Yankees Trade Braden Shewmake To Astros
The Yankees have traded infielder Braden Shewmake to the Astros. Minor league right-hander Wilmy Sanchez is heading to New York in the deal. Both teams have announced the swap.
More to come…
Dodgers Promote Ryan Ward
April 19: Ward’s promotion is now official. The Dodgers announced Freddie Freeman is heading to the paternity list to clear a spot for the rookie. Ward is starting at first base against the Rockies.
April 18: The Dodgers are calling first baseman/outfielder Ryan Ward up to the Major League roster, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports. The corresponding 26-man move isn’t yet known, and Ward was already added to Los Angeles’ 40-man roster back in November.
Ward will be making his big league debut the first time he appears in a game, and his first trip to the Show comes at the relatively old age of 28. In a less-stacked organization, Ward surely would’ve been in the majors much earlier, as he has crushed Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .264/.347/.511 slash line and 94 home runs over 1867 plate appearances in Oklahoma City over the last four seasons.
The fact that Ward has delivered these numbers in the hitter-friendly environment of the Pacific Coast League provides something of an asterisk. Ward also has extreme splits, even in his PCL MVP season of 2025 — the left-handed hitter crushed righties (1.038 OPS in 463 PA) and struggled badly against southpaws (.686 OPS in 189 PA) last season. Defensively, MLB Pipeline’s scouting report notes that Ward has a “lack of range and a below-average arm relegating him to left field or first base.”
Pipeline ranks Ward as only the 19th-best prospect in the Los Angeles farm system, while Baseball America doesn’t include Ward at all within their list of the top 30 Dodgers prospects. This is due in part to the Dodgers’ absurdly deep minor league system, but it again reflects how Ward isn’t considered a premium prospect, particularly at his age.
That said, Ward has done well for himself since being selected as an eighth-round pick in the 2019 draft, and his long journey to the majors is now finally nearing a payoff. Rockies right-handers Ryan Feltner and Michael Lorenzen are scheduled to start the next two games against the Dodgers, so Ward will probably have his MLB debut in the books before the weekend is over.
Teoscar Hernandez fouled a ball off his foot in yesterday’s 7-1 win over the Rockies, so that could potentially be the reason for Ward’s call-up. Alex Call is the only full-time outfielder on the L.A. bench —Hyeseong Kim and Santiago Espinal have some outfield experience but are infielders by trade, and both Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernandez are on the injured list until closer to the end of May. The set nature of the Dodgers’ lineup means that Call has only played in five games this season while spelling Hernandez, Andy Pages, and Kyle Tucker, though optioning Call to the minors doesn’t seem likely since Call is the top backup center field candidate.
Pirates Recall Wilber Dotel For MLB Debut
Right-hander Wilber Dotel will join the Pirates on Sunday, the club announced. Fellow righty Cam Sanders was optioned back to Triple-A. Dotel is among the top pitching prospects in the organization yet to appear in the big leagues. He’s already on the 40-man roster, so an additional move was not required.
The 23-year-old Dotel was off to a rocky start in Indianapolis. He was knocked around for eight earned runs in his first two outings. The righty tossed 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball in his most recent appearance, which came last Sunday. Dotel will initially pitch out of the bullpen, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pirates’ relievers had to cover nine innings in a wild 13-inning loss to the Rays on Saturday.
MLB Pipeline ranks Dotel as the No. 12 prospect in the organization. He’s behind Seth Hernandez (No. 2), Hunter Barco (No. 4), and Antwone Kelly (No. 8). Barco has already had multiple stints with the big-league club. The 19-year-old Hernandez was the club’s top pick in last year’s draft. Kelly began the year with Dotel in Triple-A, but he’s scuffled to a 9.75 ERA.
Pittsburgh signed Dotel out of the Dominican Republic in 2020. He’s generally delivered solid results from a run prevention perspective, but control has been an issue. Dotel had a walk rate above 11% at every minor league stop heading into 2025. He was able to trim the free passes to an 8.0% rate in 27 starts at Double-A last season. The righty also boosted his strikeout rate to 24.5%, his best mark since 2022 in the Complex league.
Dotel hasn’t made a relief appearance for a couple of seasons. Pittsburgh has a sturdy top four in the rotation with Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, and Braxton Ashcraft. Carmen Mlodzinski was used as a traditional starter in his first three appearances before coming in behind an opener in his last outing. He’s been effective this season, holding down the fifth spot in the rotation while Jared Jones works his way back from elbow surgery. Dotel doesn’t have a clear route to a starting gig at the moment.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Bender of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, via Imagn Images
Nationals To Recall Andrew Alvarez
Left-hander Andrew Alvarez is heading back to the big leagues, first reported by Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. The 26-year-old pitched well in his first opportunity with the Nationals last season. Alvarez is taking the roster spot of right-hander Paxton Schultz, who was sent down on Saturday, the team announced.
The new management in Washington has made a habit of shuffling arms in the bullpen. Once Alvarez gets into the game, he’ll be the fifth reliever to make an appearance who wasn’t on the Opening Day roster. Schultz was coming off one of his most effective outings of the season. The righty tossed three innings of one-run ball in relief of a struggling Zack Littell on Friday. A season-high 48 pitches likely sealed Schultz’s fate.
Alvarez was first promoted in September of last season. He fired five scoreless innings against the Marlins to earn a win in his debut. It was the first of three scoreless outings for Alvarez, who finished with a 2.31 ERA across five starts. The lefty allowed just two earned runs over nine innings in MLB Spring Training, but opened the year at Triple-A. Alvarez has a 4.66 ERA through four games with Rochester.
While the strikeout and walk numbers were underwhelming, Alvarez got ground balls at an excellent 58.2% clip in his 23 1/3 innings with the Nats. He flashed a five-pitch mix, but relied primarily on a low-90s fastball and two breaking balls.
Alvarez last pitched on Tuesday, so he’s on regular rest today. That’s a notable scheduling note considering it’ll be Miles Mikolas handling the bulk of the innings for the Nats. The former Cardinal has been pounded for 20 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings. Washington has taken steps to adjust Mikolas’ workload. In his most recent outing, PJ Poulin opened the game. In the start before that, he tag-teamed with Brad Lord, with both pitchers covering three innings. Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports that Poulin will open again today against the Giants.
Mikolas is on a cheap one-year, $2.25MM deal. It’s not out of the question that his rotation spot could devolve into an open competition. Mitchell Parker is already back on the big league roster after beginning the season at Triple-A. He made 30 starts with the club in 2025. Lord made 19 starts in a swingman role last year. Alvarez has been used exclusively as a starter for the past few seasons.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
Astros Notes: Harris, Loperfido, Allen, Sousa
Outfielder Dustin Harris is expected to be with the Astros “soon,” manager Joe Espada told reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Harris was nabbed off waivers from the White Sox on Saturday. The 26-year-old appeared in six games with Chicago.
Harris was off to a decent start in a part-time role. He got on base at a hefty .438 clip and chipped in two steals to open the season. The 26-year-old was called up when Austin Hays went to the IL in early April. Harris was squeezed off the roster after the White Sox called up infield prospect Sam Antonacci.
The lefty-swinging Harris was drafted by the Athletics but has spent most of his professional career with the Rangers. The outfielder debuted with the club in 2023. He totaled 50 plate appearances between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Harris hasn’t had an extended chance to flash the power/speed combo he showed in the minors. He put together a 20/25 season between Single-A and High-A in 2021. Harris has swiped 30+ bags in the minors in each of the past three years.
Harris would seem to be a replacement for Joey Loperfido. The outfielder is expected to land on the IL, per Espada, as relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. Loperfido was removed with a quad injury in the sixth inning of Friday’s loss to the Cardinals.
Houston acquired Loperfido from the Blue Jays straight up for Jesus Sanchez in mid-February. He broke camp with the club and has appeared in all but two games so far. Loperfido has spent time at all three outfield spots, with the majority of his work coming in left field. He’s slashing .259/.333/.345 across 66 plate appearances.
Shortstop Nick Allen was also knocked out of that game against St. Louis. Isaac Paredes replaced him due to back spasms (h/t McTaggart). Paredes himself was then removed from the contest with a leg injury. Shay Whitcomb replaced him in the infield. Whitcomb started at third base on Saturday, with Paredes returning to the lineup at DH. Allen was not in the starting nine.
Allen joined the organization following a trade from the Braves in November. The glove-first veteran had made five starts since shortstop Jeremy Pena went down with a knee injury last weekend. Allen’s absence would lead to more time at shortstop for Carlos Correa, with Paredes slotting in at third. The Astros are already rolling with that configuration on a semi-regular basis. Paredes has also picked up starts at first and second base.
On the pitching side, left-hander Bennett Sousa is nearing a return. The reliever’s last obstacle in the minors is pitching on consecutive days, which he’s in line to do next week, per Kawahara. Sousa went down with an oblique strain near the end of MLB Spring Training.
After brief stints with the club in 2023 and 2024, Sousa emerged as a key member of the bullpen last season. He delivered a 2.84 ERA across a career-high 50 appearances. The lefty secured seven holds and four saves. Houston entered the 2026 campaign with Bryan King and Steven Okert as the left-handers in the bullpen. Once healthy, Sousa will give them another option from the left side, as will the eventual return of Josh Hader.
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images
J.T. Realmuto Leaves Game Due To Lower Back Tightness
The Phillies fell to 8-12 with Saturday night’s 3-1 loss to the Braves, and they had a bit of an injury scare with their starting catcher. J.T. Realmuto left the game during the sixth inning with lower back tightness, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Lochlann March and others. Manager Rob Thomson said that Realmuto originally tweaked his back and left knee during a play at the plate on Friday (link via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). His knee was fine tonight, but his back issue flared up again. Rafael Marchán eventually pinch-hit for Realmuto in the seventh.
Thomson doesn’t think Realmuto will need to go on the injured list, although he probably won’t play tomorrow. After posting slightly below average offense in 2025, Realmuto’s gotten off to a better start in 2026. Through his first 15 games entering play tonight, he is batting .292/.382/.396 with a 123 wRC+. His power is down slightly, as evidenced by his .104 isolated slugging percentage. Realmuto has compensated by walking at a 9.1% clip, up from 6.4% last year, and cutting his strikeouts from 23.5% to 20.0%. His .361 average on balls on in play indicates some good luck, but nonetheless, the club is happy to have bounce-back production from Realmuto so far.
The veteran catcher has a reputation for durability, especially for the modern game. From 2022-25, Realmuto led the league with 491 games started behind the plate. Cal Raleigh was a distant second with 457 games in that span. Since joining the Phillies in February 2019, Realmuto has only been on the IL three times, with one of those being a one-day stint on the COVID IL in 2021. Given his age, production, and the fact that he’s only just started his new three-year, $45MM deal, it’s hardly a surprise that the club will give Realmuto a chance to rest, if only for a day.
If his back remains a lingering problem, the club would turn to Marchán behind the plate. Originally signed out of Venezuela in 2015, Marchán has now spent over a decade in the Phillies’ system. However, despite having over three years of service time, his big-league resume consists of only 261 plate appearances over 88 games. His career line of .228/.290/.376 (83 wRC+) is reasonable for a backup catcher, though his opportunities beyond that have been limited in part due to Realmuto’s presence.
The two are the only catchers on the club’s 40-man roster at the moment. Meanwhile, only two of the club’s top 30 prospects are catchers according to MLB.com, and neither one has reached Triple-A. If a depth option is needed, the club might explore the waiver wire or a minor trade.
Photo courtesy of Kyle Ross, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Sign Andrew Velazquez To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks have signed infielder Andrew Velazquez to a minor league deal, according to an announcement from their Triple-A affiliate. The 31-year-old is represented by CAA Sports.
Velazquez had been with the Rangers on a non-roster deal since early December. He got into 16 Spring Training games but batted just .111/.194/.185 in 32 plate appearances. The Rangers released him at the end of March, and Velazquez lingered in free agency until this pact with Arizona. He has not appeared in the majors since 2023 with the Angels and has spent the last two years at the Triple-A level with the Braves and Yankees, respectively.
In 368 PA with the Yankees’ top affiliate in 2025, Velazquez batted .242/.304/.345 with a 74 wRC+. That production was par for the course for Velazquez, whose last meaningful sample as an above-average hitter came in 2021 at Triple-A (119 wRC+ in 306 PA). Since that season, he has shown minimal power at every level including the majors, without making contact or getting on base enough to approach even average offense. He has some fringe value due to his speed, though. In 224 minor league games since the start of 2024, Velazquez has stolen 58 bases.
Defensively, Velazquez has mostly played at shortstop in the majors. In 2022, he was valued at 11 Defensive Runs Saved and 3 Outs Above Average in 906 innings there with the Angels. He regressed the following season in a smaller sample, coming in at -5 DRS and -3 OAA in 233 1/3 innings. He’s been roughly average with the glove outside of those two years. Since 2024, he’s also gotten some minor-league work in the outfield, and the Diamondbacks’ announcement lists him as a utilityman, rather than strictly an infielder.
Versatility aside, Velazquez is merely a no-risk depth option for Arizona. The club has Geraldo Perdomo and Ketel Marte lined up at shortstop and second base, respectively. They haven’t hit well to start the year, but Perdomo had a breakout season in 2025 and is in the first year of a new contract extension, so he’s not going anywhere. Neither is Marte, who has a track record as one of the best second basemen in the league. Nolan Arenado is 35 and struggling offensively and defensively at third base, but likewise, his track record gives him plenty of leeway. At best, Velazquez will be called up at some point an emergency defensive option if one of the regulars lands on the injured list.
Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images
Nationals Option Paxton Schultz
The Nationals announced that reliever Paxton Schultz has been optioned to Triple-A Rochester. A corresponding active roster move has not yet been announced.
Schultz threw 48 pitches in three innings of relief against the Giants yesterday, so the club is likely sending him down to bring up a fresh arm. The 28-year-old has pitched eight innings across five appearances this year. He has recorded seven strikeouts against one walk, but he’s also surrendered two home runs and four earned runs total. His expected stats suggest he’s been lucky to post a 4.50 ERA, although it’s hard to draw conclusions given the small sample size. For what it’s worth, Schultz posted a similar 4.38 ERA in 24 2/3 innings with the Blue Jays last year. His strikeout and walk rates were slightly better than average.
The right-hander was a 14th-round draft pick by the Brewers in 2019. They traded him to the Blue Jays in May 2021, and Schultz spent the next few years climbing the minor-league ladder. Early on, he was mostly used as a starter, but he started making more relief appearances upon reaching Triple-A in 2023. In 51 innings at that level in 2025, Schultz posted a solid 3.31 ERA and allowed less than one home run per nine innings. Having previously led with his four-seamer, he has used his upper-80s cutter 51.5% of the time in 2026, with his four-seamer and changeup acting as complementary pitches.
Schultz’s ceiling is that of a fringe reliever, though he’ll surely get more opportunities with the Nationals this year. The club’s bullpen is arguably the worst in the league. The group has a 6.01 ERA, allowed two home runs per nine, and struck out a league-worst 16.9% of opposing hitters. Ken Waldichuk struggled badly and is now on the 60-day IL facing possible Tommy John surgery. Cole Henry landed on the 15-day IL earlier this week. The club acquired Richard Lovelady from the Mets on Thursday, but the bullpen remains an uninspiring group, with just about everyone struggling with walks, home runs, and overall run prevention. Unsurprisingly, as a result of their pitching woes, the team is off to a 9-12 start in 2026. Given those struggles, there’s no harm in bringing Schultz up later on to eat innings.
Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images
Royals To Select Contract Of Elias Díaz
The Royals are planning to call up catcher Elias Díaz from Triple-A, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The ACES client is not on the 40-man roster, so corresponding moves will be needed.
Díaz, 35, signed a minor-league deal with Kansas City in late February and was invited to big-league Spring Training. While he batted .533/.533/.800 in six games there, he was mostly signed for depth given the presence of Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen. Starting the year at the Royals’ top affiliate, Díaz has so far batted .226/.294/.258 in 34 plate appearances. That’s admittedly a small sample, but it’s still pretty weak production even for the light-hitting veteran.
Instead, Díaz’s promotion could be about giving Perez a chance to rest and reset. Now in his age-36 season, the Royals’ captain has gotten out to a brutal start at the plate. In 81 PA across his first 20 games, Perez has batted just .160/.210/.307, which amounts to a meager 36 wRC+. His walk rate has mostly held constant from 2025, while his 21.0% strikeout rate is only a slight increase. Instead, Perez’s downturn has resulted from a drop in power as well as poor batted-ball luck. He posted a .209 isolated slugging percentage last year, but that has fallen to .147 so far in 2026. Of greater note is that Perez is batting just .161 on balls in play, which would easily be the worst mark of his career.
A look at Perez’s batted ball metrics offer some explanation. His average exit velocity has declined to 89.0 MPH, continuing a year-over-year decline since the 2024 season. Meanwhile, his soft and hard contact percentages have both trended in the wrong direction by about 7%. Obviously, it’s hard to draw conclusions from only 20 games’ worth of data, but the bottom line is that Perez has been a liability in the Royals’ offense to start the year. That led manager Matt Quatraro to give Perez a “mental breather” against the Yankees today by withholding him from the starting lineup (link via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). Perez ultimately did not play in the game, which the Royals lost 13-4.
The fact that the Royals are bringing up Díaz despite his own lack of offense could signal a few more days off for Perez. In that scenario, the Royals would turn to Jensen as the starting catcher, with Díaz as the temporary backup. Jensen has a 97 wRC+ in 19 games as a DH and backup catcher to Perez. That’s a step down from the 159 wRC+ he posted last year, although that was also in a small sample of 69 PA. Nonetheless, Jensen has continued to hit for power, and his overall output is roughly average for catchers, so it makes sense to give him more playing time for now.
Meanwhile, Díaz joins the big-league club as a defensive backup. He was valued at -15 Defensive Runs Saved in 2022 for the Rockies, followed by -16 DRS in 2023. He’s mostly turned it around since then. Statcast gave him plus marks for his caught stealing rate, framing, and pop time in 2024, while his blocking graded out in the 61st percentile in 2025. Díaz hits from the right side, while Jensen hits from the left. Díaz has hit about the same against lefties and righties in his career, but he did better against righties in 2025. Jensen also hits righties better, so it’s unlikely the two will be used in a platoon arrangement. More likely is that Jensen starts every day while Díaz acts as a bench option until Perez is back in the lineup.
Corresponding moves for Díaz have not been announced. Outfielder Isaac Collins is currently day to day with a right knee contusion, according to the Royals’ injury report. He went through a full pregame workout yesterday, so he seems likely to avoid the injured list. On the pitching side, Mitch Spence threw 84 pitches in a four-inning relief appearance today. He could be sent down for active roster space, leaving the club with 12 pitchers rather than 13 in the short term. Clearing room on the 40-man roster would require one of the club’s injured players to be transferred to the 60-day IL, or someone else to be designated for assignment.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images
Marlins To Activate Kyle Stowers On Sunday
7:00 pm: The club will option infielder Deyvison De Los Santos to Triple-A as the corresponding move for Stowers, according to Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase.
2:43 pm: The Marlins are about to get an All-Star back in their lineup, as manager Clayton McCullough told reporters (including Kevin Barral of Fish On First) that Kyle Stowers will be activated from the 10-day injured list before Sunday’s game with the Brewers. MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola wrote earlier today that Stowers is already at loanDepot Park but would probably get one final day of rest and examination before making his 2026 debut tomorrow.
Right hamstring tightness bothered Stowers for most of Spring Training, and he left one of the Marlins’ final Grapefruit League games with a Grade 1 hamstring strain that required a season-opening IL stint. The recovery period was initially estimated at 3-4 weeks, so Stowers will indeed make it back on the higher end of that projected timeline.
Stowers’ rehab assignment at Triple-A Jacksonville lasted five games, with three played in his usual left field position, one game at DH, and one game at first base. This marked Stowers’ pro debut as a first baseman, though he spent a bit of time at the position in college and in summer ball action (the West Coast League and Cape Cod League). McCullough recently indicated that Stowers might get some prep work at first base just in case the Marlins decide to incorporate him into the first base mix at the MLB level, both to help Miami out at a trouble position and to give Stowers some time at a lower-intensity position.
Stowers is the most high-profile of the five position players on Miami’s injured list, though Christopher Morel‘s absence due to an oblique strain has been the major cause of the team’s revolving door at first base. While the Marlins’ roster has been a little short-handed, the team’s offense hasn’t much suffered, as Xavier Edwards, Otto Lopez, Liam Hicks, and Connor Norby are all off to hot starts.
Needless to say, getting Stowers back will be a huge boost. Sunday will mark Stowers’ first MLB game since August 15, as his breakout 2025 campaign was cut short by an oblique strain. Stowers’ first full season in Miami saw him hit .288/.368/.544 with 25 home runs over 457 plate appearances, and he generated 4.0 fWAR over only 117 games.
The corresponding move for Stowers remains to be seen. Graham Pauley left yesterday’s game due to oblique discomfort and isn’t in today’s starting lineup, but McCullough told Barral and company that Pauley is expected “to be available today for whatever is needed.”