Royals Place Vinnie Pasquantino On IL With Hamate Fracture
The Royals have placed first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino on the 10-day injured list with a right hamate fracture, per a team announcement. Outfielder John Rave is being recalled in a corresponding active roster move.
Pasquantino suffered the injury in the fifth inning of yesterday’s 8-7 loss to the Astros. Facing Houston’s Mike Burrows, Pasquantino swung at an inside pitch and popped out to third base. He immediately grimaced after the swing and ultimately left the game (video courtesy of MLB.com). Jac Caglianone slide from right field to first base, and Isaac Collins took Pasquantino’s spot in the lineup, playing left field.
The hamate fracture is the same injury suffered by the Twins’ Ryan Jeffers and more recently the Guardians’ José Ramírez. The Royals have not yet announced a timeline on Pasquantino, but as noted by MLBTR’s Steve Adams, hamate fractures tend to sideline players for four to five weeks. Jeffers landed on the IL on May 19th and is expected back in July, per the Twins’ official injury report. Others like Corbin Carroll and Francisco Lindor returned within the expected time frame, while the Orioles’ Jackson Holliday took about three months after experiencing setbacks.
At a minimum, Pasquantino will be out of action through the All-Star break. That will leave the Royals without a key player, albeit one who has struggled in 2026. Pasquantino has so far batted .224/.309/.350 in 291 plate appearances, which is 19% below average by wRC+. That’s a far cry from last year, when Pasquantino was 16% above average, and it’s easily the worst mark of his career. Adding in his subpar defense, the 28-year-old has been below replacement level this year.
Pasquantino’s drop in hard contact is the biggest culprit for his downturn at the plate. He had a 44.7% hard-hit rate last year, but that’s fallen to 37.7% in 2026, which ranks in the 34th percentile according to Statcast. Pasquantino is also running a career-low 88.5 MPH average exit velocity. There’s some evidence that he’s gotten unlucky, as Pasquantino’s .350 slugging percentage lags behind his .394 expected slugging. However, even the latter mark would be a career low, so the reality is that Pasquantino is both unlucky and a lesser hitter this year.
For now, the Royals will probably go with the alignment they used last night after Pasquantino’s exit: Caglianone at first base, then Collins and Lane Thomas in the outfield corners. Caglianone has rarely played first base in the Majors, though he played 516 innings there in the minors from 2024-25. Caglianone is hitting very well this year (118 wRC+), so he can get by if he’s even a passable defender. Offensively, the net result of Pasquantino’s injury is swapping him out for more of Thomas. The latter’s 99 wRC+ is technically below average but still exceeds Pasquantino’s output this year.
In the meantime, Rave gets called up to fill in as a backup outfielder. Rave, a fifth-round draft pick by Kansas City in 2019, debuted last year and batted .196/.283/.307 in 175 plate appearances, which amounted to a 65 wRC+. In contrast, he’s batted .278/.395/.475 with a 126 wRC+ at Triple-A this year, his third straight season of above-average output at that level. Rave has two option years remaining and will probably get sent down when Pasquantino returns.
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Jose Ramirez Placed on IL With Hamate Fracture
TODAY, 9:53 am: The move is now official, as reflected in the MLB.com transactions log.
TODAY, 9:34 am: Meisel adds that Gabriel Arias will be activated from the 60-day injured list when Ramirez’s placement is officially announced. Meanwhile, George Valera will be designated for assignment to clear 40-man space for Arias.
June 13th: The Guardians are expected to place superstar third baseman Jose Ramirez on the injured list with a left hamate bone fracture, according to multiple reports, including from Zack Meisel of The Athletic. Ramirez was removed in the fifth inning of Saturday’s game against the Tigers after popping out in his third at-bat.
It’s brutal news for a Cleveland club that just moved back into first place with a win over Detroit, along with a loss by the White Sox. Ramirez is having a slightly underwhelming season by his lofty standards, with a .754 OPS heading into Saturday, but he’s a consistent presence in the middle of the Guardians’ lineup. The veteran has played in all 72 games this season. Ramirez has also been a menace on the basepaths, with an AL-leading 24 steals.
Ramirez wasn’t the only key piece to depart on Saturday. Outfielders Chase DeLauter and Angel Martinez also left early. DeLauter crashed into the wall in the top of the first inning. He initially stayed in the game, singling off Tarik Skubal in the bottom of the frame, but was removed for a pinch runner. He’s dealing with a bruised rib cage (h/t Tim Stebbins of MLB.com). Martinez fouled a ball off his foot in his first at-bat. He was removed defensively to begin the second inning.
Already down two outfielders, the departure of Ramirez put the Guardians in a tricky spot. Daniel Schneemann, who replaced DeLauter, had to move to third base. Kyle Manzardo replaced Ramirez in the lineup and went to first base. That pushed Rhys Hoskins to left field. It was his first appearance in the outfield since 2018. Cleveland then sacrificed the DH to bring David Fry into the field for the ninth inning. Closer Cade Smith was forced into the batting lineup. Smith slammed the door for the save, so manager Stephen Vogt didn’t need to navigate that lineup spot.
Ramirez is likely facing an extended absence. Recovery from a fractured hamate bone can vary, but it’ll probably cost the seven-time All-Star at least a month. There were three high-profile hamate bone fractures this spring. Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor and Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll both made it back in time for the regular season. Orioles infielder Jackson Holliday‘s comeback didn’t go as smoothly. Holliday dealt with multiple setbacks during his rehab assignment and didn’t return to the big-league club until mid-May. Ramirez himself missed almost exactly a month with the injury back in 2019.
Schneemann is a good candidate to fill in at third base with Ramirez out. He’s typically handled the hot corner when Ramirez has served as the DH. The infielders on the 40-man roster include CJ Kayfus, Juan Brito, and Angel Genao. Brito was up with the team earlier this season and has experience at third base, though he hasn’t played there as a big leaguer. He manned second base before Travis Bazzana was promoted.
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Astros Notes: Javier, Blanco, McCullers, Diaz
The Astros’ rotation has been utterly decimated by injury this year, as ace Hunter Brown and others have missed significant time. Unsurprisingly, the rotation has been one of the league’s worst. Astros starters have put up a fourth-worst 9.6% K-BB rate along with a 5.02 ERA that bests only the Rockies. Although the team is just three games out of a Wild Card spot, it’s clear that any path back to the postseason (let alone a deep playoff run) will require better health and performance from the starting rotation.
Brian McTaggart of MLB.com offered updates on three of the supporting arms yesterday. As relayed by manager Joe Espada, it looks as though Cristian Javier, Ronel Blanco, and Lance McCullers Jr. are all making progress in their rehab. Javier (Grade 2 right shoulder strain) has been on the injured list since early April, and McCullers (right shoulder inflammation) since May 19th. Blanco underwent Tommy John surgery last June and could return in the second half, assuming a normal recovery timeline.
Javier is the closest of the three to a big league return, with MLB.com’s official injury report putting him on a late June timeline. Javier only made three starts early on before going on the IL. While his velocity was essentially unchanged from last year, Javier struggled badly and allowed 13 earned runs in 9 1/3 total innings, striking out just four against nine walks allowed.
The IL stint continued a frustrating recent stretch of Javier’s career. From 2020-23, he had a 3.57 ERA in 466 1/3 innings across 109 appearances, 75 of which were starts. Javier was an extreme fly-ball pitcher, but he compensated by striking out 28.1% of opposing hitters in that span. In contrast, Javier has thrown just 81 innings since the start of 2024, with the bulk of that absence coming from June 2024 Tommy John surgery and the associated recovery. He has a 5.22 ERA in those 81 innings.
Javier is still younger than 30, but it’s now been three years since he’s been a healthy and serviceable big league starter. That said, his return could still be impactful by allowing Houston to demote an ineffective arm like Mike Burrows, who has a 5.87 ERA in 14 starts. The team has a good amount of off-days in July and August even outside the All-Star break, so a five-man rotation could be all that’s needed long term. Javier pitched three innings on June 9th and will probably aim for at least four today at Triple-A. At the rate he’s building up, he might need one more start after today before returning to Houston.
Meanwhile, Blanco threw 40 pitches in a simulated appearance yesterday and could soon begin his own rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League, according to McTaggart. Given he’s coming back from TJS, Blanco’s rehab will be closer to the maximum stint than Javier. For comparison, Gerrit Cole required six rehab starts from mid-April to mid-May before the Yankees activated him on May 22nd.
Of the three arms mentioned by McTaggart, Blanco has the most recent track record of effective pitching. The righty broke out with a 2.80 ERA in 167 1/3 innings in 2024. Blanco was a bit lucky to achieve that performance, as evidenced by his 3.97 xERA and 4.17 SIERA, but he was nonetheless a serviceable arm and accumulated 2.2 fWAR that year. Blanco has less than three years of service time and is controlled through 2029, so he has plenty of time to re-establish himself post-injury.
In contrast to Javier and Blanco, McCullers has not been healthy or effective in a while. He’s also the furthest from a big league return, as McTaggart relays that McCullers has just begun throwing off a mound. Now 32, McCullers has only thrown 142 1/3 innings since the start of 2022, missing 2023-24 entirely. He did have a 2.27 ERA in eight starts in 2022, but simply coming back and staying healthy is the priority for McCullers, who’s a free agent following the season.
On the hitting side, McTaggart adds that catcher Yainer Diaz will catch for Javier’s Triple-A rehab start today. Diaz could return to the Astros for the upcoming home series against the Tigers. He’s been out since early May with a left oblique strain and was hitting .238/.255/.347 in 107 plate appearances prior to that, good for a wRC+ of just 63. Diaz was much closer to average in 2025 (92 wRC+). Christian Vázquez isn’t hitting much in Diaz’s place, so the latter will be in line to reclaim his starting job when he gets back.
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The Opener: Yamamoto, Jordan, Mize
The Phillies outlasted the Brewers for a 9-8 win yesterday, moving Philadelphia to a 38-32 record. The two clubs combined for 29 hits, and every member of the Phillies’ starting lineup reached base at least once, with all but Bryce Harper recording a hit. Today’s contest figures to be more of a pitchers’ duel. Cristopher Sánchez, an early contender for the NL Cy Young Award, takes on Milwaukee’s Kyle Harrison, who’s in the midst of a breakout season with a 2.72 ERA in 12 starts.
1. Yamamoto’s perfect game bid
Yoshinobu Yamamoto dominated the White Sox in a 7-1 victory for the Dodgers yesterday. Yamamoto took a perfect game bid into the eighth inning, losing it on a fielding error by Mookie Betts with two outs. Yamamoto surrendered a lead-off home run to Tristan Peters in the ninth, ultimately exiting after 8 1/3 innings and just the one earned run. Adding in the final 22 batters he retired in his previous start against the Angels, Yamamoto set down 45 straight before losing the perfecto on Saturday. That fell just shy of the all-time record of 46 straight batters, set by Yusmeiro Petit in 2014.
2. Jordan’s first career big fly
In just his second big league game, Cardinals third baseman Blaze Jordan went yard for his first career home run. The three-run shot in the seventh gave St. Louis much-needed insurance runs in an eventual 9-6 victory over the Twins. Jordan also added a triple in the second inning, giving him four hits in eight total at-bats and leaving him only without a double so far. The Cardinals acquired Jordan, a third-round pick by the Red Sox in 2020, in exchange for Steven Matz at last year’s deadline.
3. Mize makes his return
Right-hander Casey Mize will start for the Tigers in today’s matchup against the Guardians. Reports on Thursday indicated that Detroit would activate Mize off the injured list for today’s game, though an official move is still pending. Mize will return after a two-week absence due to right adductor inflammation. He also went on the IL from April 29th through May 16th with a right adductor strain. In nine starts around those IL stints, Mize was at his best, posting a 2.27 ERA in 47 2/3 innings and running a 20.0% K-BB rate. His return, along with the recent return of Tarik Skubal, will be massive boons to Detroit’s rotation as they look to climb out of fourth place in the AL Central.
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White Sox Sign Javy Guerra To Minor League Deal
The White Sox have added veteran reliever Javy Guerra on a minor league agreement, according to his transaction tracker on MLB.com. Atlanta’s Triple-A affiliate released the right-hander on Thursday. It didn’t take long for Guerra to find a new club.
Guerra had spent the past two seasons with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He returned to the States this year, inking a minor league deal with Atlanta in January. The righty was tagged for five earned runs over 2 2/3 innings in Spring Training. Guerra scuffled to a 5.68 ERA across 16 appearances with Gwinnett. He had three more walks (20) than strikeouts (17).
The 30-year-old Guerra has spent parts of five big-league seasons with three teams. He most recently pitched with the Rays in 2023. The majority of Guerra’s innings in the majors have come with the Padres. He debuted with San Diego in 2019 and was an occasional member of the bullpen for four seasons.
Guerra has an ERA well above 6.00 as a big leaguer. Walks have typically been his biggest issue. He’s issued free passes at a massive 14.3% clip over 63 MLB innings. Guerra did put together a strong campaign with Hanshin in 2024. He fired 58 innings with a 1.55 ERA. The righty recorded 14 saves. More importantly, he trimmed his walk rate to 4.9%. Guerra only pitched in six games during his second season with Hanshin.
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Cole Ragans Headed For Testing On Arm
After feeling discomfort during a throwing session, Royals left-hander Cole Ragans is headed for testing, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters, including Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star. Ragans is working his way back from an elbow impingement. His rehab process has already been paused once due to renewed elbow stiffness.
“Cole woke up yesterday, not feeling as well arm-wise,” Quatraro said, relayed by Thompson. “So, when he came out to play catch yesterday, he had to cut it short. So we’re going to get him some more testing in the next couple of days.”
Ragans has been out since early May. He made one rehab appearance on May 23, tossing 4 1/3 innings with Triple-A Omaha. He “did not recover well” from that outing, Quatraro said at the time. Ragans hasn’t been back on the mound in a competitive setting since then.
The latest setback for Ragans puts a return before the All-Star break in doubt. He’d likely need multiple rehab starts to round back into form, and he doesn’t sound particularly close to pitching in an actual game. The additional testing could dictate next steps for the lefty.
Ragans made a career-high 32 starts in his first full season with Kansas City in 2024. Injuries have marred the last two seasons. Ragans missed a few weeks with a groin strain in 2025. He returned for one start, then went right back on the injured list with a rotator cuff strain. The shoulder injury cost Ragans three months. He did come back for three encouraging starts to close the year, racking up 22 strikeouts across 13 innings. Ragans has been limited to eight starts this season.
Kansas City is dealing with several absences in the rotation. Left-hander Kris Bubic is out with elbow soreness. He made a rehab start earlier this week, but experienced shoulder discomfort after the outing. Righty Seth Lugo is on the seven-day concussion IL after taking a Brandon Nimmo liner to the forehead. The Royals added Stephen Kolek and Luinder Avila to the rotation with Ragans and Bubic out. The club has yet to sort out a replacement for Lugo. They don’t have an off-day until next Saturday, so they’ll need to find someone to fill the spot. Mitch Spence could be an option to return to the big-league team, though he’s struggled at Triple-A.
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Angels Outright Omar Martinez
The Angels announced that catcher Omar Martinez has cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. The backstop was designated for assignment last week in a series of moves that included outfielder Gustavo Campero being added to the 40-man roster. Campero had a looming opt-out clause in his deal.
Martinez appeared in five games with the Angels. Most of his time with the club came on defense, as he totaled just three plate appearances. The 24-year-old did manage his first hit, drilling a single in his debut at-bat. Martinez went 0-for-2 in his lone start.
The Angels added Martinez on a minor league deal in November. He’d spent his entire pro career in the Yankees organization. New York signed him as an international free agent out of Venezuela in 2018. Martinez put together some strong offensive seasons at the lower rungs of the minors, but has struggled at the upper levels. He hit .212 in his first stop at Double-A last year. The backstop posted a 63 wRC+ in 23 games after moving to Triple-A.
Martinez has slashed .189/.308/.369 with Salt Lake this season. He’s popped six home runs in 130 plate appearances, but he’s also struck out at a 33.1% clip. Martinez will head back to the Bees after no team put in a claim during the waiver process. This is the first time he’s been outrighted, so he had to accept the minor league assignment.
Los Angeles has had a tough time finding consistent production behind the plate this season. The club ranks 23rd in OPS at the position heading into Saturday. Logan O’Hoppe has a 76 wRC+ through 46 games. He’s struggled mightily with the glove, posting -8 Defensive Runs Saved. Travis d’Arnaud had an identical 76 wRC+ through 40 plate appearances as O’Hoppe’s backup. He’s now on the 60-day IL with plantar fasciitis. Sebastian Rivero is backing up O’Hoppe now. He’s been solid as a defender (2 DRS), but he has a sub-.600 OPS.
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Rockies Select Eiberson Castellano, Outright Valente Bellozo
The Rockies have selected the contract of right-hander Eiberson Castellano, the team announced. When he appears in a game, it will be his MLB debut. Castellano will take the 40-man roster spot of righty Valente Bellozo. The veteran has already cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. Right-hander Jeff Criswell was optioned to open a spot on the big-league club for Castellano.
The 25-year-old Castellano joined the organization on a minor league deal in December. He put together a 2.72 ERA across 10 starts at Double-A to open the season. The Rockies bumped Castellano to Triple-A, where he fired six scoreless innings in his lone start in the hitter-friendly PCL. He’s now on the move again, getting the big-league call as Colorado looks to add a fresh arm to a battered bullpen.
Castellano showed a five-pitch mix in his lone start with Albuquerque. He led with a curveball/four-seamer tandem, followed by a slider, sinker, and changeup. Castellano sat in the mid-90s with the fastball and sinker. It’s a hard slider, averaging nearly 90 mph. Castellano has posted solid strikeout numbers at times in the minors, but walks have tended to be an issue. He has a 23.8% strikeout rate and an 11.5% walk rate in 59 innings this year.
Bellozo didn’t break camp with the team, but was up during the first full week of the season. He was hammered for nine earned runs in 10 2/3 innings out of the bullpen. The 26-year-old was sent back to Triple-A in mid-April. He hasn’t been much better with the Isotopes, posting an 8.83 ERA across 12 appearances.
It isn’t much of a surprise that Bellozo didn’t garner any attention on the waiver wire, considering his performance this season. He’ll stick in the Colorado organization as a depth option in the minors. Bellozo put together a pair of respectable seasons with the Marlins, including 13 starts with a 3.67 ERA as a rookie in 2024. There’s a decent chance he gets another shot at eating some innings with the Rockies later this year.
Criswell made his return from Tommy John surgery at the end of May. He tossed two scoreless innings with the big-league club. Criswell has provided solid results in his limited time in the majors, but he’s racked up 49 pitches over the past three days, so Colorado swapped him out. Criswell was one of four relievers pressed into service behind Sean Sullivan on Friday. Sullivan was lifted after three innings with an illness.
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Giancarlo Stanton Suffers Setback In Rehab
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton tweaked his calf while running the bases this week, manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Stanton has been on the IL with a calf strain since late April. He was nearing a return to the team, potentially as soon as next week, but that may no longer be the case, per Boone.
It’s a tough development for a New York lineup that is already without reigning MVP Aaron Judge and has just lost Trent Grisham. Stanton’s continued absence solidifies the playing time for Paul Goldschmidt. The veteran played a part-time role at first base when Stanton was healthy, but has stepped into everyday reps with him sidelined. Ben Rice has slid from first base to DH with Stanton sidelined.
Stanton was off to a relatively slow start in the power department (three HRs), but he had delivered league-average results overall (101 wRC+). The 36-year-old had a .724 OPS through 24 games before the calf issue popped up. Stanton returned to the outfield last season after strictly DHing in 2024. He made 18 starts on defense. Stanton hasn’t played the outfield yet this season, and the calf injury makes it unlikely he’ll spend much time out there any time soon.
Persistent health issues have been a theme for Stanton this decade. He hasn’t reached 500 plate appearances since 2021. Achilles, hamstring, and elbow injuries have cost him time over the past four years. The right calf isn’t a new problem. Stanton strained it in 2021 and 2022, as well.
It’s unclear when Stanton might resume his recovery process. Boone mentioned that additional imaging on his injured calf might be needed after this setback. The Stanton, Judge, and Grisham injuries should provide plenty of runway for young outfielders Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones. Dominguez returned from a shoulder injury today. He launched a solo home run off Kevin Gausman in his first at-bat.
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Rangers Place Evan Carter On 10-Day IL With Oblique Strain
Rangers outfielder Evan Carter is heading to the 10-day injured list with a right oblique strain, the team announced. The Rangers recalled infielder/outfielder Cody Freeman from Triple-A Round Rock to take Carter’s roster spot.
Injuries have been an all-too-frequent occurrence during a frustrating career for Carter, who left a loss to the Red Sox on Friday with what was described as soreness. He will now hit the IL for the fifth time since he debuted in September 2023. The 23-year-old appeared in just 108 of a possible 324 regular-season games from 2024-25. Carter had been much healthier this year until this injury cropped up, as he played in 66 of the Rangers’ first 69 games. The severity of his latest malady is unclear, but oblique problems often lead to lengthy absences.
The lefty-swinging Carter looked like a future star when the Rangers promoted him to the majors. He slashed .306/.413/.645 over a 23-game, 75-plate appearance span to close out the regular season. Carter followed that up by hitting .300/.417/.500 in 72 trips to the plate during a playoff run that concluded with the Rangers’ World Series victory over the Diamondbacks.
Carter was riding plenty of momentum going into 2024, but lower back troubles held him to 45 games and kept him out from late May onward. He hit a meek .188/.272/.361 with five home runs in 162 plate appearances that year. Carter’s performance improved in 2025, in which he batted .247/.336/.392 with five HRs and 14 stolen bases, but quadriceps, back and wrist troubles limited him to 63 games and 220 PA.
While Carter has been the Rangers’ primary center fielder this year, his offense has backslid. He is going on the shelf with a .176/.292/.321 line, six homers and 10 steals in 229 trips to the plate. Carter’s .209 batting average on balls in play suggests he has been unlucky, but his xBA, xSLG and xwOBA all rank in the league’s bottom 19th percentile or worse. Lefties have been especially hard on Carter, who has gone a miserable 1 for 27 with a single, 11 strikeouts and three walks against them.
Michael Helman, the Rangers’ second option in center this year, will start there on Saturday against the Red Sox. He could get most of the work at the position while Carter is out. Corner outfielders Wyatt Langford and Brandon Nimmo also have experience in center, though the latter hasn’t seen much action there since 2023.
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