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).
Thomas Hatch Signs With KBO League’s SSG Landers
TODAY: The Korea Baseball Organization’s SSG Landers announced that Hatch has signed a one-year deal worth $590K.
JUNE 5: The Diamondbacks have released right-hander Thomas Hatch, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. It’s possible he had an opt-out in his deal, as the start of June is a common time for such contract provisions.
Hatch, 31, signed a minor league deal with the Snakes in the offseason. He has been with the Triple-A Reno Aces and performing decently, considering that club plays in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. In 11 starts, he has logged 51 2/3 innings, allowing 4.01 earned runs per nine. Only three qualified pitchers in the PCL have a better ERA than that right now.
His 16% strikeout rate isn’t terribly strong but he has been filling up the strike zone, only giving out walks to just 4.7% of batters faced. He has induced grounders on 46% of balls in play. His four-seamer and sinker are averaging around 93 miles per hour as he also mixes in a cutter, slider and changeup. In his big league career, he has thrown 103 innings over five different seasons with a 5.24 ERA.
The Snakes aren’t exactly overflowing with rotation depth at the moment. They have Merrill Kelly, Eduardo Rodríguez, Ryne Nelson, Zac Gallen and Michael Soroka in the big league rotation. Corbin Burnes was working his way back from Tommy John surgery but recently suffered a setback and probably won’t be able to rejoin the team until September. Cristian Mena underwent shoulder surgery this month. Mitch Bratt and Dylan Ray are on the 40-man roster but both recently landed on the minor league injured list. Kohl Drake is also on the 40-man but has a 7.80 ERA in Triple-A this year. Brandon Pfaadt had been in a bullpen role in the majors but just got optioned to get stretched out. He has an ERA near 6.00 this year, so it’s unclear what the Snakes can expect from him going forward.
Put that all together and it suggests Hatch probably opted out of his deal, since the Snakes probably wouldn’t have given up the depth for no reason, though they don’t really have a spot in the big league rotation. Perhaps they will look to re-sign Hatch to a new minor league deal, one with fresh opt-outs, to preserve that depth. But Hatch will have a chance to survey the market to see if there are other opportunities out there. Teams like the Twins, Royals and Blue Jays, who have employed Hatch before, have big injury concerns in their starting pitching ranks and could be interested in a reunion.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Yankees Select Ali Sánchez
TODAY: The Yankees officially announced the move, specifying that Sanchez has now signed a Major League contract with the team.
JUNE 5: The Yankees will select catcher Ali Sánchez onto the MLB roster, reports Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. New York hasn’t confirmed that move but announced tonight that backup catcher J.C. Escarra was optioned to Triple-A Scranton Wilkes-Barre. New York has had room on the 40-man roster since early-season DFAs of Cade Winquest and Randal Grichuk, so no other move is necessary.
Sánchez will take over as the backup catcher behind Austin Wells, giving them a right-handed bat in the process. The Yankees have used a left-handed hitting duo of Wells and Escarra all season. Neither player has done anything offensively, with the latter hitting .177 without a home run in 22 games. Wells has a putrid .166/.278/.255 line across 169 plate appearances. He only has five hits in 50 at-bats against lefty pitching.
The 29-year-old Sánchez, who signed an offseason minor league deal, isn’t going to provide much of an offensive boost. He’s a .183 hitter in 50 career big league contests. This year’s .227/.327/.375 line over 40 Triple-A contests is below average and has come with reverse platoon splits. The Yankees figure to look for a clearer upgrade behind the dish before the trade deadline. They’ll hope Sánchez can provide a small spark, or at least better balance, in the interim.
Sánchez has a solid defensive reputation. He showed a plus arm in ranking among the top 20 catchers in average pop time last year in very brief stints with the Red Sox and Blue Jays. Sánchez has thrown out nearly a quarter of attempted base stealers at the MLB level and is 12-43 (28%) with Scranton this season. Statcast also graded him favorably for his blocking ability during his most extended MLB action, a 31-game stint with the Marlins two seasons ago.
Orioles Designate Weston Wilson, Select Sam Huff
The Orioles announced that utilityman Weston Wilson has been designated for assignment. Taking Wilson’s place on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters is catcher Sam Huff, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Norfolk.
Huff’s arrival is related to the availability of Samuel Basallo, who made an early exit from Friday’s game due to what the team described as abdominal discomfort. The injury hasn’t yet been seemed serious enough to warrant a trip to the injured list, but even if Basallo is fine after a day or two of rest and recovery, the Orioles now have Huff on hand as a backup catcher behind Adley Rutschman.
Baltimore signed Huff to a minor league contract during the offseason, and his deal was previously selected to the active roster in April when Rutschman was on the 10-day IL. Huff appeared in three games for the O’s during his week on the 26-man roster before he was DFA’ed, and after Huff chose free agency over an outright assignment, he quickly re-signed with the Orioles on a fresh minors contract.
Should Basallo’s abdominal issue prove to be a short-term concern, it is very possible Huff will face another DFA within the next few days. Wilson is also no stranger to the DFA cycle, as he was designated and then outrighted off Baltimore’s 40-man roster last February, just a couple of weeks after the Orioles claimed him from the Phillies’ waiver wire. This past outright means that Wilson also has the ability to elect free agency over an outright assignment, assuming he clears waivers this time around.
Wilson’s contract was selected to the active roster on April 13, but he has seen only sporadic action in a backup role. Wilson has hit .231/.348/.333 in 46 plate appearances over 19 games, playing mostly at third base with one game in the outfield and three mop-up outings as a pitcher.
Now a veteran of the last four MLB seasons, Wilson has a .240/.331/.413 slash line over 291 career PA with the Orioles and Phillies. Wilson also has a good deal of experience at first and second base plus some work at the other two outfield positions, so he offers some versatility to any team looking to add bench depth on a waiver add.
Mets Release Anderson Severino
The Mets have released left-hander Anderson Severino, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon. Severino was designated for assignment last week, and Sammon indicates that the release was granted so Severino could sign with a Japanese team.
The southpaw is no stranger to international play, as Severino pitched in the Mexican League during the 2024-25 seasons. He made his return to affiliated ball this year after signing a minor league deal with the Mets over the offseason, and Severino posted a 1.31 ERA over 20 2/3 innings with Triple-A Syracuse. Despite the impressive ERA, Severino’s grounder-heavy (51.1% groundball rate) got a lot of help from a .229 BABIP, and his 13.8% walk rate indicated some control issues.
Those under-the-hood numbers were likely the reason why the Mets (despite their penchant for cycling through relievers) didn’t give Severino a look at the MLB level. His only Major League experience consists of six games and 7 1/3 innings with the White Sox in 2022, as Severino posted a 6.14 ERA over his couple of weeks in the Show.
Severino has worked as a reliever for almost the entirety of his pro career, so he isn’t likely to explore a move to starting pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball. A good showing in Japan could very well get Severino back onto the radar for big league teams down the road, or perhaps lead to a longer stint in NPB for the 31-year-old.