Astros Notes: Brown, Allen, Ullola
Hunter Brown will make his fourth and possibly final minor league rehab start on Wednesday, Astros manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters yesterday. Brown will pitch for Triple-A Sugar Land for the third time during his rehab assignment, with the first of his four outings coming with Double-A Corpus Christi on May 24.
As expected, Brown’s pitch count has slowly increased with each start, going from 35 to 44 to 57. Espada had previously hinted that the Astros could activate Brown after just three rehab outings, though an earlier return probably would’ve required the use of a piggyback pitcher behind Brown if he was limited to something in the realm of 70 pitches. As such, the right-hander will get a bit more time to fully build his arm strength before returning from the 60-day injured list.
Brown emerged as the ace of Houston’s rotation in 2025 and hit the ground running this year with an 0.84 ERA over his first two starts. A Grade 2 shoulder strain then sent Brown to the IL in one of the first of what has been many major injury blows to the Astros roster. Brown is one of seven pitchers and 10 overall players still on Houston’s injured list, so it isn’t any surprise that the Astros have a 30-37 record.
That said, the Astros have gone 13-9 in their last 22 games, as the team has gotten a little healthier. Yordan Alvarez‘s MVP-level numbers have helped carry the lineup, while Spencer Arrighetti, Peter Lambert, and Kai-Wei Teng have all pitched well in filling in the many holes in the rotation. An in-form Brown returning to the top of that rotation would be another major boost to the Astros’ chances of digging themselves out of their early-season hole.
Just as Brown is getting nearer a return, however, yet another player is facing an injury scare. Nick Allen made an early exit from today’s 5-0 loss to the Athletics due to left hamstring discomfort, since arose after the infielder singled in the third inning. “I was trying to leg out a double there and kind of felt something grab on me, a little bit on the left hammy, lower left side,” Allen told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.
Allen said he’ll undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury but downplayed the seriousness of the discomfort. The backup infielder already missed a couple of weeks earlier this year dealing with back spasms, but Allen has already played in 37 games this season, as the Astros’ various injuries opened the door for playing time at second base, third base, and shortstop. Allen is providing his usual light offense (.266/.304/.344 in 70 plate appearances) and his glovework isn’t quite up to its usual stellar standard, but Allen has been a useful depth piece for the shorthanded roster.
In another piece from McTaggart, he notes that the Astros have transitioned pitching prospect Miguel Ullola into a full-time relief role. Ullola is a classic case of a pitcher with great stuff that he hasn’t been able to harness — over 471 2/3 career innings in the minors, Ullola has an impressive 30.54% strikeout rate but also a 15.75% walk rate, resulting in an uninspiring 4.45 ERA.
Ullola doesn’t turn 24 until later this month so it is possible he might get another look as a starter down the road. But after six seasons of inconsistency, “you start narrowing it down when they get to Triple-A,” Espada said. “He’s started [86] games already, so now we start getting a better feel for what he’s going to be and how can impact our roster.”
Houston added Ullola to the 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and the move to the bullpen might be the final step in getting the right-hander to the majors. Ullola was charged with three runs over two-third of an inning today, but he hadn’t allowed a run in his previous five relief innings. As usual, switching to relief pitching has delivered a velocity bump, as Ullola’s already plus fastball has touched 97.3mph since going to the pen.
Jameson Taillon Leaves Game Due To Hamstring Strain
Jameson Taillon‘s start tonight was cut short in the second inning, as the right-hander was removed due to what the Cubs later revealed as a left hamstring strain. Taillon allowed a run on a walk and two hits in his first inning against the Giants, but after walking Matt Chapman to lead off the second inning, Taillon requested a visit from the team trainer and then left the mound.
More will be known about Taillon’s status when manager Craig Counsell meets with the media postgame, but it isn’t a good sign that Taillon’s injury has already been termed as a strain. A trip to the 15-day injured list might be inevitable, though a lower-grade strain might see Taillon return in a fairly minimal amount of time.
Taillon has a 5.19 ERA over 67 2/3 innings, and a league-leading 20 home runs is the root cause of his struggles. While Taillon has never been great at keeping the ball in the park, this season’s spike in homer rate is eye-opening. Taillon’s hard-hit ball rate is actually around league average, yet his dismal 14.5% barrel rate indicates that opposing batters are maximizing the damage when squaring up against the righty’s offerings.
As much as the results haven’t been there for the 34-year-old, he has at least been able to take the ball for 13 starts, providing the Cubs with some innings in an injury-ravaged year for the team’s pitching staff. Now it seems like Taillon may be the latest Wrigleyville hurler bit by the injury bug, just after Edward Cabrera was activated from the 15-day IL on Friday and Matthew Boyd may be just days away from returning from left meniscus surgery.
Cade Horton was also lost to a Tommy John surgery and Justin Steele‘s return from a TJ surgery has been delayed until some time in the second half of the season. Despite all these rotation ailments, the bullpen has perhaps been hit even harder by a variety of major and minor injuries, leaving the Cubs scrambling for arms basically since Opening Day. The Cubs overcame their lack of healthy and effective pitching to go 27-12 in their first 39 games, but they’ve since lost 19 of their last 26 games heading into tonight’s matchup with San Francisco.
Monday’s off-day provides some chance for a rotation reset, and perhaps a chance for Taillon to undergo further evaluation on his hamstring strain. Chicago’s rotation currently consists of Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Ben Brown, Cabrera, and possibly Boyd taking Taillon’s place if Boyd doesn’t require a third rehab start. Javier Assad could be a candidate to be a stretched out for rotation work as well, should Boyd need more ramp-up time.
Athletics Interested In Kris Bubic
Royals left-hander Kris Bubic is a player of interest for the Athletics in advance of the trade deadline, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. Bubic is a free agent after the season, and thus a logical trade candidate if the 27-39 Royals can’t get back into contention.
The first order of business is Bubic’s health, as the southpaw hasn’t pitched since May 14 due to soreness in his throwing elbow. Bubic downplayed the severity of the problem at the time of his placement on the 15-day injured list, and while he is already beyond the 15-day minimum, he has been throwing bullpen sessions and seems to be on track with a standard throwing progression.
Any sort of elbow issue is of particular concern given Bubic’s injury history, as he has pitched only 213 innings since the start of the 2023 season due to a Tommy John surgery and a rotator cuff strain. After the TJ procedure shelved Bubic for most of the 2023-24 seasons, he returned to the rotation in great form and earned an All-Star nod last year before the rotator cuff issue prematurely ended his season in late July.
Things haven’t gone quite as smoothly in Bubic’s latest return to action, as he posted a 4.11 ERA over his first nine starts and 50 1/3 innings of the 2026 campaign. Bubic is still striking out a decent number of batters, but his 12.6% walk rate is well above his previous career average of 9.4%. Batters are also chasing Bubic’s pitches far less than they did in 2025, and having a lot more success against both his sweeper and his low-90’s fastball.
Still, even if Bubic projects as more of a mid-rotation or even a back-end starter than a frontline arm, that still makes him a valuable rental commodity. Bubic has roughly $3.88MM remaining on his $6.15MM salary, so he is a fit in any team’s budget. Assuming Bubic is back in Kansas City’s rotation within a couple of weeks, the A’s and plenty of other teams figure to be scouting the veteran’s readiness in the lead-up to the August 3 trade deadline.
There is so much parity given the American League that it may take well over a month for most teams to fall within “buyer” and “seller” categories, and naturally several teams might do a bit of both. At 31-34, the Athletics aren’t that far ahead of the Royals in the standings, so there’s no guarantee the West Sacramento club will still be in buyer mode once the deadline rolls around.
If the A’s do remain in the hunt, rotation help is an obvious need. Today’s 5-0 shutout of the Astros was a rare gem for a pitching staff that entered Sunday’s action with a collective 4.66 ERA, ranking 26th of 30 teams. Injuries to Luis Severino and Aaron Civale further thinned what was already a shaky rotation to begin with, and a move to acquire Bubic (or another prominent starter) for immediate help doesn’t seem likely since the Royals are probably still hoping to turn their season around.
The Athletics’ current starting five consists of Jeffrey Springs, J.T. Ginn, Jack Perkins (who has 70 2/3 MLB innings to his name) and two rookies in Gage Jump and Kade Morris. The highly-touted Jump tossed 6 1/3 shutout frames today and has a 2.45 ERA over his first 13 1/3 innings, but the A’s may not want to lean too hard on the idea of Jump keeping up this production throughout a playoff race.
Sutter Health Park has proven to be a daunting challenge for most starting pitchers, but Bubic could be a decent fit for the hitter-friendly venue. Bubic has done a good job at keeping the ball in the park over his last four seasons, though naturally pitching at Kauffman Stadium has helped him in the regard. Bubic has a 45.7% grounder rate over his career, with this season’s 43.8% number a little below that norm.
Diamondbacks Sign Max Kepler
The Diamondbacks announced a one-year deal with outfielder Max Kepler. The signing won’t yet impact Arizona’s 40-man roster or active roster, as Kepler is still on the restricted list while serving an 80-game PED suspension.
News broke last January about Kepler’s positive test for the PED known as Epitrenbolone, and with Kepler still on the free agent market, his camp and Major League Baseball worked out an agreement for Kepler to serve his 80-game suspension even if he didn’t land a new contract. Since Kepler didn’t sign until now, he has been serving his 80-game suspension as if he was still a member of the Phillies (his former team).
Philadelphia played its 65th game of the season today, so the final 15 games of Kepler’s suspension presumably now adhere to the Diamondbacks’ schedule. This makes June 25 the first day Kepler is eligible to take part in the 2026 season, so he’ll get a couple of weeks of ramp-up time in the minor leagues before making his D’Backs debut.
Financial terms of the signing weren’t revealed, but it can be assumed Kepler will be receiving a pretty small guaranteed salary prorated over the remainder of the 2026 campaign. Even before the suspension, Kepler was likely facing a tough market given his lack of production with the Phillies last year. He hit .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs over 474 plate appearances, and even those modest numbers now come under the cloud of the PED suspension.
Kepler has provided almost exactly league-average offense over his 11 MLB seasons, as he had a 101 wRC+ from a career slash line of .235/.316/.425 over 1199 PA with the Twins and Phillies. Kepler posted a 122 wRC+ in both 2019 and 2023 and a 109 wRC+ during the shortened 2020 season, but he has otherwise been a subpar hitter in his other eight seasons.
The left-handed hitter has struggled against southpaw pitching for much of his career, limiting Kepler’s effectiveness as a true everyday player. Kepler has expressed some frustration over a platoon role in the past, such as last June when he said “I signed here [in Philadelphia] being told that I was going to be the starting everyday left fielder” after he wasn’t in the lineup for three straight games when the Phils faced left-handed starters.
While naturally more productive against right-handed pitching, Kepler hasn’t really been a righty-masher, as he has hit a respectable but uninspiring .240/.324/.446 over his career with the platoon advantage. Most of Kepler’s success against righties came earlier in his career, as he has batted just .237/.315/.408 in 1436 PA against righties since Opening Day 2022.
Beyond the offense, Kepler also contributed outstanding right field defense during his prime years as a regular in the Twins lineup. His defensive metrics, however, have dipped as he has battled knee problems in recent years, and the move to the seemingly easier left field position in Philadelphia resulted in +2 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average over 773 1/3 innings (which represented the first time Kepler had ever played left in his career).
Corbin Carroll obviously has right field covered in Arizona, so Kepler will likely act as a left fielder and DH against right-handed pitching. The Diamondbacks were known to be looking for left-handed hitting help, given that outfielders Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jordan Lawlar, Ryan Waldschmidt, and Tommy Troy are all right-handed hitters. By the time Kepler is eligible for reinstatement, Gurriel should be back from the hamstring strain that has sidelined him for last couple of weeks, and Lawlar (currently on a Triple-A rehab assignment) should be back from the broken wrist that has kept him on the IL for over two months.
It should be noted that Kepler’s salary is likely small enough that the D’Backs would feel comfortable releasing Kepler (or designating him for assignment) if he doesn’t produce. This seems like purely a depth move for the Snakes as they continue to try and figure out two-thirds of their outfield picture, and a bit of a flier to see what Kepler might have in the tank in his age-33 season. However Kepler might contribute to Arizona’s postseason chase, he is ineligible to participate in this year’s playoffs, as per the terms of PED suspensions.
Rangers Release Sam Haggerty
The Rangers have released utilityman Sam Haggerty, according to his MLB.com transaction tracker. The veteran was designated for assignment on Friday. He’s now on the open market.
The Rangers still owe Haggerty the remaining money on his $1.25MM deal. Another team can add him and pay him the prorated league minimum while he’s on the roster. That figure would be subtracted from Texas’ total.
The 32-year-old Haggerty slashed .159/.213/.182 in limited playing time this year. He’s typically punched out at a slightly above-average clip, but his strikeout rate has jumped to 34.0% in 2026. Haggerty’s two steals were largely the extent of his offensive contributions. He no longer has high-end wheels, though he still ranks in the 75th percentile for sprint speed.
Haggerty has experience at all three outfield spots and every infield spot except shortstop. He’s only played center field and left field with the Rangers this season, but his versatility could attract another club. Haggerty was a league-average hitter as recently as last season. He delivered a 98 wRC+ in 64 games with Texas. The veteran chipped in a dozen stolen bases. The performance was enough to earn a seven-figure commitment from the Rangers over the winter.
Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images
Tigers Notes: Skubal, Verlander, Mize, Jansen
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal made a rehab start today for High-A West Michigan. The two-time Cy Young winner put on a masterclass for his minor league teammates, tossing five scoreless innings on 54 pitches (44 strikes). He struck out six and gave up just a pair of singles. As ESPN’s Jeff Passan pointed out, it’s only been a month since Skubal went for NanoScope arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. Whether his quick recovery says more about the surgical technology or Skubal himself, it’s remarkable either way.
Following his start this afternoon, Skubal went to the bullpen to throw some more pitches (per The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen). In other words, he wasn’t removed after 54 bullets because that’s all he could throw. That’s a good indication that Skubal’s next start could be for the Tigers. Before his rehab outing, manager A.J. Hinch suggested he might only need the one tune-up start as long as all went well. It certainly seems as if all did, in fact, go well.
Skubal isn’t the only pitcher working his way back to Detroit. Earlier today, Hinch also offered updates on Justin Verlander, Casey Mize, and Kenley Jansen (per reporter Chris McCosky). Verlander is set to make a second rehab start for Triple-A Toledo on Wednesday. He made his first rehab start last week, tossing five scoreless innings with three strikeouts. The Tigers legend has been on the shelf since his first start of the season with inflammation in his left hip. Barring a setback, a third rehab start seems unlikely.
Mize and Jansen are both lined up to pitch on Tuesday. Mize has not been out for long; right adductor inflammation sent him to the injured list at the end of May. His outing this week for Single-A Lakeland should be the only rehab start he needs before he can also rejoin the Tigers’ rotation. Jansen hit the IL around the same time as Mize with pelvic inflammation. Given that timeline, it’s plausible that he, too, will be ready to come back after one rehab appearance.
With Skubal, Verlander, and Mize all nearing their returns, the Tigers will have to figure out how to fit three arms into their starting rotation. They currently have four healthy starters: Framber Valdez, Jack Flaherty, Keider Montero, and Troy Melton. Melton is the most likely candidate to be optioned or moved to the bullpen, but even then, Detroit would have six starters for five spots. Hinch acknowledged this issue without revealing his cards, although he did suggest that a six-man rotation is a possibility: “We’ll work our way through how to slide guys in…but it’s not as simple as just ‘disrupt everything’ and insert three-fifths of a rotation or three-sixths of a rotation if we go to the sixth man” (per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press).
Hazen: Diamondbacks To Seek Bullpen Upgrades On Trade Market
Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen discussed his team’s trade deadline priorities on MLB Network Radio today. The GM confirmed previous reports that he would like to add at least one left-handed bat, explaining: “I probably need a little more thump in the lineup, probably a little more power, probably need to get a little more left-handed.” Entering play today, the D-backs ranked among the league’s bottom three teams in batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage against right-handed pitching, while their 85 wRC+ was the worst in MLB. However, the lineup isn’t the only area in which this team could use some help.
Hazen also touched on Arizona’s pitching needs: “I’m sure we’re going to need bullpen, everybody needs bullpen.” The Diamondbacks have managed to avoid working their bullpen too hard over their first 64 games. While their starters rank fifth in the majors with 357 1/3 innings pitched, their relievers rank second-to-last with just 209 1/3 innings on the books. D-backs relievers have combined for a 4.13 ERA and 3.84 SIERA, both around the middle of the pack. Yet, a struggling Brandon Pfaadt and Andrew Hoffman – the two of whom are now at Triple-A Reno – skewed those numbers. Paul Sewald, Juan Morillo, Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, Jonathan Loáisiga, Taylor Clarke, and Brandyn Garcia have thrown 75% of Arizona’s bullpen innings with a collective 2.51 ERA and 3.41 SIERA. Only Sewald, the eldest and most experienced of the group, has an ERA higher than 3.00, and there’s no denying he’s been successful in the closer role this season. The 36-year-old is 15-for-16 in save opportunities, with a 3.47 ERA and 3.58 SIERA.
Nonetheless, Hazen has good reason to want to add to his arm barn. All of the Diamondbacks’ best bullpen arms have their question marks, and none is the type to strike true fear into opposing lineups late in games. The only ones who haven’t struggled with injury and inconsistency are those whose major league careers are just beginning. And while Arizona’s relievers have not been overworked to this point, depth is still going to matter as the season goes on. A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez could help eventually, but the D-backs won’t want to rely too heavily on a pair of arms that have been out for over a year. All of this to say, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen isn’t in a terrible spot, but it has room to improve. If Hazen views his team as a serious contender, he’d be smart to pursue another back-end arm to pitch in high-leverage spots, as well as some depth to fill innings over the next four months.
Indeed, filling innings could soon become much more important. Diamondbacks starters are averaging just under 5 2/3 innings per game. It might be unrealistic to expect them to keep up that pace, especially since Hazen is hoping he won’t need to bring in any outside reinforcements for the rotation. As the GM put it: “Do we need a starting pitcher? At this point, I’m hoping Brandon Pfaadt gets going down in Triple-A to the point where that may not be a spot where we have to expend resources.”
The Diamondbacks can’t count on Corbin Burnes to come to the rescue anymore. The 2021 NL Cy Young winner will most likely be sidelined until September after suffering a teres major strain. As for the healthy arms, Michael Soroka is enjoying an excellent season, but he hasn’t been a full-time starter since 2019. He threw 89 2/3 innings in the majors last year, and he’s on pace to pass that number in the next couple of weeks. Eduardo Rodriguez, Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and Ryne Nelson should be fine to provide innings, but it’s fair to worry about the quality of those innings. Rodriguez has a 2.52 ERA but a 4.57 SIERA. Kelly, Gallen, and Nelson have combined for a 5.17 ERA and 4.83 SIERA. Given their track records of durability, the D-backs can ride all of those arms, but it doesn’t mean they should. The same goes for Pfaadt, who is stretching out as a starter again at Triple-A. With a rotation like that, the benefits of a deeper bullpen are plain to see.
Dodgers Trade Antoine Kelly To Cubs
Today: Both teams have confirmed the trade. The Cubs will send cash considerations to the Dodgers, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.
June 6: 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.
The 26-year-old Kelly has put together some intriguing minor league seasons, but has yet to earn a crack in the big leagues. He possesses big-time strikeout potential and shaky control. Kelly scuffled to a 5.63 ERA in 34 games with Colorado’s Triple-A affiliate last season.
Kelly latched on with the Dodgers over the winter and received an invitation to Spring Training. The lefty fired 9 2/3 scoreless innings with a 34.2% strikeout rate in the spring. He hasn’t been able to keep up those results at Triple-A Oklahoma City. Kelly has punched out more than a batter per inning, though it’s come with a massive 18.1% walk rate. He’s posted a 5.16 xERA and a 6.38 xFIP with the Comets.
It’s unclear what exactly Chicago parted with to land Kelly, but it’s unlikely to be anything significant. The Cubs will take a flyer on a reliever who could potentially contribute in a bullpen hit hard by injuries. The team’s relievers have held it together with a 3.69 ERA, but a 4.51 xERA suggests they’ve been fortunate.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Angels Place Jack Kochanowicz On 15-Day IL, Recall Sam Aldegheri
The Angels announced that they have placed right-hander Jack Kochanowicz on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation. Lefty Sam Aldegheri is being recalled from Triple-A in place of Kochanowicz.
Kochanowicz told reporters, including Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com, that his elbow has been bothering him in his past three starts. Kochanowicz tried to pitch through it, but he’ll now head to the IL in an attempt to fully recover. He will undergo an MRI tomorrow. Aldegheri is available out of the bullpen for now, per Bollinger, but he could slide into the rotation if needed. Caden Dana and George Klassen are other candidates for that spot.
Kochanowicz is having as good of a season as the Angels overall, which is to say not very good. The 6’7″ righty has covered 64 innings over 13 starts, recording a 6.05 ERA in the process. Kochanowicz has a 5.38 xERA, a 4.98 FIP, and a 5.00 SIERA, suggesting he’s been somewhat unlucky, but still ineffective. Indeed, manager Kurt Suzuki was non-committal about keeping Kochanowicz in the rotation before the IL placement was announced. “[We will] talk about it and see what our options are,” Suzuki told Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. Fletcher also noted that Kochanowicz was experiencing mechanical issues, which can now be partly attributed to his injury.
The fact that Kochanowicz has held onto his spot for this long speaks to the Angels’ lack of rotation depth behind José Soriano and Reid Detmers. The former has cooled off after a hot start but still has a 2.72 ERA in 76 innings. Detmers has strong peripherals that suggest he’s due for improvement on his 4.26 ERA. Otherwise, rookie Walbert Ureña has a 2.68 ERA and an excellent 51.4% ground ball rate, but also a 4.53 SIERA thanks to a high walk rate. Grayson Rodriguez has allowed 19 earned runs in 18 innings since returning from injury.
Yusei Kikuchi is on the 60-day IL and won’t be back until late July at best, per the club’s official injury report. Dana and Klassen are both on the 40-man roster as depth options, and Dana was a Top-100 prospect last year according to MLB.com. However, neither Dana nor Klassen is performing well at Triple-A this year despite high ground ball rates.
Working in Kochanowicz’s favor are his own high ground ball rate (54.6% in 240 1/3 big league innings), 72nd-percentile fastball velocity, and much improved slider (-6 run value in 2025, +1 this year). Granted, the Angels are not contending and can afford to give the 25-year-old Kochanowicz plenty of leeway. Still, his ground ball rate and decent stuff are intriguing on their own, so it wouldn’t be unrealistic to see Kochanowicz back in the rotation when he returns. The Angels only have four starters at the moment per FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool, so Kochanowicz could reclaim his spot as the fifth starter.
Aldegheri returns to the Majors as a long reliever for now. He’s scattered three big league appearances around three recalls and options this year, with this move being his fourth recall. Aldegheri has a 7.24 ERA in 46 innings over nine starts at Triple-A in 2026. His big league track record consists of an uninspiring 5.26 ERA in 37 2/3 innings from 2024-26. It would not be surprising for Aldegheri to appear in one game then get optioned once again, with one of Dana or Klassen getting a temporary rotation spot with Kochanowicz out.
Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images
Blue Jays Select Chad Dallas, Outright Tanner Andrews
TODAY: Andrews has cleared waivers, according to Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. Toronto has assigned him outright to Triple-A Buffalo. Andrews does not have the requisite service time to reject the assignment, nor has he been previously outrighted. As a result, he will stay in the organization.
June 4: The Blue Jays announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Chad Dallas. Fellow righty Hayden Juenger has been optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in a corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, righty Tanner Andrews has been designated for assignment.
Dallas, 26 later this month, was a fourth-round pick of the Jays in 2021. He put himself on the prospect map with a strong 2023, making 23 starts between High-A and Double-A. He logged 123 1/3 innings, allowing 3.65 earned runs per nine. He struck out 27.9% of batters faced, walked 9.5% of opponents and induced grounders on 44.3% of balls in play.
Going into 2024, Baseball America ranked him the #14 prospect in the system. FanGraphs put him 16th. He could have been in line to make his major league debut that year but his health intervened. He struggled at Triple-A around a few stints on the injured list and eventually underwent Tommy John surgery in September. He missed the entire 2025 season. Here in 2026, he has been back on the mound and has logged 36 innings for Triple-A Buffalo with a 4.50 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 41.7% ground ball rate.
In the long term, Dallas might end up as a reliever. His best pitch is his slider while he doesn’t have a great weapon against lefties. For now, he’s still stretched out and the Jays need the innings, as their rotation has been decimated by injuries this year. José Berríos, Cody Ponce and Bowden Francis are done for the season. Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, Shane Bieber and Lazaro Estrada are also on the IL. Jake Bloss is still recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery. Prospect Ricky Tiedemann is still in the injury wilderness.
Due to all those absences, the Jays have been rolling with a hollowed-out rotation. Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage and Patrick Corbin are the three traditional starters. The Jays have also been deploying frequent bullpen games with Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles working as a bulk guy in those. Until recently, they had Cease in the mix as well but his hamstring strain further cut into the group and has necessitated even more depth arms getting into the mix. Austin Voth was called up for an emergency bulk outing last week but was quickly bumped off the roster after.
Left-hander Mason Fluharty is technically starting tonight’s game but Dallas will probably be working bulk innings behind him. Since this is the first time Dallas has been called up to the majors, he has a full slate of options. He will likely be sent back to Buffalo after this. The Jays acquired Simeon Woods Richardson yesterday. He has not yet joined the active roster but could perhaps link up with the team in Toronto tomorrow. The Jays also might get Cease back soon. He is expected to make a rehab start tonight and might only need that one game before being activated next week. They also have Scherzer, Bieber, Estrada and Bloss out on rehab assignments at the moment.
Andrews is a 30-year-old minor league journeyman. He spent time in the farm systems of the Marlins, Giants and Twins before signing a minor league deal with the Jays coming into this year. The Jays added him to the roster when Cease hit the IL. He made two scoreless appearances before being optioned back down to Triple-A Buffalo.
He now heads into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Jays could take five days to explore trade interest, though they could also put him on waivers sooner than that. He posted a 6.02 ERA in the minors from 2023 to 2025 but has a 1.29 ERA in 21 innings this year. That’s thanks to a fortunate .220 batting average on balls in play and 94% strand rate. His 4.26 FIP suggests his results would be less impressive with more neutral luck.
Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images