Dodgers To Trade Antoine Kelly To Cubs
The Dodgers are trading left-hander Antoine Kelly to the Cubs, according to multiple reports, including from Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Kelly signed a minor league deal with Los Angeles in November.
More to come…
Dodgers Move Tyler Glasnow To 60-Day IL, Add Nick Frasso
The Dodgers have shifted right-hander Tyler Glasnow from the 15-day to the 60-day IL. Glasnow is dealing with a back injury. The club has added right-handed Nick Frasso to the 40-man roster.
More to come…
Angels Announce Several Roster Moves
The Angels made several roster decisions ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Dodgers. First baseman Nolan Schanuel is back from the IL. Outfielder Jorge Soler heads to the IL with an oblique strain. The club selected the contract of outfielder Gustavo Campero, then put him on the IL with a broken hand. Catcher Omar Martinez was designated for assignment.
More to come…
Rays Move Steven Matz To Bullpen
Left-hander Steven Matz is heading to the Rays’ bullpen, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran failed to escape the second inning on Tuesday against the Tigers. Matz has allowed a dozen runs across 8 2/3 innings since coming off the IL in mid-May.
Matz signed a two-year, $15MM deal with the Rays in December. His tenure in Tampa Bay was off to a decent start before elbow inflammation cost him a few weeks. The lefty posted a 3.86 ERA through his first seven appearances. A 4.55 SIERA suggested he was due for regression, but he was delivering solid innings at the back end of Tampa Bay’s rotation.
The elbow injury popped up out of nowhere, as Matz was coming off back-to-back quality starts. His velocity has been fine after rejoining the team, but his Stuff+ has slipped from 98 to 91. Matz has seen his swinging-strike rate drop by more than 3% in three outings since his IL stint.
After operating almost exclusively as a starter with the Mets and Blue Jays, Matz has picked up ample experience as a reliever in recent seasons. He worked in a swingman role for multiple years with the Cardinals. Matz made 53 appearances between St. Louis and Boston in 2025, all but two of which came as a reliever. His pair of starts came in April with the Cardinals. Matz functioned as a traditional one-inning reliever after being dealt to the Red Sox.
Tampa Bay relied on a combination of Griffin Jax, Mason Englert, and Jesse Scholtens to cover two rotation spots during Matz’s IL stint. Jax has now been fully stretched out as a starter. Scholtens is down with a wrist injury, and Englert missed time with a forearm issue. The latter is now back with the big-league club. Englert covered five innings and tossed a season-high 82 pitches in relief of Nick Martinez on Wednesday. He’s expected to step into Matz’s rotation spot, possibly as a bulk reliever, per Topkin.
Matz was due to start on Monday against Boston. The move to the bullpen is “not by any stretch permanent,” manager Kevin Cash said, relayed by Topkin. A six-man rotation later in the season could make sense as a way to limit innings for Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen, who have extensive injury histories. Jax is also working as a starter for the first time since 2021 and is on pace to set a career high in innings.
Photo courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images
Brewers Select Drew Rom
The Brewers selected left-hander Drew Rom ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Rockies. Fellow lefty Brian Fitzpatrick was placed on the 15-day IL with an elbow injury. Milwaukee had an opening on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move was needed.
Rom last pitched in the big leagues with the Cardinals in 2023. He struggled to an 8.02 ERA over eight starts. The 26-year-old lefty didn’t pitch in 2024 due to a biceps injury. Additional health issues limited him to seven minor league appearances last season. Rom latched on with the Brewers as a minor league free agent in December.
The results in the minors for Rom have typically been unremarkable, outside of a few solid strikeout seasons. He transitioned to a full-time relief role this year, with excellent returns. Rom has pitched to a 3.04 ERA across 22 appearances with Triple-A Nashville. He has a career-high 33.9% strikeout rate.
Rom’s four-seamer barely cracked 90 mph during his MLB stint with St. Louis. He’s added a couple of ticks with the Sounds, averaging 92.5 mph on the heater. The lefty is also throwing a much harder sweeper. The pitch averaged 79.4 mph in 2023, but it’s been up at 83.1 mph at Triple-A this year.
Fitzpatrick has pitched well in his first taste of the majors. He’s allowed just one earned run across 6 2/3 innings out of Milwaukee’s bullpen. The lefty was optioned in mid-May and had only recently rejoined the big-league squad. Fitzpatrick tossed a perfect inning on Friday against Colorado before going down with the elbow injury.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Rangers, Elias Díaz Agree To Major League Contract
June 6: Texas has officially announced the deal. Diaz will take the big-league roster spot of Jansen, who is heading to the 10-day injured list with a forearm strain. With the addition of Diaz, the Rangers’ 40-man roster is now full.
June 5: The Rangers are in agreement on a major league deal with veteran catcher Elias Díaz, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The ACES client recently became a free agent after being waived by the Royals.
Texas designated Sam Haggerty for assignment on Friday afternoon, so they have an opening on the 40-man roster. They’ll need to clear an active roster spot once Díaz reports to the team. Texas has a veteran catching tandem of Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka.
Higashioka has earned the recent playing time with hits in four straight games, including a home run off Parker Messick in tonight’s 3-2 win over the Guardians. Jansen has had a tough year, batting .171/.277/.309 across 142 plate appearances. He’s a couple months into a two-year, $14.5MM free agent contract. Jansen doesn’t figure to be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot at this point.
That seemingly points to a three-catcher arrangement for the time being. Texas just activated Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford from the injured list to put their lineup pretty close to full strength. Ezequiel Duran can move back from shortstop to second base, pushing Nicky Lopez to a bench role. He and Jansen have five-plus service years and cannot be sent to the minors without their consent. Michael Helman and Justin Foscue each can be optioned. Foscue’s start at designated hitter tonight was his first time in the lineup since May 27.
Díaz will be accustomed to a depth role. He spent more than a month on Kansas City’s roster as a third catcher behind Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen. He started seven of 10 games and tallied 23 plate appearances. Díaz popped a couple home runs and doubles apiece. He’s coming off a .204/.270/.337 season over a much bigger body of work with the Padres.
The 35-year-old is best known for his surprise All-Star Game MVP win as a member of the Rockies back in 2023, but he has been more of a backup over the past few seasons. He has a good arm and has graded as a solid receiving catcher in recent years after struggling with pitch framing early in his career.
Astros Release Anthony Maldonado
The Astros released Anthony Maldonado, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Maldonado signed a minor league contract with Houston back in November, and will now head elsewhere without logging any time on the team’s active roster.
Over 22 relief innings at Triple-A Sugar Land, Maldonado posted a 2.87 ERA with only one home run allowed. This ability to keep the ball in the park is a marked improvement after Maldonado struggled with homers during his previous two minor league seasons, yet a .200 BABIP is the larger reason for Maldonado’s impressive ERA. A garish 17.4% walk rate is the larger issue, and the righty’s 21.7% strikeout rate is also far below Maldonado’s previous K-rates at the Triple-A level.
Maldonado made his MLB debut with Miami in 2024, and he has a 7.20 ERA over 25 career innings in the Show with the Marlins and Athletics. The West Sacramento team outrighted Maldonado after last season and he elected free agency, as was his right as a player who had previously been outrighted in his career.
Zach Pop Elects Free Agency
TODAY: Pop cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A, and the Phillies announced that Pop elected free agency over accepting the outright assignment. Because Pop has been outrighted in the past, he has the ability to reject any future outrights in favor of becoming a free agent.
MAY 30: The Phillies reinstated right-hander Zach Pop from the 15-day injured list and designated him for assignment, the team announced. The club needed a 40-man spot for righty Max Lazar, who was activated from the 60-day IL and optioned to Triple-A.
Pop hit the IL in mid-April with a right calf strain. He began a rehab assignment earlier this month. The veteran righty opened the season in the Phillies’ bullpen. He allowed three earned runs across seven appearances. Pop made his first MLB start in his final outing before the leg injury. He tossed two innings against the Diamondbacks as an opener ahead of Andrew Painter.
The 29-year-old Pop has pitched in parts of six MLB seasons with five different clubs. He joined the Phillies in December. Pop struggled mightily in five outings last year, split between the Mariners and Mets. He was crushed for 11 earned runs over 6 2/3 frames. The righty performed much better this spring, posting a 3.86 ERA across nine appearances during exhibition play.
Lazar opened the season on the injured list with a left oblique strain. He began a rehab assignment on the final day of April, which meant his 30-day rehab clock was expiring. Lazar has made 11 appearances in the minors this year. The 26-year-old has pitched well, tossing 13 1/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA.
Philadelphia added Lazar as a minor league free agent heading into the 2024 season. He debuted in the big leagues that year, pitching in 11 games with the Phillies. Lazar was a semi-regular member of the bullpen last season. He operated mostly in lower-leverage situations. The righty recorded an ERA up near 5.00, supported by a 4.58 xFIP and a 4.57 SIERA. He did pick up his first career MLB save in an 11-inning win against the A’s.
Lazar is in his second minor league option year. He’s unlikely to make a significant impact with the big-league club this season. The Phillies did need a temporary long man in the bullpen with Aaron Nola heading to the paternity list, but it was righty Nolan Hoffman who got the call.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images
Latest On Hunter Greene
Hunter Greene underwent surgery in March to remove bone chips from his right elbow, and the right-hander wasn’t expected to make his 2026 debut until July. Reds manager Terry Francona shed some light on Greene’s progress today, telling media (including Charlie Goldsmith and MLB.com) that the hope is that Greene will be activated from the 60-day injured list before the All-Star break.
The next step will come Monday when Greene is slated to throw a live batting practice session. He has already thrown multiple bullpens, and if all goes well, a minor league rehab assignment doesn’t seem too far off. Greene will surely need at least four minor league outings to fully build his arm strength after such a long absence, yet that would still line the former All-Star up for a return in the early part of July.
Greene’s return can’t come soon enough for a Reds team that has fallen to a .500 record (31-31). Cincinnati started the season with both Greene and Nick Lodolo on the injured list, yet still held a 20-11 record at the end of April. Unfortunately, the Reds then started May with an eight-game losing streak, beginning a spiral that has now put Cincinnati at the bottom of the competitive NL Central.
The Reds’ lineup and bullpen each have plenty of holes, and the rotation hasn’t fared much better since Chase Burns has been the only starter to post consistent results. Lodolo has struggled since his return from the IL, and the starting five took another hit when Rhett Lowder was sidelined due to shoulder problems. Lowder is expected to be activated from the 15-day IL tomorrow to start the Reds’ game with the Cardinals.
Durability remains a question for Greene, as the right-hander has spent at least five weeks on the IL in each of his first five Major League seasons. Over the last two years, however, Greene has looked like a frontline ace when healthy, posting a 2.76 ERA, 29.2% strikeout rate, and 8.1% walk rate over 258 innings since Opening Day 2024. This breakout came after the Reds had already cemented Greene as a cornerstone piece by signing the righty to a six-year, $53MM extension in April 2023.
In some other positive injury news for the Reds, Francona told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Elly De La Cruz‘s next MRI is now scheduled for June 12, instead of the initial June 15 date. The earlier date reflects the progress De La Cruz has already made in his recovery from the hamstring strain that sent him to the 10-day IL last Monday. De La Cruz’s rehab period was initially estimated at 2-to-4 weeks, and it looks like he might be able to return to action on closer to the early end of that timeline.
Mariners Unlikely To Trade From Top Five In Rotation
Despite countless rumors over the years, the Mariners have long been resistant to the idea of trading from their strong rotation. The stance looks to continue at this year’s deadline, as Adam Jude of the Seattle Times writes that the M’s “have given no indication they are willing to move any of their top five starting pitchers this summer.” That being said, Jude speculates that “come July…Luis Castillo’s name figures to resurface in trade chatter.”
The caveat underlines the fact that Castillo is simply no longer viewed as one of the Mariners’ best rotation options. This was reflected when Castillo was twice used as a piggyback starter behind Bryce Miller once Miller returned from a season-opening stint on the 15-day injured list. Emerson Hancock pitched so well in Miller’s regular rotation spot that the M’s kept him on a regular turn, and instead opted for the piggyback strategy on a temporary basis. This didn’t entirely sit well with Miller or Castillo, but the Mariners then moved to a six-man rotation that they’ll employ until the middle of June, once the club is through a busy stretch of the schedule.
It remains to be seen how the M’s will re-adjust back to a five-man rotation at that point, particularly since Castillo has looked a little more like his old self after a rough start to the season. Castillo has allowed one earned run over his last nine innings of work, though his ERA still sits at 5.53 over 55 1/3 total frames. Castillo’s 4.08 SIERA is much more palatable and his walk and strikeout rates are around league average, but the veteran right-hander has also allowed a ton of hard contact.
Most teams would be more than satisfied with this sort of production from a back-end starter, yet Seattle is in the enviable position of having too many starters for too few rotation slots. Beyond Hancock’s breakout, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Bryan Woo are all pitching well, and Miller has looked tremendous since his return. If this wasn’t enough starting depth, the M’s have a few starters (i.e. Dane Dunning, Randy Dobnak, Jhonathan Diaz, Casey Lawrence) with MLB experience down at Triple-A Tacoma, plus there has been speculation that top prospect Kade Anderson could go from Double-A to the majors before 2026 is over.
Dipping too far down the depth chart has never held much appeal for the Mariners, however, though Hancock’s emergence has been a big help on that front. The “you can never have enough pitching” mantra rings especially loudly for a team aiming to make a World Series run, so the M’s would be hesitant to move even Castillo unless they were sure they had enough starting pitching to cover a lot of extra postseason innings.
Castillo’s contract is another reason why the veteran has been the starter the Mariners have at least been open to moving, even as rival teams have surely asked more about the younger and more controllable arms. Castillo is owed roughly $14.6MM for the remainder of the 2026 season, $22.75MM in 2027, and a $25MM option for 2028 will vest if Castillo pitches at least 180 innings in 2027 and finishes the season healthy.
The no-trade protection that existed in Castillo’s extension is now up, so he can be dealt without his approval. That removes one potential obstacle to a deal, though the price tag remains steep for a 33-year-old pitcher who might be a mid-rotation starter at best at this stage of his career. Seattle probably doesn’t have interest in eating much or any of Castillo’s salary, and trading Castillo for another player with a hefty contract only has limited appeal, unless the M’s felt this hypothetical player would help will another need (probably on offense).