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Twins To Activate Pablo Lopez

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The Twins will activate Pablo López to start tomorrow’s series opener against the Royals, reports Dan Hayes of The Athletic. He’ll be activated from the 60-day injured list. Minnesota already has two vacancies on the 40-man roster, so they’ll only need to option a pitcher to create an active roster spot.

López has been out of action for three months. He suffered a Grade 2 teres major strain in his throwing shoulder during his start on June 3. That injury was arguably the turning point of Minnesota’s season. The Twins were seven games above .500 and in possession of a Wild Card spot at the time. Minnesota’s rotation collapsed over the next few weeks. That wasn’t all about López’s injury, as the struggles extended beyond call-up David Festa, but their season never recovered.

The Twins went 9-18 in June. A month later, they traded almost everyone from their bullpen and pulled off the surprising Carlos Correa salary dump. A healthy López would’ve been a target for contenders as well. The Twins had no reason to trade him halfway through an injury, but it’s not out of the question that they hear teams out this offseason.

López was off to what might’ve been a career season. He posted a 2.82 ERA in 60 2/3 frames spanning 11 starts. He fanned a quarter of opponents against a 5.7% walk rate. López has been an above-average starter for a few years but has yet to post a sub-3.00 ERA over a full season. He might have been on that trajectory had he not gotten hurt.

Minnesota’s sell-off and fall down the standings raised some question about whether it’d be prudent to shut López down entirely. The veteran righty remained committed to making it back for a few turns through the rotation. That’ll allow him to go into the offseason with more confidence than he would have had coming off a season-ending shoulder injury. It’ll also give opposing clubs a few looks as they consider whether to make a big push to try to pull López in an offseason trade.

López is wrapping up the second season of a four-year, $73.5MM extension. He’ll make $21.5MM per season between 2026-27. That’s below market value for a #2 caliber starter. López would have trade value if the Twins shop him, but they could prefer to hold him as a veteran anchor of a young rotation while looking ahead to a potential deadline deal in 2026. Joe Ryan, who is down to his last two seasons of arbitration control, will also be one of the offseason’s top trade candidates.

Taylor Walls Undergoes Sports Hernia Surgery

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Rays infielder Taylor Walls underwent season-ending sports hernia surgery, manager Kevin Cash tells Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Walls has been on the injured list since August 12 with what was initially diagnosed as a left groin strain. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training.

This has been a typical season for Walls, a light-hitting defensive specialist. He hit .220/.280/.319 with four home runs through 317 plate appearances. The Florida State product owns a .195/.286/.298 batting line in more than 1500 career trips. Walls’ value comes entirely from his glove. While Statcast’s Outs Above Average has him as a roughly neutral defender, Defensive Runs Saved grades him as a plus gloveman at each of second base, third base and shortstop.

Walls was the starting shortstop with Ha-Seong Kim on the injured list for a good chunk of the season. Tampa Bay traded José Caballero and waived Kim. They’ve promoted top prospect Carson Williams to take over at shortstop and would have used Walls as a utility player if he’d been healthy. Williams and Junior Caminero are the hopeful long-term pairing on the left side of the infield. The Rays have another club option on Brandon Lowe but could field trade offers over the winter.

The Rays have a $2.45MM club option or $50K buyout on Walls’ services for next year. They could decline the option and go through the arbitration process. He’s controllable for two more seasons in either case.

Trevor Rogers’ Reemergence

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At the 2024 trade deadline, the Orioles traded upper minors hitters Kyle Stowers and Connor Norby to the Marlins for reclamation starter Trevor Rogers. Many perceived it as an overpay, and the deal immediately went south. Rogers, who was carrying a 4.53 ERA for Miami, allowed 16 runs in 19 innings over his first four starts with the Orioles. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A within three weeks and he was a non-factor for a postseason bound club.

This season didn't start out any better. Rogers began the year on the injured list with a right knee subluxation. Baltimore optioned him back to Triple-A when he was healthy. Outside of one strong spot start on May 24, the 6'5" lefty wasn't on the radar into the middle of June. Baltimore's big league rotation -- which was without Grayson Rodriguez, Kyle Bradish and Zach Eflin -- pitched so poorly that their season was more or less finished by the time they recalled Rogers on June 18.

Stowers added insult to injury by carrying Miami's lineup with a pair of power barrages in April and July. He's streaky but now looks like the Marlins' best position player. Even if Norby doesn't work out, Miami is thrilled with their end of the deal. As recently as the middle of June, it looked like a complete bust for Baltimore. It wasn't a lock they'd even tender Rogers a contract for his final season of arbitration.

Two months later, Rogers is the favorite to be on the Camden Yards mound for Opening Day 2026. He had a rocky first start after being recalled, giving up three runs without escaping the third inning against Tampa Bay. He has taken the ball 12 times since then and been the best pitcher in baseball.

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Blue Jays Sign Buddy Kennedy, Rene Pinto To Minor League Deals

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The Blue Jays agreed to minor league contracts with infielder Buddy Kennedy and catcher René Pinto. Kennedy has already returned to Triple-A Buffalo and played there tonight. Pinto has yet to get into a game with the Bisons, but the MLB.com transaction tracker indicates he signed with Toronto on Monday.

Kennedy first signed a minor league deal with Toronto in July. The Jays called him in early August while Andrés Giménez was on the injured list. They kept him on the big league roster for a week and designated him for assignment when Giménez returned. The Dodgers were dealing with a few infield injuries and snagged him off waivers. Kennedy was on the L.A. roster for 10 days but lost his spot when Kiké Hernández came back from injury.

After clearing outright waivers, the former fifth-round pick elected free agency. He circles back to the Jays to serve as infield depth for the final few weeks of the regular season. Kennedy is a lifetime .178/.271/.274 hitter at the major league level. He owns a much more solid .278/.388/.429 line in parts of four Triple-A campaigns. Kennedy mostly plays third base but can factor in at both positions on the right side of the infield as well.

Pinto, 28, was granted his release from a minor league contract with Arizona last month. The Venezuelan backstop never played in the majors with the Diamondbacks. He appeared at the highest level with the Rays each season from 2022-24. Pinto hit .231/.263/.404 across 82 games. Tampa Bay gave him a brief look as their starting catcher early last year, but he struggled on both sides of the ball and spent the bulk of the season in Triple-A.

The right-handed hitting Pinto has shown some power in the minors. He has 57 career Triple-A home runs, slashing .256/.307/.493 in more than 1100 plate appearances at the level. That includes a .268/.324/.517 line with 11 homers in 54 games for Arizona’s affiliate. Toronto has Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman as their only catchers on the 40-man roster. Their previous Triple-A catchers, Phil Clarke and Brandon Valenzuela, have no major league experience. If his deal was indeed signed on September 1, Pinto would not be eligible for the playoff roster but provides a more experienced depth option for the next few weeks in case Kirk or Heineman suffer an injury.

Cubs Outright Tom Cosgrove

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The Cubs sent lefty reliever Tom Cosgrove outright to Triple-A Iowa, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on August 31. Cosgrove was the 40-man roster casualty when the Cubs claimed Aaron Civale off waivers from the White Sox.

Chicago acquired Cosgrove from the Padres in the middle of April. He has spent most of the season in the minor leagues. The 29-year-old has made two big league appearances, allowing one run in four innings. The Manhattan University product has a 4.71 ERA across 42 frames with Iowa. Cosgrove has fanned a quarter of opponents but walked too many hitters, issuing free passes at a 14% clip.

Cosgrove pitched 51 1/3 innings of 1.75 ERA ball for San Diego two years ago. He hasn’t gotten much major league work since then. His Triple-A production over the past couple seasons has been middling as he has struggled to throw strikes consistently. This is Cosgrove’s first career outright assignment. He doesn’t have the requisite service time to elect free agency, so he’ll stick with Iowa as non-roster bullpen depth for the rest of the season. Cosgrove will become a minor league free agent at year’s end if the Cubs don’t call him back up.

Astros Place Spencer Arrighetti On Injured List

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The Astros placed Spencer Arrighetti on the 15-day injured list shortly before tonight’s game against the Yankees. The placement, which is retroactive to August 31, is due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Houston selected reliever Jayden Murray onto the MLB roster in his place. Lefty John Rooney has been moved from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot. The Astros also activated Victor Caratini from the concussion list and optioned Chas McCormick to Triple-A Sugar Land this afternoon.

Arrighetti tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball against the Angels on Saturday. He apparently came out of that appearance with elbow soreness. The Astros waited until just before game time tonight to put him on the shelf. Injured list placements can be backdated for up to three days. The Astros determined Arrighetti will need at least another 12 days before he’s ready to pitch.

Houston activated Luis Garcia from the injured list on Monday. They intended to go to a six-man rotation, ideally affording an extra day of rest for Garcia and Cristian Javier with both pitchers just back from elbow surgery. This will force a change of plans. They can drop back to a five-man starting staff with Javier and Garcia following Hunter Brown, Framber Valdez and Jason Alexander. If they want to keep a six-man rotation, they could reverse course on the plan to move Lance McCullers Jr. to the bullpen. Colton Gordon is in the Triple-A rotation, while rookie AJ Blubaugh could build back to rotation work after beginning his MLB career in the bullpen.

Arrighetti has spent most of the season on the IL after breaking his thumb on a fluke injury when he was hit by a ball during batting practice in April. The second-year righty has been limited to seven starts and carries a 5.35 ERA across 35 1/3 innings. He took the ball 29 times a year ago, pitching to a 4.53 mark over 145 frames in his rookie season.

Murray gets his first major league opportunity at age 28. The 6’1″ righty has thrown 64 innings of 4.64 ERA ball over 50 appearances with Sugar Land. Murray has fanned 24% of opponents while issuing walks to nearly 11% of batters faced. He has pitched well of late, allowing only six earned runs in 23 innings going back to the beginning of July. A former Tampa Bay draftee, Murray was traded to the Astros while he was pitching in Double-A as part of the three-team Trey Mancini/Jose Siri deal in 2022.

Rooney, also 28, was acquired from Miami last month. He made his MLB debut on August 24 against Baltimore, giving up one run while recording four outs. Houston placed him on the injured list with elbow inflammation after that appearance, and he’s now out for the season. The Astros will need to reinstate him onto the 40-man roster or put him on waivers at the beginning of the offseason.

On the position player side, Caratini returns to split time behind the dish with Yainer Diaz. The Astros will keep third catcher César Salazar on the active roster as well. That means the first minor league stint of the season for McCormick, who is batting .210/.279/.290 across 116 plate appearances. McCormick was a valuable and underrated outfield piece over his first three seasons, but he’s amidst his second straight very poor year. He’s a long shot to make Houston’s playoff roster (if they qualify) and will be a non-tender candidate this winter.

Rangers Notes: Garcia, Latz, Mahle

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Adolis García is out of the Rangers’ lineup today in Arizona. He pulled up while beating out a force play in the ninth inning of last night’s contest. He gingerly came around to score on Jake Burger’s RBI triple but was lifted for defensive replacement Alejandro Osuna in the next half-inning.

Manager Bruce Bochy revealed this evening that García has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right quad strain (via the MLB.com injury tracker). That’s one of moderate severity and often merits an injured list stint. However, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News points out that the Rangers’ lack of upper minors position player depth is a reason they’ve held off on making a roster move.

Texas already has Marcus Semien, Evan Carter, Corey Seager and Sam Haggerty on the injured list. Infielder Justin Foscue is their only healthy position player who is on optional assignment. He has three hits in 51 career big league at-bats and doesn’t have any kind of outfield experience. The Rangers already have Burger, Ezequiel Duran and Dylan Moore as infielders on the MLB bench. Foscue wouldn’t play much even if they recalled him.

They could select a non-roster outfielder like Billy McKinney or Dustin Harris. They’re operating with at least one free 40-man roster spot since Jon Gray can be transferred to the 60-day injured list after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome. Ideally, neither McKinney nor Harris would get much playing time as Texas tries to run down a Wild Card spot. They’ll hold out hope for a quicker return from García rather than bringing anyone else up, although Bochy conceded the veteran outfielder is unlikely to play for at least a few days.

García has had a middling season. He’s been on a hot streak since returning from a minimal IL stay due to an ankle sprain, however. He’s hitting .368 with four doubles and a couple home runs in his past nine games. Texas will need to rely on Osuna in right field for at least a few games, while Michael Helman is playing center field in Carter’s stead. They’re using another rookie, Cody Freeman, at second base with Semien on the shelf.

The Rangers have overcome the injuries of late, feasting on a soft schedule to keep their season alive. Going back to August 22, they’ve swept the Guardians and A’s while taking two of three from the Angels. They were down to their final strike but came back to beat the Diamondbacks yesterday. They’ve pulled within a game of the reeling Mariners and still have an outside chance at catching the division-leading Astros, who are 4.5 games up and likely to lose to the Yankees tonight.

Texas also took a huge hit on the pitching side two weeks ago. Nathan Eovaldi’s potentially season-ending rotator cuff strain seemed like a nail in the coffin. The Rangers didn’t have a clear option to fill the vacated rotation spot. Kumar Rocker is sorting through mechanical adjustments and not pitching in minor league games.

Texas appears to have settled on lefty Jacob Latz to round out the starting five behind Jacob deGrom, Jack Leiter, Merrill Kelly and Patrick Corbin. Latz started and worked 4 1/3 innings on 66 pitches against the Halos last Wednesday. He’s on the mound again tonight at Chase Field. The 29-year-old southpaw had made a trio of spot starts throughout the season but has mostly worked from the bullpen. He’d been pitching short relief stints in Triple-A for the first few weeks of August. Latz has done well when called upon, taking a 3.13 ERA with a 23.4% strikeout rate into today’s start.

It might not be long before the Rangers get a rotation reinforcement. Tyler Mahle, out since mid-June with a rotator cuff strain of his own, may finally be nearing a return. He began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Round Rock this evening. The results weren’t good — he got knocked around for five runs while only completing one inning in a brutal pitching environment in Albuquerque — but logging game action at all is a big development. It raises the possibility of Mahle getting back on an MLB mound within the next couple weeks, potentially to work in some kind of tandem with Latz rather than building all the way to a traditional starter’s workload.

Twins’ David Festa Suffers Season-Ending Shoulder Injury

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Twins starter David Festa is done for the season after suffering a setback while working back from a shoulder injury, relays Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star-Tribune. Festa is headed for a consultation with noted orthopedist Dr. Keith Meister.

The 25-year-old Festa has been out since the middle of July. Minnesota sent him to Triple-A St. Paul for a rehab start on August 28. Festa struck out five over 2 2/3 scoreless innings. It seems he came out of the appearance with renewed shoulder pain. That’ll shut him down for the year. The Twins will hope there’s nothing structurally amiss that’ll impact his availability for 2026.

Festa is in his second big league season. He has missed bats at an above-average rate but given up a few too many home runs, contributing to a 5.12 ERA through his first 25 appearances. Festa surrendered 5.40 earned runs per nine across 53 1/3 frames this year. The 6’6″ righty was one of Minnesota’s better pitching prospects before his debut. He’s one of a handful of mid-20s pitchers whom the Twins hope will be long-term rotation pieces.

Zebby Matthews, Simeon Woods Richardson and deadline acquisition Taj Bradley are in the current starting five. Mick Abel, acquired from Philadelphia in the Jhoan Duran deal, has been hit hard in his first two appearances as a Twin and was optioned back to Triple-A yesterday. Festa is on the 15-day injured list, so the Twins can transfer him to the 60-day IL if they need to open a 40-man roster spot before the end of the season. He crossed the one-year service line this season and is under club control through at least 2030.

Cubs Sign Austin Gomber To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs signed left-hander Austin Gomber to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Iowa. He’s on the mound tonight against Kansas City’s top affiliate in his organizational debut. The MLB.com transaction tracker indicates he signed the contract on August 26 even though it wasn’t announced until today.

That’s a relevant distinction because it keeps open the long shot possibility that Gomber could get a look in the postseason. He was in the organization before the beginning of September, so he’ll be eligible for the playoff roster even though he’s not currently on the 40-man roster. That obviously wouldn’t be Plan A for the team, but the southpaw provides rotation depth for a team that is without Michael Soroka and Jameson Taillon at the moment. The Cubs also brought in Joe Ross on a minor league deal.

Gomber was released by the Rockies last month. The soft-tossing southpaw missed the first couple months with shoulder discomfort. He was tattooed for a 7.49 earned run average in 12 starts since being activated from the injured list in the middle of June.  Gomber didn’t pitch well at home or on the road. He struggled to miss bats no matter the venue, posting a career-worst 12.5% strikeout rate across 57 2/3 innings. Gomber’s fastball averaged a little over 89 MPH, down a tick from last year and three miles per hour from the first few seasons of his career. He was a passable fifth starter last year, turning in a 4.75 ERA while making 30 starts.

The Rockies are on the hook for what remains of Gomber’s $6.35MM salary. The Cubs would owe him the prorated $760K league minimum for any time he spends in the big leagues. He’ll be a free agent again at the beginning of the offseason.

Jesse Winker Shut Down, Likely Out For Season

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The Mets don’t expect Jesse Winker to return this season, manager Carlos Mendoza tells reporters (including Mike Puma of The New York Post). Winker has been sidelined since the middle of July with a lower back injury. He began a rehab assignment last week but has been shut back down from baseball activity, suggesting he suffered some kind of setback.

Winker had a productive 2024 season, batting .253/.360/.405 between the Nationals and Mets. Most of that production came early in the season with Washington. New York nevertheless brought Winker back on a $7.5MM free agent deal. They expected him to take the majority of the designated hitter playing time against right-handed pitching.

Injuries cost him that opportunity. Winker suffered a significant oblique strain in early May. That kept him out of action until shortly before the All-Star Break. He returned for two games and three plate appearances before going back on the shelf. His rehab stint in Low-A last week lasted two games.

Winker’s season probably comes to a close with a .229/.309/.400 slash in 81 plate appearances. He’ll return to free agency this winter and might be limited to minor league offers. The Mets will continue giving Mark Vientos and Starling Marte the majority of the DH at-bats. They’ve each been very good in the second half. Winker probably wouldn’t have pushed them for a ton of playing time even if healthy, but he could’ve played a meaningful run as a left-handed bat off the bench.

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