Astros To Acquire Raynel Delgado From Rays
The Astros are acquiring minor league infielder Raynel Delgado from the Rays for cash considerations, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Delgado was not on Tampa Bay’s roster and would only require a 40-man spot with Houston if the trade were spurred by him exercising an assignment clause in his minor league deal. He’ll be assigned to Triple-A Sugar Land.
Delgado, 26, has yet to reach the big leagues. A Havana native who moved to Florida as a child, he was a sixth-rounder by Cleveland in 2018. Delgado played in their system until 2024, topping out at Triple-A Columbus. He qualified for minor league free agency after that season when the Guardians elected not to add him to the 40-man roster.
The lefty-hitting Delgado spent 2025 in Triple-A on a minor league deal with Milwaukee. He hit .281/.363/.378 and didn’t get a major league look. Tampa Bay added him on a non-roster invitation early last offseason. Delgado has struggled offensively with their top affiliate in Durham, hitting .250/.320/.362 with three home runs in 253 plate appearances.
Delgado has posted league average strikeout and walk rates at the Triple-A level for the past couple seasons. He has middling power but can steal a few bases and move around the infield. Delgado is more of a second/third base type than a true shortstop, but he has more than 500 minor league innings at all three positions. The Astros have lost depth infielders Braden Shewmake and Nick Allen to the injured list over the last couple weeks.
Will The Guardians Make An Outfield Move?
The Guardians enter this afternoon’s series finale against the Yankees with a narrow lead in the AL Central. They’re half a game up on the White Sox with a 37-32 record in their bid for a third consecutive division title.
It has been a similar story to the past few iterations of Guards baseball. They have one of the better bullpens in the American League, moving seamlessly to Cade Smith in the ninth inning while getting surprisingly strong work from reclamation pickup Colin Holderman. They could use another lefty, but the back end is generally a strength.
They’re the only team that has used the same five-man rotation all season, mostly successfully. Parker Messick and Gavin Williams have made for an excellent combination at the top. Tanner Bibee, Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo have been less consistent but reasonably effective overall.
The other side of the ball remains the big question. The offense isn’t as bad as last season, when they somehow won the division despite scoring the fewest runs in the American League. They’re certainly better positioned in the middle infield with Travis Bazzana at second base and Brayan Rocchio amidst a breakout season at shortstop.
It’s still one of the weaker overall lineups in the league, however. They’re 10th in the AL in scoring, 12th in home runs, and last in batting average and slugging. They’ve worked enough walks to get to middle of the pack in on-base percentage. By measure of wRC+, only the Red Sox and Royals have had less productive offenses among AL teams. They’re 22nd by that measure overall and 21st in MLB in runs scored.
There should be a clear target area for the front office as they approach deadline season: the outfield. Cleveland is clearly content to punt offense from the catcher position. First base hasn’t been great overall, but Kyle Manzardo and Rhys Hoskins have each gotten going since the beginning of May. The outfield, on the other hand, has been rough after a reasonably encouraging start to the season.
Cleveland outfielders were hitting .251/.321/.413 through the end of April. They were 12th in OPS and tied for 11th in homers. Since the calendar turned to May, they’ve combined for a .215/.291/.310 line across 465 plate appearances. Their .601 OPS over the last six weeks is dead last in the Majors. They’ve hit just eight home runs, above only the White Sox, Rays, and Royals. Only Houston outfielders have fared worse by the park-adjusted metrics.
Essentially the entire outfield has gone cold. Chase DeLauter started his career with a bang, homering four times in his first three regular season MLB games. He added another homer amidst a three-hit game on April 3. He’s gone deep just twice since then and has a .252/.315/.333 line since the beginning of May. It’s common for players even as talented as DeLauter to have some ruts during their rookie seasons. He’s not in danger of losing playing time, but his slump exposes the depth concerns elsewhere.
Steven Kwan was supposed to be the stabilizer. He’s an elite defensive left fielder whom the Guardians felt could play a capable center field on a semi-regular basis. Kwan has impressed defensively, but his bat has tanked. He’s hitting .213/.323/.262 with just one home run through 264 trips to the plate. No other qualifier has made less hard contact.
Kwan’s game has always been about plate discipline rather than hard contact. He rarely expands the strike zone and probably has the best pure contact skills of anyone not named Luis Arraez. That’s still intact — even Arraez has a slightly higher swing-and-miss rate this year — but Kwan can’t be a productive hitter without some kind of extra-base impact. He’d topped 10 home runs in both 2024 and ’25 and hit at least 25 doubles in three of his first four seasons. This year, he’s on pace for 19 doubles and two homers. Stephen Vogt dropped him from the leadoff spot in favor of Bazzana in mid-May; Kwan has hit seventh for the past couple weeks.
It’d be less concerning if this were only a bad two-month stretch. Kwan’s numbers trended down during the second half of the ’25 season as well. He’s a .233/.311/.310 hitter in nearly 700 trips to the plate over the last calendar year.
Kwan has come up in trade rumors for the last few seasons. It’d be less straightforward to move him now than it would’ve been last summer, when they were deadline sellers before going on an improbable run to seize the division from Detroit. At the same time, Kwan is the team’s second-highest paid player on a $7.725MM salary.
That’ll probably jump into eight figures for his final arbitration season. He’s on pace to be worth roughly one win above replacement despite the defensive contributions. Would a team that runs one of the lowest payrolls in the sport be willing to tender him a $10MM contract if he hits like this all season? If they feel he’s trending toward a non-tender, they could entertain trade scenarios this summer while looking to acquire a corner outfielder who has more offensive punch.
That’s complicated by their lack of recent production from center and right field. Hot starts from Angel Martínez and Daniel Schneemann were among the reasons for Cleveland’s early success. Schneemann’s fantastic April always felt unsustainable, and he has hit .160/.233/.181 since the beginning of May. Schneemann has gotten some run as a regular center fielder but should be in a utility role.
Martínez has bigger physical tools and can certainly flash significant upside. He’s less than a month removed from winning AL Player of the Week after popping four homers in five games. Martínez also has an extremely aggressive approach and almost never walks, lowering the floor from an on-base perspective.
He’s among the bottom 10 qualified hitters this year with a .275 OBP. In 19 games since the Player of the Week award, he’s hitting .178 with a .200 on-base mark — though he matched last year’s career high by connecting on his 11th home run of the season this afternoon.
Schneemann and Martínez are each capable big leaguers, but they should be role players rather than locked into the everyday lineup on a contender. Cleveland has Kahlil Watson, George Valera, CJ Kayfus and Petey Halpin on the 40-man roster and on optional assignment in Triple-A.
Watson and Valera have hit pretty well against minor league pitching, as has non-roster corner bat Nolan Jones. Neither Valera nor Watson has an MLB track record. Jones hasn’t hit big league pitching since 2023. Gabriel Arias could get some outfield work when he returns from a hamstring strain, but his strikeout issues are well established.
Although the Guardians aren’t typically aggressive deadline buyers, they could move one or two of their toolsy but unestablished minor league outfielders for someone with a higher floor. There aren’t many defined sellers yet, though the Rockies have a couple outfielders (Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy) who should be available. Moniak is currently sidelined by ankle tendinitis but expected back before the deadline. Lars Nootbaar, Taylor Ward, Trevor Larnach, Casey Schmitt and Jacob Young are some of the other players who could hit the trade market. Adding someone to raise the offensive floor should be the priority next month.
A’s Notes: Morris, Civale, Wilson
The A’s optioned rookie righty Kade Morris back to Triple-A Las Vegas before tonight’s game against the Brewers. They recalled Joey Estes for his first MLB look of the season.
Morris, one of the organization’s better pitching prospects, came up for his MLB debut over the weekend. He started Saturday’s game in Houston and was rocked for nine runs over four innings. It had seemed he’d get the opportunity to take another turn. If a team intends to option a starting pitcher, they’ll typically do it right after the start and carry an extra bullpen arm for the intervening few days.
Last night’s absurd series opener might have changed the plans. The A’s are playing the first of six at Las Vegas Ballpark, which is expected to play very hitter-friendly. That was certainly the case on Monday, as the A’s and Brewers combined for 29 runs over a 12-inning game. They used six relievers behind Jeffrey Springs, with all but Elvis Alvarado and Mason Barnett coming out of the bullpen. Estes has been working out of the Triple-A rotation and last pitched on Wednesday, so he’s available as a length option tonight. J.T. Ginn is on the bump.
It will leave the A’s with more questions about how they’ll arrange their rotation over the weekend. Jack Perkins will start tomorrow’s series finale. They’re off on Thursday, then welcome the Rockies for three at Las Vegas Ballpark. They’ll then head back to Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park — itself a tough environment for pitchers — for series against the Pirates and Angels.
Thursday’s off day means they could drop to a four-man rotation and use Gage Jump, Springs, and Ginn on regular rest for the weekend. That’s probably not ideal as they lead into a stretch of 10 consecutive game days. Estes or Barnett are built up enough that either one could get a spot start if they’re not needed in relief over the next two days.
Chen Zhong-Ao Zhuang has yet to make his MLB debut and has an ERA north of 7.00 in Triple-A. Neither Morris nor Jacob Lopez can be recalled this week unless another pitcher suffers an injury, as they otherwise need to spend 15 days on optional assignment. Luis Morales is working out of the Triple-A bullpen, while prospect Braden Nett is still building up after a month-long injured list stint in the minors.
Aaron Civale could be back in the rotation at some point next week. He’s trending toward a nearly minimal injured list stint due to shoulder tendinitis. According to the MLB.com injury tracker, he’ll make a Triple-A rehab start on Thursday. He’ll probably only need one such outing before he’s ready to rejoin the MLB staff. Luis Severino is much further off, as he’ll be out beyond the All-Star Break due to a shoulder strain.
The A’s may get a lineup reinforcement back for the weekend. Shortstop Jacob Wilson played his third rehab game tonight. Wilson has missed a month with a dislocated left shoulder. Darell Hernaiz and Alika Williams have split the recent shortstop work.
Hernaiz was optioned yesterday when Max Muncy returned from his own lengthy absence due to a broken finger. Wilson’s forthcoming activation seems likely to bump Williams back to the minors as well, though the A’s could at least consider optioning Lawrence Butler. He’s been supplanted by Henry Bolte in center field and has only started twice this month.
Angels Re-Sign Shaun Anderson To Minor League Deal
The Angels announced another minor league deal with Shaun Anderson. He’s back at Triple-A Salt Lake in a non-roster capacity.
Halos fans are familiar with the shuffle at this point. Anderson is out of options and needs to get through waivers every time the Angels want to send him back to Triple-A. They select his contract, keep him on the roster for a few days, then designate him for assignment. He clears waivers, elects free agency, then signs a new minor league deal.
They’ve done this six times over the past two seasons. It’s not unique to the Angels, as the Braves have done the same with Carlos Carrasco all year. Anderson is clearly on board with the arrangement since he continually re-signs. He has gotten into 16 MLB games over the past two seasons as a result, working 28 innings with a 7.71 earned run average.
Anderson’s big league work has come in long relief. He stayed stretched out as a starter in Triple-A last season but has been in more of a swing role this year, starting four of seven appearances. The 31-year-old righty has a 6.35 career ERA at the big league level and a 4.34 mark over eight Triple-A campaigns.
Cubs Place Jameson Taillon On Injured List
The Cubs placed starter Jameson Taillon on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to June 8, with a left hamstring strain. Chicago brought up two relievers, Tyler Ferguson and Ethan Roberts, from Triple-A Iowa. Trent Thornton goes on the paternity list in the other pitching move. The Cubs also activated Matt Shaw from the 10-day injured list and optioned outfielder Kevin Alcántara back to Iowa.
Chicago also added lefty reliever Antoine Kelly to the 40-man roster, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Kelly was optioned to Triple-A. The Cubs acquired him in a cash trade with the Dodgers over the weekend. That suggests the Chicago native triggered an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with Los Angeles. Kelly has still yet to reach the Majors.
Taillon has a moderate hamstring strain, skipper Craig Counsell told reporters (including Meghan Montemurro of The Chicago Tribune). The Cubs expect him to miss more than a month and be sidelined beyond the All-Star Break. Taillon has had a middling first couple months, allowing a 5.19 earned run average through 67 2/3 innings.
The Cubs will turn to Colin Rea, Shota Imanaga and Edward Cabrera for this series at Coors Field. They haven’t listed any plans for their weekend set in San Francisco. Matthew Boyd went five innings and 80 pitches on a rehab start for Iowa on Saturday. He’s expected to make his return from meniscus surgery at some point this weekend. Boyd and Ben Brown should take the first two games of the Giants series in some order, which would put Rea back on regular rest for the finale.
Brown is the only Cubs starter who has gotten strong results this year. He only moved into the starting staff when Boyd went down in early May. Brown has responded with a 1.44 ERA and 29% strikeout rate over six starts. He has also continued throwing strikes while turning a lineup over multiple times. Cabrera, Imanaga and Rea have all been far too home run prone. No team’s rotation has given up more longballs than Chicago’s 32.
It’s too early for the Cubs to do much on the trade front. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer acknowledged last week that’ll likely be the focus when the deadline gets closer. They’re not likely to push Cabrera, Imanaga or Boyd out of the rotation anytime soon, but they could certainly move Rea back into a swing role. Jordan Wicks and Doug Nikhazy are the only depth starters on the 40-man roster; they’ve both gotten rocked in Triple-A.
Who Might The Rockies Put On The Trade Market?
The playoff picture in both leagues is tight enough that few teams are locked into selling. The Rockies are one of the exceptions. They’re again the worst team in MLB, sitting 18 games under .500 while being outscored by 99 runs. It’s not quite as bleak as last year, when they were arguably the worst team of all time, but they’re likely on the path to a fourth straight 100-plus loss campaign.
That theoretically opens the door for the Rox to get a jump on the trade market. Colorado and the Angels might be the only teams that can’t cling to any hope about a 2026 turnaround. If almost every team remains reluctant to deal from the MLB roster two months out from the deadline, that could create an opportunity for the couple clearly non-competitive teams to move earlier.
It doesn’t seem that’s Colorado’s approach, however. President of baseball operations Paul DePodesta told Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post over the weekend that the team’s trade talks thus far have been preliminary. “We haven’t canvassed the league or anything like that, but we are starting to have some conversations if there is a potential match,” DePodesta said.
Colorado’s baseball operations leader wouldn’t speak in absolutes when asked if anyone on the roster was untouchable, though he implied there are a few core players they’re unlikely to trade. “There would be certain guys that would be really, really hard for us to move. I think that’s probably true of any team,” he told Saunders. “There are guys that we feel are hopefully foundational players for us going forward.”
He followed up by noting that the front office needed to be “opportunistic” if teams called about certain players while saying “there are a lot of guys that we’re not actively shopping.” DePodesta didn’t specifically highlight anyone in that group, though it seems safe to assume they’re not going to trade currently injured starter Chase Dollander.
Power-hitting catcher Hunter Goodman is under club control through 2029 and would be one of their better trade chips. The Rockies have shied away from trading players with that kind of remaining club control at the last handful of deadlines. Those came under previous front offices but the same Monfort ownership group.
24-year-old shortstop Ezequiel Tovar was supposed to be a foundational piece of the rebuild. He’s signed for $51.5MM between 2027-30 and is hitting .209/.259/.323 on the season. Tovar is a gifted defender but hasn’t shown any signs of improving an overaggressive approach in the batter’s box. Even if the Rockies could find a team willing to take the rest of the contract — which seems unlikely given how poorly he’s hit over the past couple seasons — the return would be so diminished that they probably won’t move him.
Which players on the Colorado roster are they likely to shop over the coming weeks?
Reliever Antonio Senzatela is the most obvious candidate. The righty has gone from struggling starter and fringe roster player to quality late-game arm. Senzatela carries a 1.98 earned run average across 36 1/3 innings on the season. His 21.4% strikeout percentage is still a bit below average but easily a personal best. Senzatela’s average fastball has jumped two ticks to 97.3 mph, and he’s getting strong results on a low-90s cutter which he added late last season.
Senzatela is playing on a $12MM salary, around $7MM of which is still owed. That’ll drop to roughly $3.5MM by the August 3 deadline. There’s a $14MM club option for the 2027 season that still seems a little too expensive. Teams will probably view Senzatela as a rental, and while he’ll likely be the third or fourth best arm in a contending bullpen, he should net the Rockies a couple mid-level prospects.
There aren’t many other obvious trade candidates in the bullpen. There’d certainly be teams interested in taking a flier on Seth Halvorsen, who is controllable for five seasons and has a triple digit fastball, but those traits are similarly appealing to Colorado. Jimmy Herget and Brennan Bernardino aren’t going to net more than an organizational depth type.
Colorado made a handful of one-year free agent rotation additions as potential deadline candidates. None of Jose Quintana, Michael Lorenzen or Tomoyuki Sugano has pitched well enough to get much interest from a contender.
Quintana suffered an elbow sprain that’ll likely take him out through the deadline. Lorenzen has an earned run average above 8.00. Sugano’s 3.92 ERA is solid on the surface, especially given the Coors Field effect, but it comes with one of the league’s worst strikeout rates (13.6%) and continued home run concerns. Statcast has Sugano with a 7.52 expected ERA based on the lack of whiffs and amount of hard contact he allows.
Mickey Moniak and Jake McCarthy are each in their arbitration window and could get some interest as complementary outfielders. Moniak, currently out with right ankle tendinitis, has raked at Coors Field over the past season and a half. He doesn’t hit lefties or provide much defensively but could be a strong side corner outfield platoon target. He’s playing on a $4MM salary and could jump into the $7-8MM range next season, assuming he’s tendered a contract for his final arbitration season.
McCarthy is making just $1.525MM and controllable for two years after this one. He can play center field but is probably best suited in left. McCarthy has alternated solid and awful offensive seasons but is back on the upswing, batting .282/.324/.453 in 188 plate appearances. The center field trade market is thin enough that a team like the Rays, Astros or Guardians could view him as a viable regular.
Brewers Re-Sign Jake Woodford To Minor League Deal
The Brewers are re-signing righty Jake Woodford on a minor league contract, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams. He’ll head to Triple-A Nashville after going unclaimed on waivers and electing free agency yesterday. Woodford, an Excel Sports Management client, can opt out and retest free agency on July 1 or August 4 if the Brewers don’t add him back to the big league roster.
The 29-year-old had previously spent the season in Pat Murphy’s relief group. Woodford is a low-leverage arm who logged 23 1/3 innings across 16 appearances. He allowed just under seven earned runs per nine innings with a bel0w-average 17.9% strikeout rate. Woodford has never missed bats but is willing to attack the strike zone and can cover multiple innings.
It’s the seventh straight season in which Woodford has picked up a decent amount of big league work. His rate metrics have been well below-average for the past few seasons, but he’s been a durable depth arm. Woodford has a 5.25 earned run average in a little under 300 big league innings. He owns a 4.07 mark across parts of seven Triple-A campaigns. Woodford has been a starter for most of his minor league career and could work from the rotation in Nashville.
Astros GM: “Zero Discussions” About Trading Alvarez, Peña
The Astros came back from a ninth-inning deficit to take an extra-inning win tonight over the Angels. That improves their record to 31-37. They’ve evened out after an 8-18 April but haven’t really cut into the early-season hole they dug, playing slightly above .500 since the beginning of May.
That would ordinarily point toward a likely deadline seller. However, a mediocre American League playoff picture has kept every team aside from the Angels within range of a postseason spot. With almost two months to go until the trade deadline, front offices aren’t going to be eager to sell. That’s certainly true in Houston, where general manager Dana Brown said the team hasn’t even considered the possibility of trading its two best position players.
“We’ve had zero discussions about trading (Jeremy Peña or Yordan Alvarez) internally,” Brown told Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle. “We’ve had zero conversations. So we can’t go trading two pillars. Both those guys hit at the top of our lineup.”
It’s not surprising given the playoff picture and Houston’s general win-now posture. No one would’ve expected the Astros to seriously entertain trading either of those players in June. Alvarez has been the best hitter in MLB this year and is signed for two seasons beyond this one at $26MM annually. Peña is making $9.475MM and will likely land around $15MM for his final season of arbitration in 2027.
Both players would have immense appeal on the trade market. They’re also crucial to Houston’s hope of returning to the postseason after a narrow miss in 2025. Owner Jim Crane has operated with a win-now mentality for more than a decade. Brown, who is in his fourth season as GM, is in the final year of his contract. He’ll surely be motivated to add if the Astros are around the playoff mix.
“To be sellers, for me, it would be like we failed,” the GM told Kawahara. “So I don’t think this team is a team that’s going to be sellers at the deadline. I think we’re good enough. I think the division is wide open. We’ve gone through some injuries; I think other teams are starting to experience some injuries as well. The division is wide open, the postseason is wide open. So, I don’t foresee us being sellers.”
The Mariners, generally viewed as the preseason division favorites, are 35-32 and have the second-best run differential in the American League (+32). They’re two games up on the Rangers, three up on the A’s, and 4.5 clear of Houston. The Astros have a better path in the Wild Card, where a 32-33 Texas team currently holds the last playoff spot. Toronto, the A’s, and Baltimore sit between the Rangers and the Astros.
Alvarez, Peña, and Hunter Brown (eligible for arbitration through 2028) would be impact trade chips if Houston reversed course. It stands to reason the Astros haven’t given any thought to dealing their ace either. Christian Walker and Isaac Paredes were much discussed over the offseason. Walker, signed for $20MM annually through next season, has rebounded from a middling ’25 campaign to hit .252/.324/.500 with 16 homers through 278 plate appearances. Paredes is hitting a slightly disappointing .241/.331/.415 in 257 trips, though his bat has picked up over the past couple weeks.
Houston’s injury-riddled pitching staff was the biggest issue during their ugly first month. That has been better of late, particularly a bullpen that has the fifth-lowest ERA (2.88) over the past 30 days. They recently welcomed Josh Hader back in the ninth inning and could see Hunter Brown return from a shoulder strain next week. A lineup that was among MLB’s best early in the season has gone cold as the arms have come around, however. Houston hitters own a .221/.293/.375 slash line in the last month.
Injuries to Carlos Correa and Yainer Diaz have exposed preexisting concerns about the lineup depth. Walker has cooled after a blistering start to the season. Second-year right fielder Cam Smith has been inconsistent. Center fielder Jake Meyers hasn’t hit since coming back from an oblique injury. Left field has been a revolving door. Diaz’s own oblique issue has left them with Christian Vázquez as their starter behind the dish.
Adding to the outfield feels like a must if they’re in position to buy. They unsuccessfully tried to acquire a proven lefty-hitting outfield bat over the offseason, reportedly by floating Paredes in trade conversations. That was motivated by a perceived infield surplus that no longer exists with Correa out for the season, but Houston’s thin farm system and lack of margin under the luxury tax limit their flexibility on the trade front.
Yoán Moncada To Undergo Knee Surgery
Yoán Moncada will require surgery to address his right knee injury, reports Francys Romero. Specifics on the procedure aren’t clear, nor is it known whether Moncada is expected back this season. He’s out until at least mid-July after the Angels transferred him to the 60-day injured list this evening.
Moncada seemingly never fully recovered from the right knee issue that cost him five weeks last summer. The veteran switch-hitter said the injury most severely impacted him when he would bat from the right side. The Angels accordingly limited him to 26 plate appearances versus lefty pitching this year. That wasn’t enough to avoid an IL stint, nor apparently to stave off surgery.
This is the fifth straight season in which Moncada has missed time. He has lost over a month in each of the past four years and hasn’t reached 400 plate appearances in a season since 2022. Moncada remained a slightly above-average hitter when he was able to take the field between 2023-25. That hasn’t been the case this season, as he batted .189/.308/.297 in 130 trips before going on the shelf.
Moncada is playing his second season in Anaheim on a $4MM contract. He’ll return to free agency in November. If this procedure winds up sidelining him for most or all of the remaining 2026 schedule, he’d very likely be limited to a minor league deal next offseason.
Journeyman utility player Donovan Walton has gotten the bulk of the third base playing time over the last couple weeks. The Halos recalled 22-year-old Denzer Guzman from Triple-A this evening. He’s mashing at a .336/.403/.571 clip in the minors and is one of the better prospects in a weak farm system. Guzman is in the lineup at the hot corner tonight against Houston. That’ll be the plan for the time being, as skipper Kurt Suzuki told reporters (including Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune) that Guzman will be the primary third baseman.
Nationals Notes: Herz, Alvarez, Henry, Ortiz
Nationals lefty DJ Herz tossed two scoreless innings in the Florida Complex League on Friday. It’s the southpaw’s first game action in almost two years, as Herz underwent Tommy John surgery at the beginning of the 2025 season.
It’s the start of what’ll likely be more than a month-long buildup. Acquired from the Cubs as a prospect in the 2023 Jeimer Candelario deadline trade, Herz started 19 games for the Nats a year later. He posted a solid 4.16 ERA while striking out nearly 28% of batters faced as a rookie. He was the top swing-and-miss arm in the rotation that year.
Washington starters are middle of the pack in strikeout rate this season. They’re nevertheless in the bottom third of MLB with a 4.59 earned run average, largely thanks to one of the sport’s highest home run rates. The rotation has been better of late, albeit with the aid of a heavy usage of openers.
Their actual rotation has been fairly settled all season, however. Cade Cavalli, Foster Griffin, Jake Irvin, Miles Mikolas and Zack Littell have gone every fifth day as either a starter or bulk arm behind an opener for most of the season. The Nats lost Irvin to a shoulder strain in late May, necessitating their first real change of the year.
Lefty Andrew Alvarez appears to have that job for the time being. The 26-year-old made his first start of the season on Wednesday, working 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball against the Marlins. He’s slated to start the second game of their ongoing series in San Francisco tomorrow.
Alvarez was on and off the active roster twice early in the season. He has worked as a starter in Triple-A but had pitched long relief at the MLB level in 2026 until last week. Alvarez only sits in the low-90s, but he has recorded a 27% strikeout rate over 20 1/3 big league innings this year. He had some of the best swing-and-miss stuff in Triple-A as well, relying mostly on his slider and curveball to compensate for the mediocre fastball.
“Right now, we have our rotation set,” manager Blake Butera said over the weekend (link via Jessica Camerato of MLB.com). They are carrying Mitchell Parker and Brad Lord on the big league roster, but they’ve been full-time long relievers this season after holding rotation spots for a good chunk of 2025. Rookie righty Riley Cornelio is also in a multi-inning relief role despite working as a starter with Triple-A Rochester.
Cornelio just came back up over the weekend. Washington optioned righty reliever Cole Henry in a corresponding move. Henry goes back down for the first time since his MLB debut last April. The former second-rounder tossed 52 2/3 innings of 4.27 ERA ball as a rookie. He has been limited to 12 frames this year by a rotator cuff strain that cost him six weeks. Henry has surrendered 10 runs (eight earned) on 14 hits and six walks.
While they’ve tinkered on the pitching staff, the Nationals have not made any roster moves on the position player side in almost a month. They’ve carried the same 13-man hitting group since they optioned Brady House and Joey Wiemer to recall Dylan Crews and Andrés Chaparro in the middle of May. House’s demotion opened the third base job, which Curtis Mead has seized.
Mead, acquired from the White Sox after failing to break camp with Chicago, has hit .247/.356/.487 with nine home runs through 180 trips to the dish. He’s making contact at a career-high rate and chasing fewer pitches off the plate. The 25-year-old former top prospect has played his way into the middle of the lineup. He’s mostly at the hot corner after beginning the season in a first base/designated hitter role (though he was back at first base tonight).
Luis García Jr. has been the primary first baseman all season. He has a league average .256/.284/.442 slash through 208 plate appearances. 24-year-old Abimelec Ortiz, one of five prospects acquired from Texas in the MacKenzie Gore deal, has 10 longballs with a .263/.361/.514 line in Rochester. Although there’s a case for giving Ortiz a look, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic wrote last week that the Nationals are unlikely to call him up until after the All-Star Break.
That seemingly suggests they’re content with García, whose bat picked up in May after a rough April, continuing as an everyday first baseman. García has plenty of second base experience in his career but seems to have firmly moved off the position. No team has gotten less offensive production from the keystone, where Nasim Nuñez and Jorbit Vivas (plus a few scattered at-bats from Mead and José Tena) have combined to hit .185/.279/.208.