Rockies Notes: Dollander, Herget, Criswell
The Rockies are dealing with an injury concern for their top young pitcher. Chase Dollander left this afternoon’s start in Pittsburgh in the second inning on account of right arm tightness.
Dollander told Thomas Harding of MLB.com postgame that the club had not scheduled any imaging. “I don’t know; I’m not sure,” he replied when asked about his level of concern. “I don’t want to say too much before anything else happens – not to freak myself out or anyone else.”
The ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft, Dollander struggled at Coors Field as a rookie last season. He has taken a major step forward this year, entering today’s outing with a 3.35 ERA across 43 innings. He’d punched out 26% of opponents while averaging 99 mph on his four-seam fastball. Pittsburgh rocked him for five hits and three runs in an inning-plus today, although it’s fair to attribute the ugly start to the arm discomfort.
Dollander tells Harding he first felt some arm discomfort coming out of last Friday’s start in Philadelphia. He had a slight velocity dip this afternoon, sitting 97-98 mph with the heater instead of his usual 99. That’s not much of a concern in itself — it was the first inning and the game temperature was in the high 40s — but becomes more alarming in conjunction with the arm discomfort.
The Rox haven’t revealed whether Dollander will go on the injured list. It’d behoove them to exercise caution with the most important member of their pitching staff. Today’s loss dropped Colorado to an NL-worst 17-27 record. They’re still early in what’ll be a long-term rebuild, so the focus should be on Dollander’s health.
Tanner Gordon helped preserve the bullpen by tossing four innings of one-run ball in mop-up work. Gordon wasn’t even on the active roster until this morning, as Colorado recalled him from Triple-A Albuquerque before the game. That came as the corresponding move for reliever Jimmy Herget, who landed on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder impingement.
A waiver claim after the 2024 season, Herget provided the Rox 83 1/3 innings of 2.48 ERA ball a year ago. He has a less impressive 5.06 mark through 16 frames this year, albeit with similar strikeout and walk rates as he posted last season. Herget has always attacked the strike zone. He doesn’t have huge stuff but is missing a decent number of bats with a heavy dose of breaking balls from a sidearm delivery.
Herget is playing on a $1.55MM arbitration salary and has one year of control after this one. He’s not going to be any contender’s top bullpen target but could draw deadline interest as a deception-based middle reliever if he’s healthy. The Rockies would presumably be happy to move him for a lottery ticket prospect if the opportunity presents itself.
In other injury news, reliever Jeff Criswell was assigned to Albuquerque this week as he continues his rehab assignment. The righty is working back from Tommy John surgery which he underwent in Spring Training 2025. That interrupted a promising start to Criswell’s MLB career. The University of Michigan product struck out 31% of opponents with a 2.75 ERA over his first 19 2/3 innings back in 2024.
Brewers Re-Sign Jacob Waguespack To Minor League Deal
The Brewers have a new agreement with right-hander Jacob Waguespack on a minor league deal, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He has been assigned to their Arizona complex.
Waguespack was pitching at Triple-A Nashville when Milwaukee granted him his release on May 4. It seems he wanted to gauge whether any team was willing to offer an MLB opportunity. Once that didn’t materialize, he returned to the Brew Crew on a fresh minor league contract. He’ll presumably head back to Nashville after a brief tune-up in the Complex League.
The 32-year-old righty last pitched in the Majors in 2024. Waguespack split last season between the Triple-A affiliates of the Rays and Phillies. He managed a solid 2.45 earned run average over 33 combined frames but never got an MLB look with either team. The Ole Miss product signed an offseason non-roster deal with Milwaukee and opened the year in Triple-A.
Waguespack allowed eight runs (four earned) through 16 innings. He struck out 23 of 68 opponents (34%) but also issued 11 walks. Waguespack doesn’t have huge velocity despite the big swing-and-miss rates. He’s averaging 92 mph on his fastball while working in the mid-80s with his cutter and changeup.
Can The Rays Keep This Up?
The regular season has crossed the 25% mark and there's an unexpected team at the top of the American League. The 28-13 Rays have the AL's best record and second-best mark in MLB behind the Braves. The Rays have a history of outperforming expectations, but some of the magic had seemed to wear off with sub-.500 finishes in each of the last two seasons.
Tampa Bay had a slightly busier free agent period than they typically do. They added Nick Martinez and Steven Matz, the latter on a two-year contract. They brought in Cedric Mullins on a reclamation deal. At the same time, they were closer to the "seller" end of their two biggest trades of the winter. They dealt Shane Baz to the Orioles for four prospects and a draft pick. They sent Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum to the Pirates for two more prospects. Gavin Lux was their most established trade pickup of the offseason, and he has been a complete non-factor due to various injures.
So how have the Rays gotten out to one of the best starts in franchise history? Are they resurrecting a small ball offensive approach in the modern game, and what should be the deadline focus for a team that'll enter the summer more clearly looking to add MLB talent than they have over the past couple seasons?
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Matt Mervis Signs In Mexican League
First baseman Matt Mervis has signed with the Algodoneros de Unión Laguna of the Mexican League. The club announced the deal on Monday. Mervis went 0-4 with three strikeouts in his team debut last night.
The 28-year-old appeared at the MLB level each season from 2023-25. A former undrafted free agent signee by the Cubs, Mervis put himself on the prospect radar by slugging 36 homers between three minor league levels in 2022. The Duke product made his big league debut one year later, striking out 32 times in his first 99 plate appearances.
Mervis hasn’t been able to get the elevated swing-and-miss numbers in check. He fanned at a 30% clip in Triple-A in 2024, only appearing in nine MLB contests. The Cubs traded him to Miami going into the ’25 season. Mervis was the Marlins Opening Day first baseman last year. He had a power barrage in the middle of April, slugging six homers through April 16. It remained an all-or-nothing approach, however, and Mervis slumped to a .175/.254/.383 batting line by the time the Marlins waived him at the end of May.
Subsequent minor league contracts with the Diamondbacks and Nationals haven’t gotten him back to the highest level. Mervis was in big league camp with Washington this year. He played one game for their Triple-A club in Rochester before being released. He’ll hope to put things together in a hitter-friendly league in Mexico and play his way back to affiliated ball on a minor league contract.
Twins To Recall Zebby Matthews
The Twins will recall Zebby Matthews from Triple-A St. Paul to start tomorrow afternoon’s series finale against the Marlins. Manager Derek Shelton announced the decision after tonight’s 9-5 loss to the Fish (relayed by Aaron Gleeman).
It’ll be the first MLB appearance of the season for Matthews. The former top prospect was optioned to begin the year after failing to win a rotation spot out of camp. Matthews has started seven times in Triple-A, allowing a 4.72 ERA through 34 1/3 innings. He has had a decent strikeout and walk profile but has allowed multiple home runs in three of those outings.
That’s been the general profile during Matthews’ big league time as well. He fanned a quarter of opponents against a solid 6.6% walk rate in 25 MLB starts between 2024-25. His earned run average nevertheless sits just under 6.00. That’s partially due to a .359 average on balls in play, but the home run has been his biggest undoing. Matthews has allowed 1.77 longballs per nine innings, permitting a lot of those baserunners to score.
Minnesota lost Pablo López to elbow surgery early in camp. They’ve been without David Festa all season due to a shoulder impingement. Matthews nevertheless opened the season as the seventh arm on their rotation depth chart. Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and Simeon Woods Richardson have held rotation roles all season. Taj Bradley and Mick Abel rounded out the season-opening five.
Abel landed on the injured list with elbow inflammation in the middle of April. Minnesota called up highly-regarded lefty Connor Prielipp to take that spot. Bradley went on the shelf over the weekend with pectoral inflammation, so the Twins will now tab Matthews to step into the rotation.
Minnesota has gotten strong work out of four of their rotation spots. Ryan, Ober, Bradley and the combination of Abel and Prielipp have all pitched well. Woods Richardson, who was a reasonable back-of-the-rotation arm over the last two seasons, is mired in a nightmare stretch. He opened the year with 11 2/3 innings of three-run ball over his first two starts. He hasn’t gotten beyond five innings in any of his last seven times out, allowing at least three runs in each. Miami put up eight runs (six earned) in three innings against him tonight, pushing his ERA to 7.71 over 42 frames.
Woods Richardson is out of options. The Twins could consider a bullpen move if they feel he needs a reset, but the various rotation injuries are testing their depth. Aside from Matthews, John Klein is the only other pitcher on the 40-man roster working out of the St. Paul rotation. Rookies Kendry Rojas and Andrew Morris have worked multiple innings out of the bullpen and could step into the rotation if they wanted to make a move with Woods Richardson. They’re three days into a stretch of nine straight game days.
Mariners To Designate José Suarez For Assignment
The Mariners are designating left-hander José Suarez for assignment, reports Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News. Seattle will activate Bryce Miller from the 15-day injured list to start tomorrow’s game against the Astros. They needed to drop someone from the pitching staff in a corresponding move.
Suarez, who is out of minor league options, winds up being the roster casualty. (Seattle will also activate Jose A. Ferrer from the paternity list within the next day or two, so that’ll push someone else from the middle relief corps back to the minors.) Suarez made just one appearance in an M’s uniform, allowing a run on two hits and a couple walks over two innings. They’d claimed him off waivers from the Braves on May 3.
Between Atlanta and Seattle, the 28-year-old southpaw carries a 6.38 earned run average through 18 1/3 innings. He has punched out an above-average 27% of opponents but issued walks at a near-16% rate. Suarez had been a capable strike-thrower early in his career as a starter with the Angels. That has changed over the past few seasons.
Suarez is playing on a $900K arbitration salary that lands a little north of the league minimum. He’s capable of working multiple innings out of the bullpen but would require an active roster spot if another team claims him. The Mariners have five days to trade him or try to run him through outright waivers. If he clears waivers, Suarez would have the right to decline an outright assignment in favor of free agency. He’d forfeit his remaining salary to do so, however, so it’s likelier he’d report to Triple-A Tacoma if no other team carries him on the MLB roster.
The Mariners are moving to a six-man rotation with Miller’s return. They’ll drop to a seven-man bullpen as a result. Alex Hoppe has worked multiple innings on a couple occasions. Cooper Criswell has ample long relief experience as well, but he’s pitching his way towards the back of the bullpen in shorter high-leverage stints.
Alex Verdugo Released By Padres, Reportedly Will Undergo Shoulder Surgery
The Padres released Alex Verdugo from his minor league contract on Monday, according to the MiLB.com transaction tracker. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports that’s because the veteran outfielder suffered a shoulder injury that is expected to necessitate season-ending surgery.
It’ll go down as a completely lost year for the 29-year-old. Verdugo played in two Spring Training games, going 1-6 with a walk. He did not appear in any minor league games. Verdugo also hadn’t played after being released by the Braves last July, so it’ll be close to two full years between his regular season appearances even if he’s ready for the start of 2027.
The lefty-hitting Verdugo had five straight seasons of average or better offense for the Dodgers and Red Sox between 2019-23. He never reached the lofty heights expected of the centerpiece of a Mookie Betts trade return, but he was a serviceable left fielder over four seasons in Boston. Verdugo’s numbers fell after a trade to the Yankees going into 2024. He didn’t join Atlanta until late in Spring Training last year and had a career-worst .239/.296/.289 showing without a home run over 56 games.
Gavin Lux Pulled Off Rehab Stint With Left Shoulder Injury
The Rays are pulling Gavin Lux off his rehab assignment with a left shoulder injury, manager Kevin Cash tells Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. He’ll go for imaging later in the week, and Cash said he’ll be out of action “for the foreseeable future.”
Lux has yet to make his team debut. The Rays acquired him from the Reds over the offseason and said he’d be their primary second baseman. Lux has battled various injuries over the past couple months. He was nagged by oblique discomfort during Spring Training, then suffered a right shoulder impingement in mid-March. Lux then tweaked his left ankle in April. That halted his rehab assignment for a couple weeks.
The ankle injury meant Lux has had two rehab stints without making it back to the MLB roster. He has appeared in 21 Triple-A games overall, hitting .200 with one home run across 90 plate appearances. He has taken 20 walks while striking out 23 times.
Tampa Bay will now await the imaging from what is evidently a new injury. It seems inevitable he’ll be moved to the 60-day injured list once the Rays need a roster spot. That’d backdate to Opening Day, meaning he’d be eligible to return in less than two weeks. Given Cash’s comments, he’s almost certainly not going to be ready by then.
It’s particularly ill timing for Lux, who’ll be a first-time free agent next winter. He has been a league average hitter for the last two seasons, so he was already something of a reclamation pickup for Tampa Bay. The Reds played him more at designated hitter or in left field than at second base a year ago. Tampa Bay had intended to give him another opportunity in the middle infield.
The Rays have used a Richie Palacios/Ben Williamson platoon at second base. They’ve each been league average offensive players. Palacios and Williamson have combined for one home run but have a strong .354 on-base percentage in a total of 190 plate appearances. That’s similar to what the Rays hoped to get out of Lux and emblematic of their offensive approach as a team. Tampa Bay is 25th in home runs and 22nd in slugging but has the eighth-best OBP in the league. They’ve been a league average offense overall, ranking 14th in scoring.
Despite the middling lineup, the Rays have raced to a 28-13 start to jump to the top of the American League. Only the Braves have a better record in MLB. Tampa Bay has pitched well and been one of the more productive offenses with runners in scoring position. Even if they’re not going to continue playing at a 111-win pace, they’ve positioned themselves very well in an otherwise weak AL.
They’re two games up on the Yankees in the division and 8.5 clear of the top team not in playoff position. It sets them up to approach deadline season as buyers, with center field and the middle infield spots the clearest places they can look to add. Luis Arraez seems likely to be the top rental second baseman available. CJ Abrams would be the top middle infield target for most clubs if the Nationals dangle him with two and a half seasons of remaining arbitration control.
Brewers Notes: Yelich, Black, Priester, Lockridge
Christian Yelich made his return to the Brewers lineup tonight, as the former MVP was activated from the 10-day injured list. Tyler Black was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville to open the needed active roster spot.
Yelich missed a month due to the left groin strain he suffered in the middle of April. That halted an excellent start to the season. The 34-year-old designated hitter carried a .314/.375/.451 line with a home run through his first 56 plate appearances. Although Yelich is no longer the superstar he was at his peak, he remains one of the better hitters in the National League. He popped 29 homers with a .264/.343/.452 slash a year ago.
Milwaukee penciled him right back into the #3 spot in the order tonight against San Diego righty Matt Waldron. They weathered Yelich’s absence well, ranking eighth in the Majors in scoring while he was out. Black and Gary Sánchez got the majority of the DH reps in that time. They’ve both hit well, but Black’s limited defensive value meant he didn’t have a path to even semi-regular playing time now that Yelich and Andrew Vaughn are back from injury.
Milwaukee has gotten very little out of the left side of their infield — Joey Ortiz’s first homer of the season tonight notwithstanding — but Milwaukee hasn’t used Black as a third baseman since 2024. He’s a first baseman/corner outfielder at this point.
There aren’t going to be many first base or DH at-bats available on a team with Yelich, Vaughn, Jake Bauers and the catching tandem of William Contreras and Sánchez. This is Black’s final minor league option year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he comes up in trade conversations this summer. He’s not going to center a trade for any marquee names, but he could net the Brewers bullpen or multi-positional infield help.
Skipper Pat Murphy also provided a few injury updates before tonight’s game (relayed by Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). The most notable is that starter Quinn Priester is scheduled to resume his rehab assignment on Saturday. The righty has been out all season after being diagnosed with a nerve issue during Spring Training.
Priester started a rehab stint in late April. He clearly wasn’t right, walking eight batters and hitting two more in five innings. Milwaukee pulled him back but now feel he’s ready to get back to game action after throwing a 50-pitch bullpen session yesterday. The Brewers are hoping to get Priester back in the beginning of June.
Outfielder Brandon Lockridge is aiming a couple weeks after that for his own return to MLB action. The speedy outfielder sustained a deep laceration in his right knee after sliding into the side wall at American Family Field on Friday. It was a scary injury, as his knee hit directly into concrete below the padding. Lockridge had to be carted off but fortunately avoided any fractures.
Lou Trivino Elects Free Agency
Veteran righty Lou Trivino is back on the free agent market. The Orioles announced that the reliever elected free agency after clearing outright waivers on Tuesday. Baltimore designated him for assignment on Sunday.
Trivino had a very brief stint with the O’s. They signed him to a major league contract last Monday, a few days after he’d opted out of a minor league deal with Philadelphia. Trivino was rocked for six runs on four hits and three walks without completing a full inning against the Yankees in his O’s debut. He rebounded with 2 1/3 scoreless frames with three strikeouts against the A’s on Saturday.
After tossing 31 pitches in that outing, Trivino would’ve been unavailable for a day or two. The O’s swapped him out for a fresh arm, which required a DFA since Trivino has well above the five years of MLB service to refuse a minor league assignment.
While the small sample numbers in Baltimore were ugly, Trivino pitched well in Triple-A for the Phils last month. The 34-year-old righty struck out 20 of 56 batters faced (36%) while issuing four walks. He surrendered 15 hits and 10 runs, though only four of those were earned. Trivino’s sinker and four-seam fastball each sat in the 94-95 mph range and he used three other pitches — cutter, slider and changeup — with regularity. The fastballs were up to 96 during his MLB work.
That was Trivino’s second stint with the Philly organization. He signed a minor league deal last August and was selected onto the MLB roster at the end of the month. He worked nine innings of three-run ball to close the season. Trivino pitched for three different clubs overall and tallied a 3.97 earned run average across 47 2/3 MLB innings a year ago. It was first big league action in three seasons, as he’d missed most of 2023-24 due to Tommy John surgery.