Dodgers Reinstate Blake Snell Saturday
May 9: Snell was officially activated to start against Atlanta. He’ll take the roster spot of right-hander Brock Stewart, who’s heading back to the injured list, this time with a bone spur in his foot. Stewart began the season on the IL as he recovered from shoulder surgery. The reliever made just two appearances with the big-league club.
May 8: The Dodgers are going to reinstate left-hander Blake Snell from the 15-day injured list to start tomorrow’s game, reports Jack Harris of The California Post. He’ll be making his season debut, as he’s been on the IL with shoulder fatigue until now.
It’s a notable change of plans. Snell has been on a rehab assignment of late, getting to four innings his last time out. As of two days ago, the plan was for him to make one more rehab outing this Saturday. Instead, he’s going to be making that start at the big league level.
As noted by Katie Woo of The Athletic, the Dodgers have repeatedly said that they prefer Snell to build up to more than five innings before being reinstated. That they are pivoting from that stance perhaps bodes poorly for right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who departed his most recent start due to a back spasm. At this point, it’s still not confirmed if Glasnow is going on the IL or is perhaps just going to skip a start. One way or another, it seems the Dodgers are changing up the rotation outlook they had in place just a few days ago.
The Dodgers have been using a six-man rotation consisting of Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki. As Snell has been rehabbing of late, it has led to discussions about who should be bumped out when he returns. Glasnow, Ohtani and Yamamoto were obviously not going anywhere.
Sasaki has been struggling, with a 5.97 ERA this year. Sheehan hasn’t been much better, currently sitting on a 5.23 ERA. Wrobleski has a 1.25 ERA but not in any kid of way that feels sustainable. He is only striking out 10.7% of batters faced and is getting assistance from a .222 batting average on balls in play and 86.5% strand rate. All three have options and could have been sent down, or perhaps moved to the bullpen. Perhaps the decision can now be kicked down the road if Glasnow is going to miss some time. The Dodgers will likely provide more info as tonight’s game gets closer.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Mariners To Reinstate Bryce Miller, Adjust Rotation
Right-hander Bryce Miller will make his Mariners season debut on Wednesday against the Astros, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. Miller opened the year on the injured list after straining an oblique in the spring. Divish adds that Seattle will initially move to a six-man rotation, then adjust to a piggyback situation with Miller and right-hander Luis Castillo.
Injuries have derailed Miller in back-to-back seasons. An elbow issue slowed him for much of 2025. The righty first went on the IL with elbow inflammation in mid-May, but returned after less than three weeks. He made two starts, then went right back on the injured list. Miller came back in August. He remained healthy to close the year and contributed some important innings in the postseason.
Miller made it through just one Spring Training appearance before going down with the oblique injury. His absence opened the door for Emerson Hancock. The former prospect has had chances in the rotation in recent seasons, but they have never amounted to much success. Hancock had a 4.50 ERA or worse in each of his three years as an occasional member of Seattle’s staff.
The 2026 campaign has been a complete reversal for the 26-year-old Hancock. He’s been one of the more surprising breakouts of the young season. Hancock had a mid-2.00s ERA with more than a strikeout per inning heading into Friday’s outing against the White Sox. He allowed five earned runs over six innings in Chicago, but still emerged with his third win. MLBTR’s Steve Adams dug into Hancock’s stellar season in this article for Front Office subscribers.
A decision on Hancock and the rest of the rotation was coming as Miller neared his return. Instead of bumping Hancock or the struggling Castillo, Seattle is keeping everyone in the mix, at least for now. As Divish points out, the club doesn’t have an off day until May 21. Rolling with a six-man rotation will afford the group some extra rest during an arduous stretch of the calendar.
By performance, Castillo deserves to be booted from the group. The righty tossed six scoreless innings against the Yankees in his season debut. Since then, he’s been crushed for 24 earned runs over six outings. Castillo ranks in the fourth percentile for average exit velocity and in the seventh percentile for hard-hit rate. The 33-year-old might be hitting the wall at this stage of his career. Castillo is still due $22.75MM next season, plus $25MM in 2028 if certain thresholds are met, so Seattle is incentivized to find a way for him to add value. The piggyback setup with Miller might help Castillo get back on track.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
Giants Place Logan Webb On 15-Day IL, Recall Trevor McDonald
Giants right-hander Logan Webb is heading to the injured list with right knee bursitis, the team announced. Fellow righty Trevor McDonald is coming back up to the big leagues. The Webb move is retroactive to May 6. San Francisco expects the ace to return when he’s first eligible, per Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports.
The Padres pounded Webb for six earned runs over four innings in his most recent start. The two-time All-Star was forced to depart after the knee injury flared up. “I’ve dealt with it for a little while, but it’s still no excuse,” Webb told reporters, including Henry Schulman of MLB.com. Webb will now get a couple of weeks to recover from the issue.
Webb has been one of the more durable starters in the league since becoming a permanent member of the Giants’ rotation. He’s made at least 32 starts in each of the past four seasons. The righty has paced the National League in innings for three straight years. Webb’s last IL stint was back in 2021, when he missed time with shoulder and back injuries.
The volume has been there for Webb this year, but the production has been underwhelming, even before the rough showing against San Diego. He’s posted a 5.06 ERA across eight starts. Webb’s strikeout rate has ticked down to a below-average 20.2%. A 7.2% walk rate would be a solid outcome for a lot of pitchers, though it’s Webb’s worst mark since the shortened 2020 season. The veteran is still getting groundballs at a massive clip (58.5%). His xFIP and SIERA are right around 3.50, which suggests Webb has pitched better than his results.
McDonald was sent down after his lone start on Monday. He’s right back with the Giants after a few days at Triple-A. McDonald is lined up to make his next appearance against the Dodgers in a series that kicks off on Monday. San Francisco was off on Thursday, so Webb wasn’t scheduled to pitch again this week.
The 25-year-old McDonald has excelled in his brief big-league chances. He tossed three hitless innings in his 2024 debut. The righty delivered a 3.60 ERA over three appearances last season. In his two starts, he held the Dodgers to a run over six innings, then piled up 10 strikeouts against the Rockies. The strong close to the year wasn’t enough to earn McDonald a roster spot out of camp. A 6.94 ERA in Spring Training didn’t help matters. McDonald will now get a couple of starts to make his case to stay in the majors.
Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto, Imagn Images
Blue Jays Notes: Barger, Pinango, Berrios, Scherzer, Bieber, Garcia, Kirk, Lukes
As expected, Addison Barger was activated from the Blue Jays’ 10-day injured list today. The team announced that outfielder Yohendrick Pinango was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in the corresponding move.
The 2026 season has essentially been a wash for Barger to date, between his five weeks on the IL and his ice-cold start at the plate. Barger had only one hit and three walks in his first 23 plate appearances, resulting in an ugly .053/.174/.105 slash line. He hasn’t played since April 5, when he hurt both ankles while trying to beat out a grounder to first base. What was initially termed as “bilateral ankle discomfort” was officially designated as a left ankle sprain when Barger was placed on the injured list.
Barger returns looking to get his season on track, and to ideally return to the form that make him a breakout player during the 2025 regular season and especially during Toronto’s postseason run. With Kazuma Okamoto now firmly entrenching himself as the everyday third baseman, Barger will mostly be deployed in right field, though his ability to play third base in a pinch could be useful in late-game situations or if Okamoto is given a rest day or a DH day.
Since Barger is a left-handed hitter who will be handling corner outfield duty, Pinango was a little redundant on the active roster, but manager John Schneider told Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling and other reporters that the team was impressed during Pinango’s brief stay in the majors. Pinango hit .423/.444/.462 over his first 27 plate appearances as a big leaguer, and is very likely to get another look in Toronto at some point in 2026.
Schneider provided more injury updates to the media (including The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon) yesterday, with some positive news on some other position players. Alejandro Kirk is throwing and started swinging this week in the latest steps of his recovery from thumb surgery, and Nathan Lukes has started running drills as he recovers from a hamstring strain.
On the pitching front, Shane Bieber will throw a live bullpen session on Tuesday, and Yimi Garcia started a minor league rehab assignment. Both right-handers started the season on the 15-day IL before being moved to the 60-day IL to give the duo more time to build up arm strength. Bieber dealt with forearm fatigue over the offseason while Garcia underwent surgery last September to fix scar tissue in his throwing elbow.
The outlook isn’t as clear for Jose Berrios, who is set to visit Dr. Keith Meister on Tuesday. An MRI on Berrios’ right elbow revealed inflammation but also “changes to his previous stress fracture.” What exactly this means for Berrios perhaps won’t be known until after his consultation, or if any kind of surgery might be under discussion.
At the very least, it doesn’t look like Berrios will be back on the mound in the near future, so the veteran right-hander’s 2026 debut will continue to be on hold for some time. What began as elbow inflammation and then a stress fracture in his right elbow put Berrios on the 15-day IL to begin the season, though it appears like he didn’t experience much actual discomfort until his most recent Triple-A rehab start.
Max Scherzer is also on the 15-day IL, sidelined by left ankle inflammation and tendinitis in his right forearm. The ankle problem looks to have largely subsided, while the forearm issue is being treated by a cortisone shot, so Scherzer won’t resume throwing for five days. Since his IL stint began on April 25, Scherzer will obviously miss longer than the minimum amount of time, and a loose return timeframe of late May seems possible if the cortisone shot is a fix and Scherzer’s throwing progression goes smoothly.
Bobby Cox Passes Away
The Braves announced that longtime manager Bobby Cox passed away at age 84. Cox led the Braves to the 1995 World Series title, and his 2504 wins rank fourth on the all-time list for managerial victories. As per the team’s official release to media….
“Bobby was a favorite among all in the baseball community, especially those who played for him. His wealth of knowledge on player development and the intricacies of managing the game were rewarded with the sport’s ultimate prize in 2014 – enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
And while Bobby’s passion for the game was unparalleled, his love of baseball was exceeded only by his love for his family. It is with the heaviest of hearts that we send our sincerest condolences to his beloved wife, Pam, and their loving children and grandchildren.”
Before starting his journey to Cooperstown as a manager, Cox spent 12 seasons as a player, spending time in the farm systems of the Dodgers, Cubs, Yankees, and Braves. He broke into the majors for 220 games with the Yankees over the 1968-69 seasons, and the end of his playing career transitioned right into the start of his post-playing career — Cox appeared in four games with the Yankees’ A-ball affiliate in Fort Lauderdale in 1971 while also becoming the team’s manager. After six years of managing in the minors, Cox was the Yankees’ first base coach in 1977 when the team captured the World Series, earning Cox his first championship ring.
The Braves came calling with Cox’s first MLB managerial assignment, but Cox’s initial stint in Atlanta resulted in just one winning record over four seasons from 1978-81. Fired following the 1981 campaign, Cox landed in Toronto as the Blue Jays’ new manager, helping lead the recent expansion team to its first run of success. The peak was the AL East title in 1985, and yet after the Jays fell just shy of their first AL pennant, Cox opted to return to Atlanta, this time as the club’s general manager.
Cox’s five years as GM is an often overlooked chapter of his long tenure in Atlanta, in part because John Schuerholz took over following the 1990 season and was himself eventually elected to the Hall of Fame for his outstanding track record as an executive. But, while the Braves continued to sit below .500 during the 1986-90 seasons, Cox’s front office saw the team draft and acquired many of the players that would become franchise staples during the Braves’ forthcoming glory years.
Cox returned to the dugout partway through the 1990 season, and relinquished GM duties to Schuerholtz to focus solely on managing. With many of the pieces now in place, the Braves went from last place in the NL East in 1990 to NL champions in both 1991 and 1992.
As the media release simply put it, Cox’s “Braves managerial legacy will never be matched.” The 1991 campaign marked the beginning of 14 NL East titles over the next 15 seasons. The only interruption in this astonishing streak was the 1994 season, as the Braves were in second place behind the Expos when the players’ strike prematurely ended the season in August.
The World Series appearances in 91-92 were followed by three more pennants in 1995, 1996, and 1999. Championship glory came in 1995 when Atlanta outlasted Cleveland in six games, highlighted by a 1-0 win in the clinching Game Six that was powered by eight one-hit innings from Tom Glavine.
Atlanta’s NL East title streak finally ended in 2006 when the team went 79-83. Cox’s final five seasons as manager saw the Braves still post three winning records, and they made one final playoff appearance as a wild card team in 2010, falling in the NLDS to the eventual world champion Giants. Cox announced prior to the season that 2010 would be his final year in the dugout, and he remained involved with the Braves in an official and unofficial advisory role for years before health issues arose in the later years of his life.
Beyond his 2504-2001 managerial record, Cox also set an all-time benchmark that is unlikely to be topped — 162 career ejections, the most of any manager in history. Cox’s fiery personality and willingness to stand up for his teams made him both a beloved manager and even a mentor to many of his players, and the clubhouse cohesion (along with tremendous talent, of course) was a key factor in the Braves’ sustained success.
Between Cox’s passing and the passing of longtime Braves owner Ted Turner earlier this week, Atlanta has lost two baseball icons within a matter of days. Their legacies are intertwined amongst one of the greatest runs of sustained success in baseball history, and even after Cox and Turner were no longer directly involved with the organization, a clear path can be drawn between Cox’s teams and the successful Braves teams of recent years.
We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Cox’s family, friends, and many fans.
Dodgers Claim Charlie Barnes
The Dodgers announced the claim of left-hander Charlie Barnes off the Cubs’ waiver wire. Chicago designated Barnes for assignment earlier this week. To create room on the 40-man roster, Los Angeles shifted Tommy Edman to the 60-day injured list.
Barnes had been up and down a couple of times with the Cubs. He’s made one big-league appearance this season, covering the final three innings of a blowout loss against the Phillies in early April. It marked his first MLB outing in five years.
The 30-year-old Barnes didn’t stick long after debuting with the Twins in 2021, but he put together several solid seasons in the Korea Baseball Organization. Barnes delivered 25+ starts of a low to mid-3.00s ERA in three consecutive seasons with the Lotte Giants from 2022 to 2024. The 2025 campaign didn’t go as smoothly, as Barnes made just eight starts. He posted a 5.32 ERA with his worst strikeout rate and highest walk rate during his time in the KBO.
Barnes showed a slightly different arsenal in his return to the majors. He was sinker-first during his stint with the Twins, followed by a changeup and slider. Barnes only threw a handful of four-seamers during his 38 innings in Minnesota. This time around, he led with the heater. Barnes’ fastball averages under 90 mph, but he used it more than 40% of the time in his outing against Philadelphia. He also mixed in the sinker/changeup/slider trio, while debuting a sweeper.
Edman is working his way back from offseason ankle surgery. He faced live pitching for the first time in early April, stepping into the box against teammate Blake Snell during a simulated game. Manager Dave Roberts has maintained that the club doesn’t expect Edman back until the end of May. The move to the 60-day IL doesn’t come as a surprise.
Astros Claim Rhylan Thomas
The Astros have claimed outfielder Rhylan Thomas off waivers from the Mariners, as announced by both teams. Houston moved right-hander Hunter Brown from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL in order to clear space for Thomas on the 40-man roster.
The Mariners designated Thomas for assignment earlier this week, as the M’s made a waiver claim of their own in obtaining Jose Suarez from the Braves. An 11th-round pick of the Mets in the 2022 draft, Thomas was dealt to Seattle for Ryne Stanek in advance of the 2024 trade deadline, and Thomas got his first taste of the big leagues over a three-game call-up just over a year ago. Thomas got a hit and a walk over his 10 plate appearances in a Mariners uniform before being optioned back to Triple-A.
Thomas hit .325/.380/.411 over 617 PA for Triple-A Tacoma last season, but those numbers have fallen off considerably this year, down to .260/.313/.328 over 145 PA. The drop from a .332 BABIP in 2025 to a .269 mark this season is certainly a factor, as since Thomas is a contact-and-speed type of hitter, some bad batted-ball luck can have a heavy impact on his production.
Houston was still intrigued enough to make a waiver claim, as the Astros were known to be looking for outfield help even before injuries started to whittle down what was already a thin depth chart. Thomas is also a left-handed hitter, which is helpful since the Astros’ lineup is mostly right-handed bats. Thomas has two minor league options remaining, allowing the Astros some flexibility in moving him back and forth from Triple-A as the situation may warrant.
A Grade 2 shoulder strain sent Brown to the 15-day IL on April 2, and the 60-day placement still adheres to that initial placement date. It doesn’t materially change Brown’s return date, as the ace right-hander wasn’t expected back anyway until late May at the absolute earliest, so the 60-day IL move now firmly keeps Brown sidelined until early June. Brown threw a bullpen session yesterday in the latest step in his throwing progression.
Rays Select Aaron Brooks, Designate Justyn-Henry Malloy
The Rays announced that they have selected Aaron Brooks‘ contract from Triple-A Durham. Outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy was designated for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot for Brooks, and right-hander Mason Englert was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move.
Brooks had been playing with Caliente de Durango of the Mexican League until the Rays signed him to a minors contract a couple of weeks ago. After two appearances (and an 8.31 ERA over 8 2/3 innings) in Durham, Brooks now finds himself back in the majors, and looking for his first MLB action since he tossed 26 2/3 innings over five appearances for the Athletics in 2024.
The 36-year-old Brooks made his big league debut back in 2014, and he has since appeared in parts of six big league seasons with the Royals, A’s, Cardinals, and Orioles, posting a 6.36 ERA over 206 2/3 career innings. Brooks also spent two seasons with the Kia Tigers of the KBO League, in addition to his stint in Mexico and in the farm systems of several other MLB teams. In 2025, Brooks also started the season pitching with Durango before inking a minor league deal with the Athletics that didn’t result in any calls to the majors.
Englert tossed 46 pitches over 3 1/3 innings of relief in the Rays’ 2-0 loss to the Red Sox yesterday, so he’ll head to Triple-A to rest while Brooks brings a fresher arm to the Tampa bullpen. Brooks has mostly worked as a starter and is therefore capable of pitching multiple innings. It’s probably likely that this selection is just a cup of coffee for Brooks, and he’ll find himself in DFA limbo (Brooks is out of minor league options) before too long when the Rays need or want to make another roster move.
Malloy has now been designated twice in his career, and the first DFA back in December saw the Rays acquire the slugger in a trade after the Tigers removed him from their roster. Over 132 plate appearances in Durham, Malloy has hit only .128/.273/.266 with four home runs, in a stark dropoff from the very strong numbers Malloy posted with Detroit’s Triple-A affiliate. Even with his 2026 numbers factored in, Malloy has a career .270/.409/.456 slash line and 44 homers over 1341 PA against Triple-A pitching.
These numbers made Malloy an interesting prospect to watch in the Tigers’ system, but he hit a modest .209/.311/.346 over 357 PA in the majors during the 2024-25 seasons. Used as a corner outfielder and first baseman throughout his career, Malloy isn’t much of a defender and his best lineup fit might be as a DH, thus making him a tricky roster fit. Another team might be interested enough in Malloy’s Triple-A track record to take a flier on a waiver claim, but if not, Malloy will have to accept an outright assignment.
Latest On Hunter Harvey
Cubs right-hander Hunter Harvey has hit a setback in his recovery from triceps inflammation, as an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his triceps area. Manager Craig Counsell shared the details with reporters (including Gordon Edes of the Chicago Sun-Times) yesterday, including the news that Harvey will be out of action for at least another month.
Harvey’s last game was on April 8, so he has already missed over a month of action. His current placement on the 15-day injured list began on April 9, and it seems quite likely the Cubs will shift Harvey to the 60-day IL whenever they need to open a 40-man roster spot. (60-day IL stints are backdated to the start of a player’s initial placement on the 15-day IL.)
It makes for yet another extended absence for a pitcher whose career has unfortunately been defined by injuries. Harvey has tossed 189 innings over 186 games since making his Major League debut in 2019, as a variety of ailments both delayed his arrival in the bigs and then put his career frequently on hold once he finally made it to the Show. In 2025, Harvey tossed only 10 2/3 innings with the Royals due to both a teres major strain and then a Grade 2 adductor strain.
When he has been able to pitch, Harvey has delivered solid results — a 3.07 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate, and 6.5% walk rate over 161 1/3 innings with the Nationals and Royals from 2022-25. The Cubs took a flier on Harvey by signing him to a one-year, $6.5MM free agent deal last winter, but he posted only a 6.75 ERA over four innings and appearances before his triceps issue arose. There’s still time for Harvey to make good on that investment, even if mid-June seems like his earliest possible return date.
Ethan Roberts (finger laceration) was activated from Chicago’s 15-day IL yesterday, giving the Cubs’ pitching staff some help amidst an incredible run of injuries. Even with Roberts back, the Cubs still have Harvey and eight other pitchers still on either the 15-day or 60-day IL. The most noteworthy element of Wrigleyville’s injury plague is that it hasn’t stopped the Cubs from posting baseball’s best record, as Chicago takes a 27-12 record and a ten-game winning streak into today’s contest with the Rangers.
Twins Place Taj Bradley On 15-Day Injured List
The Twins announced that right-hander Taj Bradley has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his right pec muscle. The placement is retroactive to May 6. Right-hander Travis Adams was called up from Triple-A to take Bradley’s spot on the active roster.
It can be assumed that Bradley’s injury surfaced during his between-starts throwing sessions, as he came out of his last outing on Tuesday in seemingly good fitness. Bradley was slated to start for the Twins against the Guardians tomorrow, and the Twins could make another call-up as a replacement starter, or perhaps deploy a bullpen game (with Adams likely to earn multiple innings).
The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but in any case is an unwelcome interruption to Bradley’s impressive start to his first full season in a Twins uniform. Bradley has a 2.87 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate, and 8.5.% walk rate across eight starts and 47 innings. His 3.71 SIERA reflects that Bradley has gotten away with limiting the damage from a lot of hard contact allowed, but still, it has been a solid turn-around for a pitcher who seemed at a crossroads following a disappointing 2025 campaign.
Bradley joins Mick Abel and Pablo Lopez as Twins starters on the injured list, and Lopez’s season ended before it began when he underwent an internal brace surgery in February. Minnesota got another big injury scare when Joe Ryan‘s last start ended after only nine pitches, but Ryan is set to return to the mound today without any time missed due to the elbow discomfort. An off-day on Monday will allow the Twins to rest and reset their pitching staff, but since their next off-day isn’t until May 21, the Twins will need to cover at least one more of Bradley’s scheduled starts.