7.8% swinging strike rate and has only once gone beyond five innings. Márquez will make his sixth start of the year on Friday. He has two scoreless outings but has allowed four runs in each of his three other appearances while struggling with the home run ball.
The knuckleballer Waldron was blown up by the Angels and Rockies in his first two starts of the season. He had a more competitive though unspectacular outing against the Cubs yesterday, giving up three runs over five innings. The out-of-options righty has only fanned eight of 69 opponents (11.6%) since returning from a brief injured list stint.
Jeff Sanders of The San Diego Union-Tribune floats the possibility of the Friars going to a six-man rotation or using openers/tandem starts on days when King doesn’t pitch. They were off today but play on 10 straight days beginning tomorrow. After an off day on May 11, they’ll play nine consecutive games.
Of course, the drawback with a six-man rotation or tandem starts would be the need to drop to a seven-man bullpen. San Diego optioned David Morgan this evening, per the MLB.com transaction tracker. They didn’t announce a corresponding move and seem likely to activate Yuki Matsui from his season-opening groin strain tomorrow. Jeremiah Estrada began a rehab stint this week as well.
The Padres can option Kyle Hart to clear one active roster spot. Their only other optionable reliever (aside from Mason Miller) is hard-throwing rookie Bradgley Rodriguez, who has a trio of holds and has allowed only three runs across 14 1/3 innings. He’d be tough to send down. They’ve held the out-of-options Ron Marinaccio all season. He has allowed 10 runs over 16 2/3 frames in a low-leverage role.
There’s still no defined timeline on Joe Musgrove or Nick Pivetta. The former has yet to resume throwing off a mound after a setback in his recovery from elbow surgery. Pivetta went down with a flexor strain a couple weeks ago and might be months off.
Vince Velasquez Elects Free Agency
Righty Vince Velasquez elected free agency after being outrighted by the Cubs on Tuesday, according to the MiLB.com transaction tracker. Infielder Scott Kingery was also outrighted and had the right to test the market, but he evidently accepted the assignment. He’s in the lineup tonight with Triple-A Iowa.
Velasquez signed an offseason minor league deal with Chicago. He started three of four appearances with Iowa, allowing eight runs (seven earned) through 17 innings. He struck out 19 opponents while issuing nine walks and hitting a batter.
The Cubs brought Velasquez up for a long relief spot last week. He pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames in a blowout loss to the Dodgers. That was his first MLB appearance in three years. Velasquez threw 31 pitches and wasn’t going to be available the next day, so the Cubs designated him for assignment. He went unclaimed on waivers.
There’s a decent chance Velasquez returns to the Cubs on a new minor league deal. That’s the most common outcome in these situations, but the 33-year-old could explore opportunities elsewhere if he sees a better path back to the highest level with a different organization.
Angels Re-Sign Shaun Anderson To Minor League Deal
The Angels announced they’ve re-signed righty Shaun Anderson to a minor league contract. He elected free agency on Tuesday after being outrighted off the big league roster.
Anderson and the Angels clearly have a strong relationship. This is the sixth minor league deal upon which they’ve agreed over the last two seasons. The Halos have called him up a few times when they need a long reliever. He’s usually designated for assignment a few days later when they bring up a new fresh arm. Anderson clears waivers, elects free agency, then returns on a new non-roster deal.
The 31-year-old got a little longer run this month. Anderson was on the MLB roster between March 29 and April 26. He made nine appearances and allowed 13 runs (11 earned) over 16 2/3 innings. He punched out 12, issued eight walks, and surrendered a trio of homers. Anderson is up to 28 MLB frames in a Halos uniform with a 7.71 ERA since the start of 2025.
The Florida product spent the majority of last season at Triple-A Salt Lake. He worked out of the rotation and allowed just over six earned runs per nine through 24 appearances. He’ll probably stay stretched out as a starter with the Bees.
Foster Griffin, Early Prize Of The International Free Agent Arms
The 2025-26 free agent class featured a lengthy list of pitchers coming over from Asia. They brought varying resumes and asking prices but were typically lumped together during offseason discussions. Left-hander Foster Griffin was one of the less heralded members of the group. Despite the lack of fanfare, he’s off to the best start.
Griffin landed with the Nationals on a modest one-year, $5.5MM agreement. A 2014 first-round draft pick, Griffin pitched briefly with the Royals and Blue Jays in parts of two seasons. After six MLB appearances in 2022, he departed for Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Griffin put together three strong campaigns with the Yomiuri Giants. The lefty delivered a 2.57 ERA with a 25.1% strikeout rate across 54 appearances (53 starts). Griffin missed time in 2025 with a leg injury that limited him to 78 innings. He was excellent when healthy, posting a 1.62 ERA backed by a 2.35 xFIP.
Through six starts, Griffin basically looks like the guy he was during his NPB stint. It’s a 2.67 ERA with decent strikeouts and a low walk rate. The main difference has been home runs, as Griffin has been taken deep five times in 33 2/3 innings. His worst home run per nine innings rate in Japan was a 0.69 mark in 2024. That number is up to 1.34 with Washington. The increase in long balls makes sense given the league context of MLB compared to NPB.
Griffin returned to big-league action with nearly twice as many pitches as he had in his last MLB stint. The lefty has added a sweeper, sinker, and splitter to a repertoire that included a four-seamer, cutter, curveball, and changeup. He’s throwing them all regularly, too. Griffin has used all seven of his pitches at least 7.8% of the time. The cutter leads the way at 30.1%, but no other Griffin offering has more than a 16% usage rate.
The diverse arsenal has helped Griffin limit damage, even with a fastball that averages 91 mph. His 37.9% hard-hit rate and 88.9 mph average exit velocity are squarely league average. Griffin’s 12.6% barrel rate is a concerning mark and could explain the elevated home run numbers. The lefty’s 3.94 xFIP and 3.95 SIERA suggest he won’t be a sub-3.00 ERA pitcher for long, but the ingredients are there for Griffin to stabilize a rotation without many reliable arms.
The Nationals filled out their pitching staff with cheap veterans around Cade Cavalli and Jake Irvin. Zack Littell (one-year, $7MM) and Miles Mikolas (one-year, $2.25MM) joined Griffin as experienced arms capable of eating innings. Littell has allowed a league-leading 13 home runs, four more than any other pitcher. Mikolas was hammered for 15 earned runs in his first two outings. He’s since been moved to a bulk relief role, though he started against the Mets today. Littell and Mikolas might not be long for the rotation, but going 1-for-3 on a group of free agent pitchers that cost less than $15MM combined seems like a win for new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni.
There are some signs to suggest it may not be sustainable. Griffin has allowed a .233 batting average on balls in play and has a 90.3% strand rate, both very fortunate numbers. That’s why some measures like his aforementioned xFIP and SIERA are not as bullish on his work so far this season. It’s possible he’s been walking a tightrope in this small sample and could fall off at any point.
Caveats aside, it’s not as though the other guys who crossed the Pacific are doing any better. Here’s a quick review of the other pitchers to come over from Asia this offseason…
Tatsuya Imai, Houston Astros (three years, $54MM)
Imai was one of the biggest starting pitchers on the market this winter. MLBTR ranked him at No. 7 in the annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents article. The righty earned his first MLB win with 5 2/3 scoreless innings against the Athletics, but that outing was sandwiched by two disastrous starts against the Angels and Mariners. Imai was pulled in the first inning in Seattle after four walks and a hit by pitch. He soon went on the IL with right arm fatigue.
Cody Ponce, Toronto Blue Jays (three years, $30MM)
Ponce came in at No. 39 on our top free agents list. He pitched in NPB and the Korea Baseball Organization over the past four seasons. Ponce’s long-awaited MLB return was ruined by a knee injury in his first start. He came up limping after reaching for a ground ball and was eventually diagnosed with a torn ACL. Ponce pitched well in MLB Spring Training, but his 2026 MLB sample will consist of just 2 1/3 innings.
Ryan Weiss, Houston Astros (one year, $2.6MM)
It was a winding road for Weiss to get to the big leagues. The former Diamondbacks farmhand spent time in the independent Atlantic League, Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League, and KBO before winding up with the Astros. Weiss has mostly been used in long relief. He’s recorded a 6.65 ERA across 21 2/3 frames. Weiss has punched out more than a batter per inning, but he has a bloated 15.1% walk rate. He’s also allowed a home run in six of eight appearances. Free baserunners and a penchant for homers is a rough combination.
Anthony Kay, Chicago White Sox (two years, $12MM)
Kay came in with the most MLB experience of the group. He pitched in parts of five seasons with the Blue Jays, Cubs, and Mets. The lefty had some prospect pedigree when he debuted with Toronto in 2019, but the results tended to be underwhelming. Kay has scuffled to a 6.12 ERA in six appearances with the White Sox. He’s shown the improved velocity that put him back on the MLB radar, sitting 95.8 mph with the four-seamer, but the pitch has been pounded for a .368 BA and a .684 SLG.
Drew Anderson, Detroit Tigers (one year, $7MM)
Anderson last pitched in the big leagues with Texas in 2021. He put together a strong MLB Spring Training (0.69 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate) and broke camp as the long man in Detroit’s bullpen. Anderson has struck out opponents at a solid 25.8% clip, but he’s also been done in by walks (12.1%) and home runs (1.80 HR/9). The righty does have a sub-4.00 xFIP and SIERA, so perhaps better days are ahead. He pitched two scoreless innings to get the win against the Braves this afternoon.
Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images
Brandon Woodruff Sent For MRI After Velocity Dip
6:52pm: Woodruff has indeed gone for an MRI, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Murphy said an injured list stint is a possibility but did not commit to that pending the imaging results.
1:53pm: Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff was removed from today’s game in the second inning with his velocity notably lower than usual. It quickly became obvious that something was off, as he started the game with his velocity way down. His fastballs were averaging around 85 miles per hour today, whereas he had been around 93 mph in his previous outings this year.
At this point, it’s unclear what the problem is, as Woodruff evidently wasn’t experiencing any pain. “He wasn’t himself,” manager Pat Murphy said in a mid-game interview on the TV broadcast, relayed by Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “He felt like, felt kind of dead. He said he didn’t feel any pain, just nothing was coming out. We’ve seen a little bit of this, but never at this level, where he can’t get the ball over 85 mph. He’s so important to us. We’re not going to risk anything, maybe long-term by having him to try to step on it. He’s going through this process and hopefully will be okay.”
A 7 mph drop in velocity would be worrisome for any pitcher. The concern is heightened since this relates to Woodruff, given his recent history. Shoulder problems limited him to just 11 starts in 2023. He eventually required surgery, which wiped out his entire 2024 campaign. He was able to return to the mound in the summer of 2025 and made 12 good starts, but finished the season on the injured list with a lat strain.
The Brewers felt good enough about Woodruff’s health to make him a $22.025MM qualifying offer, a notable gesture for a club that rarely pays players at that level. Woodruff took some time to explore his opportunities but eventually accepted the QO and returned to Milwaukee for 2026.
Coming into this year, he was ramped up in measured fashion and it wasn’t clear if he would be built up in time for the Opening Day roster, but he did eventually break camp with the Brewers. Through his first five starts, he had a solid 3.77 earned run average, though with some yellow flags. His 20% strikeout rate was a big drop from last year’s 32.3% clip. He seemed to benefit from a .235 batting average on balls in play. ERA estimators like his 4.06 FIP and his 4.27 SIERA felt he was lucky to have his ERA under 4.00.
Presumably, Woodruff is slated for some testing, with more information to be revealed in the coming days and weeks. If Woodruff needs to spend some time on the injured list, that would be a blow to the Milwaukee rotation. He is capable of ace-level production when at his best, with a 3.13 ERA and 28.8% strikeout rate in his career. But due to the shoulder issues, he hasn’t made more than 12 starts in a season since 2022.
The rest of the Milwaukee rotation is currently manned by Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Chad Patrick and Brandon Sproat. Someone would have to step up to replace Woodruff if he needs to miss some time. DL Hall, Shane Drohan and Jake Woodford have been working multiple innings out of the bullpen of late and could perhaps step up with a spot start or working as a bulk guy in a bullpen game.
They also have guys in the minors they could pull from. Logan Henderson, Coleman Crow, Robert Gasser and Carlos Rodriguez are all on optional assignment in Triple-A. Any one of them could be an option to make a spot start or perhaps get a few turns in the rotation, depending on how Woodruff’s situation eventually pans out.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Tommy Kahnle Has Upward Mobility Clause In Red Sox Deal
Veteran right-hander Tommy Kahnle, currently pitching with the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate, has an upward mobility clause in his deal that he can trigger tomorrow, writes Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. The clause was reported at the time of Kahnle’s signing in Boston, but it still bears mentioning with the seasoned setup man pitching well in the upper minors at present.
If triggered, an upward mobility clause would push the Sox to make Kahnle available to all 29 other clubs. If any other club would put him on its major league roster, the Red Sox would either have to select Kahnle to their own 40-man roster or, if they’re not willing to do so, allow him to depart to an organization that would put him in the major league bullpen. Such clauses are common in minor league deals for veteran players.
Through the season’s first month, Kahnle has done a nice job trying to force Boston’s hand. The 36-year-old has pitched 8 1/3 innings out of the Worcester bullpen, allowing three earned runs (3.24 ERA) on eight hits and three walks. He’s fanned eight of the 36 batters he’s faced (22.2%), hasn’t allowed a home run and has done a decent job avoiding too much hard contact (88.3 mph average exit velocity, no barrels, 41.7% hard-hit rate).
Kahnle’s 92.7 mph average fastball would be the lowest of his career, although through the first month of the 2025 season in Detroit, he wasn’t much higher (93.1 mph). He sat 93.6 mph the rest of the way. It seems reasonable to expect Kahnle’s heater to gain a bit of life as he continues to build up this season, but the four-seamer is a secondary pitch for him anyhow; Kahnle is perhaps the foremost changeup specialist in the game. This season’s 59.5% usage rate on his changeup is actually a stark decrease relative to recent seasons. From 2022-25, Kahnle threw 79% changeups against just 18.7% fastballs with a very, very occasional slider (2.4%) mixed in to throw some hitters off balance.
Although he’s coming off a lackluster season with the Tigers — hence the minor league deal — Kahnle has a lengthy track record of success in the majors. He’s been hurt more frequently than he or the teams for which he’s pitched would prefer, but from 2016-24, the right-hander logged a combined 3.11 ERA, 31.1% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate in 271 2/3 innings between the White Sox, Yankees and Dodgers.
It’s not clear whether the Red Sox would be amenable to adding Kahnle to the big league bullpen. Relief pitching has been a strength in an otherwise disappointing season for Boston. Sox relievers have combined for a 3.67 ERA that ranks eighth-best in the majors. The only Red Sox relievers who can be optioned are Greg Weissert, Zack Kelly and Tyler Samaniego. Plugging Kahnle into the ‘pen would give the Red Sox a sixth reliever who cannot be sent down without being exposed to waivers.
The decision will belong to chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, but interim skipper Chad Tracy — who managed Kahnle for several weeks to begin the season — sounded amenable to the idea. Asked by Smith just yesterday whether Kahnle could help the big league club, Tracy replied:
“For a veteran of his caliber that’s been around, yes, he can help out. He’s been around the big leagues for a really long time. He knows how to pitch. He’s been here, he’s pitched in the playoffs. So absolutely can help out.”
If not the Red Sox, there seems to be a decent chance Kahnle could draw the interest of another club. Each of the Nationals, Cardinals, Twins, Royals, Angels and Astros have received a combined ERA of 5.00 or worse from their bullpen so far in 2026. The Phillies, Astros, Cubs and Marlins all have their closers on the injured list. Chicago’s Daniel Palencia is expected to return soon, but he’s one of six Cubs relievers on the shelf.
Phillies Select Trevor Richards
The Phillies made a move in between games of today’s double-header. Left-hander Kyle Backhus has been placed on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to April 27th, with left elbow inflammation. Right-hander Trevor Richards has been selected to take his place on the roster. The Phils have had an open 40-man spot since Taijuan Walker was released a week ago, so no further corresponding moves are required.
No details have been provided about the injury to Backhus, who last pitched on Saturday. IL stints can be backdated by by a maximum of three days. Perhaps more information on his status will be released after the second game of today’s twin bill but he’ll be on the shelf for at least 12 days.
His injury opens the door for Richards to get back to the majors. Richards signed a minor league deal with the Phillies in the offseason and has been pitching for Triple-A Lehigh Valley so far this year. He has been in great form for the IronPigs, tossing 14 innings over nine appearances, allowing three earned runs. His 1.93 ERA has gotten some help from a .111 batting average on balls in play and 100% strand rate, since his three runs allowed all came on homers, but he struck out 26 of the 50 batters he has faced, a massive 52% clip. He only walked three, a 6% pace.
Richards has had some intriguing but inconsistent major league results in the past. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 201 innings, mostly for the Blue Jays. His 31.3% strikeout rate in that time was very strong but he gave out walks at a high rate of 10.9% and also struggled with the long ball. 14.5% of his fly balls cleared the fence in that time, a few ticks north of par. He recorded 25 holds but posted a 4.61 ERA for that stretch. That’s obviously not a great number but his 3.37 SIERA showed some optimism, since that metric expects home run rates to even out in larger samples.
2024 ended up being a real mixed bag for Richards. Back with the Jays to start the year, he gave them 51 1/3 innings with a 4.64 ERA. He wasn’t allowing as many homers but also wasn’t striking as many guys out. He was traded to the Twins at the deadline. Though his 4.15 ERA was technically an improvement from his time with the Jays, his control problems became untenable. He walked 11 of the 59 batters he faced as a Twin, an 18.6% clip. He also hit another two batters and threw seven wild pitches.
Minnesota designated him for assignment before the month of August was done. In 2025, he was mostly stuck in the minors. He made five big league appearances in total, three for the Royals and two for the Diamondbacks. He allowed five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings. He spent most of the year in Triple-A, for three different clubs, and had a combined 5.19 ERA at that level.
Though it’s been a frustrating road at times, Richards has shown strikeout stuff in the past and is doing so again now, albeit in a small sample. He has usually undercut the punchouts by giving out too many walks and surrendering home runs. For the Phillies, there’s little harm in giving him the last spot in the bullpen and seeing what happens. Richards is a veteran with at least five years of service time, meaning he can’t be optioned without his consent. If the Phils want to bump him off the active roster in the future, he’ll need to be removed from the 40-man as well.
Photo courtesy of Morgan Tencza, Imagn Images
Guardians Option George Valera
The Guardians announced Thursday that outfielder George Valera has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus. They’re off today, so a corresponding move won’t be announced until tomorrow.
A longtime top prospect, the 25-year-old Valera hasn’t been the boost to the lineup for which the team hoped. Injuries have repeatedly set Valera back, to the point where he was at one point designated for assignment and non-tendered. He returned on a minor league deal and rebuilt his stock in 2025 with a .318/.388/.550 slash in the minors. Cleveland called him up for his big league debut late last year, and Valera hit .220/.333/.415 with a pair of homers in 48 plate appearances. He tacked on another homer during postseason play.
Valera opened the season on the injured list due to a calf strain and hasn’t hit since returning. He’s taken 38 plate appearances and floundered with a .216/.237/.297 slash. Valera has chased off the plate at a huge 40.4% clip, nearly doubling his chase rate from last year’s small-sample debut (21.7%). He’s beaten 52% of his batted balls into the ground and already popped up to the infield four times.
The Guardians quite literally did nothing to improve their lineup over the offseason. They’re running a payroll under $70MM and hanging their 2026 hopes on big steps forward from young players like Valera, Chase DeLauter, CJ Kayfus, Travis Bazzana and others. It’s worked out in some respects. DeLauter has been great, and both Brayan Rocchio and Angel Martínez are hitting at career-best levels. Utilityman Daniel Schneemann has improbably been one of the best hitters in the American League, though he’s striking out at a 30% clip and isn’t going to sustain his current .438 average on balls in play or 21% homer-to-flyball ratio.
On the other end of the spectrum, José Ramirez has been good but hasn’t hit at his typically elite levels. Meanwhile, the Guardians have seen Steven Kwan and Kyle Manzardo take substantial steps back with the bat. Kayfus struggled before being optioned earlier in the year, and already light-hitting catcher Bo Naylor is mired in the toughest slump of his career.
The end result is a lineup that’s slashed .228/.314/.371. That comes out to a 93 wRC+ that ranks 23rd in the majors. Cleveland is tied with Boston for 23rd in runs scored. The Guardians are 17th in home runs, 26th in batting average, 22nd in on-base percentage and 25th in slugging percentage.
With Valera sent down, Cleveland’s outfield options include Kwan, DeLauter, Martínez and Schneemann. They’ll make a move to add another position player tomorrow. Candidates already on the 40-man roster include Kayfus and outfielders Petey Halpin and Kahlil Watson. Juan Brito is also down in Columbus, but he was optioned just a couple days ago, so he can only be recalled if he’s replacing an injured player. Non-roster outfielders Nolan Jones and Stuart Fairchild are both hitting well in Columbus. Top catching prospect Cooper Ingle opened the season on a ridiculous tear (.394/.630/.788 in 54 plate appearances) but is currently on the minor league injured list due to a hip injury.
This is Valera’s final option year, so if he spends 20 days in the minors on this assignment, he’ll be out of options heading into the 2027 season. Valera is controllable for at least five more years beyond the current season — possibly six depending on how long he spends down in Columbus. He entered the season needing 144 days of service to reach a full year, and he’s already accrued 36 of those days. If he’s down until June 12 or later, he’ll fall shy of a year of service and be controllable all the way through 2032.
Mets Claim Andy Ibáñez
The Mets have claimed infielder/outfielder Andy Ibáñez off waivers from the Athletics, per an announcement from the A’s. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR reported the move prior to the official announcement. The A’s designated him for assignment a few days ago. The Mets have an open 40-man spot after designating Carl Edwards Jr. for assignment earlier today. Ibáñez is out of options and will need to jump onto the active roster, so they will need to make a corresponding move in that regard when he reports to the team.
Ibáñez, 33, is a utility guy who provides defensive versatility. His offense has been mercurial and is currently at a low ebb. He had solid seasons in 2021 and 2023, with a swoon in 2022. Over the 2024 and 2025 campaigns, he slashed .240/.297/.355 for the Tigers. That production led to an 85 wRC+, indicating he was 15% worse than league average. Detroit could have retained him via arbitration but non-tendered him instead, sending him to free agency.
Teams around the league still believe in his potential. The Dodgers signed him to a one-year, $1.2MM deal in January. The designated him for assignment a couple of weeks later, which may seem odd, but was by design.
Ibáñez has just over three years of service time. Players with at least three years of service have the right to reject outright assignments after clearing waivers. However, if they have less than five, they have to walk away from their salary commitments. The Dodgers were hoping that the contract was enough for other teams to pass on him. Once he passed through waivers, he wouldn’t want to walk away from the $1.2MM, so he would surely stick around as non-roster depth.
The A’s interrupted that plan, claiming him back in February. He stuck around for a few weeks but hit .118/.167/.118 in 18 plate appearances. Despite that poor showing in recent weeks, the Mets are going to take a shot on him.
Ibáñez will at least provide some flexibility off the bench. He has experience at all four infield spots and the outfield corners. His shortstop work consists of just nine innings but he has over 1,000 innings at second base and almost 800 at third, with good numbers to boot. Combining that with improved offense would be ideal but it’s been a few years. His most recent above-average offensive season was 2023, when he hit .264/.312/.433 for a 103 wRC+.
The Mets have operated with narrow infield flexibility for much of this year. They opened the campaign with Francisco Lindor at shortstop, Marcus Semien at second and Bo Bichette at third. First base has been shared by a rotation of Jorge Polanco, Mark Vientos, Jared Young and Brett Baty. with Young and Baty also playing some outfield. The Mets have mostly been playing without a bench infielder. Bichette was effectively the backup for Lindor, while guys like Baty or Vientos could cover third for Bichette. Baty could also cover second if Semien missed time.
The picture has been shuffled in recent weeks. Lindor, Polanco and Young have all hit the IL recently, as has outfielder Luis Robert Jr. That leaves the Mets with Ronny Mauricio at short, while Bichette and Semien still hold their positions. Mauricio has struck out in nine of his 22 plate appearances so far this year. The Mets called up infielder/outfielder Eric Wagaman today when Robert hit the IL but Wagaman is more of a corner guy. Ibáñez gives them some more cover in the middle infield. Wagaman has options and could be sent back out when Ibáñez joins the team.
Photo courtesy of Scott Marshall, Imagn Images
Mets Place Luis Robert Jr. On Injured List
11:30am: Robert is receiving an epidural injection and will be reevaluated in a week to 10 days, per Tim Britton of The Athletic. The Mets don’t currently expect him to miss too much more than the minimum.
9:20am: The Mets have formally placed Robert on the 10-day injured list due to a lumbar disc herniation. Corner infielder Eric Wagaman is up from Triple-A to take his spot on the roster.
9:12am: The Mets are expected to place center fielder Luis Robert Jr. on the 10-day injured list today, reports SNY’s Chelsea Janes. Robert has been battling back discomfort for several days and underwent an MRI yesterday, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo noted.
Trips to the injured list are nothing new for Robert, a star-caliber outfielder whose health hasn’t allowed him to regularly reach his sky-high ceiling. The 28-year-old raked at a .264/.314/.542 clip and belted 38 homers to go along with 20 steals and plus-plus defense with the White Sox back in 2023. He’s only played in 234 of 354 possible games since that time (66.1%). That 2023 season is the only time Robert has reached even 450 plate appearances or exceeded 110 games played in a single season. (He did play in 56 of 60 possible games as a rookie in the shortened 2020 season.)
Along with that decline in health came a downturn in performance. Robert suffered an MCL sprain at the end of September in 2023 and a hip flexor strain early in 2024, the latter costing him about two months of action. When he was on the field in ’24, he stumbled through the least-productive season of his career, slashing just .224/.278/.364 with a career-worst 33.2% strikeout rate.
It was more of the same to begin the 2025 season, though Robert caught fire in early June after the Sox sat him for a few days to refocus his mechanics in the batter’s box. Robert took a few games to find his stroke even after that little breather, but he went on a tear thereafter, slashing .282/.344/.471 (125 wRC+) in nearly 200 plate appearances … before again returning to the injured list — this time due to his second hamstring strain of the ’25 campaign.
Along the way, the White Sox fielded trade interest in Robert, but they opted to hang onto him after not finding offers to their liking. They exercised the first of two $20MM club options on Robert to begin the offseason, and several months later the Mets landed him in a trade sending infielder/outfielder Luisangel Acuña and minor league righty Truman Pauley back to Chicago.
Robert is currently mired in a 2-for-19 slump, dropping what was a solid .258/.372/.379 batting line to a .224/.327/.329 output that checks in about 7% worse than league-average overall, by measure of wRC+. The dip in production coincides with the Mets beginning to sit Robert on occasion about a week and a half ago. Manager Carlos Mendoza eventually revealed that Robert has been dealing with back discomfort. Last night’s MRI, it seems, did not produce favorable results.
A formal diagnosis isn’t clear. The Mets have not yet announced an IL placement and thus have not revealed the nature of Robert’s ailment. Robert last appeared in a game on April 26, so his IL stint can be backdated to April 27 — the maximum three days allowed. That technically makes him eligible to return in just a week’s time, though his actual timetable will naturally hinge on the specific injury that’s been plaguing him.
Robert joins Francisco Lindor and Jorge Polanco on the shelf. That’s a third of the Mets’ starting lineup sidelined. With Robert out of the equation for the time being, the Mets’ options in center field include veteran Tyrone Taylor and rookie Carson Benge (who’s been their primary right fielder but has four games in center this year). Recently signed veteran Austin Slater has a fair bit of center field experience but hasn’t played there this season and has only logged 63 frames at the position since Opening Day 2024.
Down in Triple-A, the Mets have 2022 No. 75 overall pick Nick Morabito, who’s already on the 40-man roster (but has yet to debut) and is slashing .262/.382/.452 with four homers, four doubles and six steals. Morabito entered the season ranked 11th among Mets farmhands at Baseball America. He’s the Mets’ No. 12 prospect at MLB.com and No. 19 over at FanGraphs. Scouting reports peg him as a plus runner and center field defender with well below-average power.