White Sox Select Jacob Gonzalez
TODAY: The Sox officially announced the selection of Gonzalez’s contract to the active roster. In the corresponding moves, Murakami was placed on the 10-day IL due to a right hamstring strain, and Leasure was moved from the 15-day IL to the 60-day IL.
MAY 29: The White Sox will select Jacob Gonzalez onto the MLB roster, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. James Fegan of Sox Machine reported this evening that Gonzalez would likely get the call if Munetaka Murakami went on the injured list. Manager Will Venable told reporters postgame that Murakami would likely be down for a couple weeks with a right hamstring issue.
Chicago will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Reliever Jordan Leasure, who just went on the 15-day injured list today with a flexor strain, is a candidate for a move to the 60-day IL. The righty said Friday that he’ll be shut down entirely for four weeks after pitching through some discomfort for more than a month (via Fegan). Leasure indicated there’s a lot of inflammation but nothing structurally amiss with his elbow.
Chicago selected Gonzalez with the #15 pick in the 2023 draft. The Ole Miss product posted below-average offensive numbers over his first couple minor league seasons. He has completely turned that around in 2026, slugging 18 home runs over 54 games with Triple-A Charlotte. That’s already more than the 17 longballs he hit over his first two and a half seasons in the minors.
Gonzalez, who’ll make his MLB debut on his 24th birthday if he’s in the lineup tomorrow, leads all Triple-A players and is third in affiliated ball in home runs. He’s hitting .308/.414/.646 across 234 plate appearances, the second-best OPS among minor leaguers with 200+ trips. The power has come with a slight uptick in swing and miss, as he’s fanning at a career-high 20.5% rate. That’s obviously a tradeoff worth making for this kind of impact.
A 90 mph average exit velocity and 42% hard contact rate don’t quite align with Gonzalez’s monster production. Those would be above-average marks at the MLB level but aren’t top of the scale. Gonzalez had been viewed as more of an OBP-focused hitter entering the season, so even average power would be a major step forward.
Gonzalez was drafted as a shortstop and has continued to play there more than any other position. He has experience at all four infield spots and will likely play alongside Colson Montgomery on the left side of the dirt. Miguel Vargas can move to first base while Murakami is out of action.
Mets Move David Peterson To Bullpen, Sean Manaea To Rotation
The Mets are making a switch in their starting five. Manager Carlos Mendoza told reporters (including Anthony DiComo of MLB.com) that David Peterson will move to the bullpen. Lefty Sean Manaea will pitch every fifth day in his stead, though the Mets haven’t determined whether he’ll be a traditional starter or pitch bulk innings behind an opener.
It’s the second time this season that Peterson has been bumped to relief. He has started seven of 12 outings, though most of his relief appearances have been as the bulk arm. It did seem briefly that Peterson would be a traditional reliever in late April. Injuries to Kodai Senga and Clay Holmes a few weeks later pushed the southpaw back into the rotation.
Peterson hasn’t found his footing this year. He has a 5.52 earned run average over 53 1/3 innings. The strikeout, walk and ground-ball marks aren’t all that bad, but he has been victimized by a .376 average on balls in play. Peterson also got knocked around in the second half of last season. He hasn’t been able to work deep into games and hasn’t shown any signs of consistency. Peterson gave up six runs on 11 hits and three walks over five innings in a loss to the Reds on Tuesday.
It’s rough timing for the impending free agent. Peterson is playing on an $8.1MM arbitration salary. He entered the season as a multi-year deal candidate but now seems to be trending towards a one-year pillow contract. Peterson came up in some trade chatter over the winter and could move in a change of scenery deal before the deadline regardless of whether the Mets are able to pull out of the hole they’ve dug themselves.
Manaea has made all 12 of his appearances this year from the bullpen. His velocity was down during Spring Training, leading the Mets to move him to long relief. The diminished stuff certainly showed up in his April results. Manaea allowed a 6.55 ERA across 22 innings through the first month-plus. He has performed better of late, striking out 15 while giving up six runs (five earned) over his past 12 innings. He tossed three innings of mop-up work behind Peterson on Tuesday, striking out six while allowing one run.
The veteran lefty is still working with his lowest velocity in years. He has found some extra juice of late, though, averaging 91.4 mph on his fastball in May after sitting below 90 in April. He has added two ticks to a sinker that he’s using more frequently of late.
It certainly hasn’t been dominant form. Manaea is still allowing a .292/.375/.354 slash line in his improved last few weeks. At the same time, it’s inarguable that his more recent results have been better than Peterson’s. He’ll probably be on a short leash and could pitch behind a righty opener like Tobias Myers or Huascar Brazobán to stay away from an opponent’s top hitters the first time through the order. Manaea is in the second season of a three-year, $75MM free agent deal. He struggled to a 5.64 ERA in a half-season last year after an oblique strain shelved him into July.
Manaea’s first start or bulk appearance will likely come on Monday in Seattle. Freddy Peralta took the ball tonight in the series opener against the Marlins, a walk-off win. Christian Scott and Nolan McLean will get the next two games. They used a bullpen game for what would’ve been the fifth starter role on Wednesday, with Jonah Tong taking the plurality of the work (3 2/3 innings).
Giants Reassign Third Base Coach Hector Borg
The Giants announced they’ve reassigned third base coach Hector Borg to a different role in player development. Ron Wotus will handle the role on an interim basis while the team searches for a full-time replacement.
Borg, 40, is an organizational lifer who has been employed by the Giants since 2008. He also managed his native Dominican Republic for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. After nearly two decades working with minor leaguers, Borg was promoted to the MLB staff for the first time last offseason. He had no previous ties to first-year skipper Tony Vitello but is clearly highly regarded in the organization.
Unfortunately, Borg’s time as a third base coach was largely unsuccessful. The Giants have had a handful of runners cut down at home or between second and third base this season. Arguably the worst came on Wednesday, when the Diamondbacks easily nabbed Willy Adames at the plate with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Adames represented the tying run in what would turn out to be a 3-2 loss.
The running game as a whole has been a major issue for the Giants. Statcast grades them alongside the Angels as the worst overall baserunning teams in MLB. Their 14 stolen bases are easily the lowest in the league. That certainly doesn’t all fall on one coach, but it’s clear the Giants felt some kind of change was necessary. A third base coach’s responsibilities go far beyond making the send/hold decision during games, so the Giants will keep Borg around in a player development capacity with which he’s previously had success.
Wotus has ample coaching experience under various Giants managers going back to the 1990s. He retired from full-time coaching after the 2021 season and has spent the past four-plus years in a special assistant role. The 65-year-old seemingly doesn’t want to commit to the daily responsibilities of being a permanent coach but will get back in the dugout as a stopgap. Wotus handled third base coaching for a few days last week while Borg was away from the team to attend a family funeral.
Rockies’ Prospect Ethan Holliday To Undergo Season-Ending Foot Surgery
Rockies top shortstop prospect Ethan Holliday has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his left foot, reports Thomas Harding of MLB.com. He’ll undergo surgery that will end his 2026 season.
Holliday, the son of Matt Holliday and younger brother of Jackson Holliday, was the fourth pick in last year’s draft. The pick was not only a chance for the Rox to add the son of one of the best hitters in franchise history. Holliday had entered his draft year as a candidate to go first overall thanks to his huge left-handed power potential. Some swing-and-miss concerns and skepticism about whether he’ll grow out of shortstop dropped him from the #1 pick but not outside the top five.
The 19-year-old struggled in Low-A to close his draft year. Holliday returned to the level for his first full minor league season and sliced his strikeout rate by more than 10 percentage points. He still struck out at a lofty 28.3% clip but popped nine home runs while batting .292/.395/.557 over 152 plate appearances. Baseball America ranks him the top prospect in the Colorado system. He’s 57th on BA’s overall top 100 list, while MLB Pipeline slots Holliday all the way up at #17.
It’s unfortunately the second straight year in which the Rox’s top pick has suffered an injury early the following year. Charlie Condon, who went #3 overall in 2024, suffered a wrist fracture last spring that cost him a couple months. Condon has come back and reached Triple-A. Holliday isn’t going to move as quickly because he was a high school draftee. The Rox could bump him to High-A to begin the 2027 season, as there’s a decent chance he’d have hit his way to that level this summer if not for the injury.
Tigers Place Casey Mize On Injured List
The Tigers placed Casey Mize back on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to May 28, with right adductor inflammation. He’ll be replaced on the active roster by reliever Beau Brieske, who was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. That requires the Tigers to open a spot on the 40-man roster, so they transferred southpaw Brant Hurter to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.
Mize has been plagued by right groin discomfort in what has otherwise been a strong year. The former first overall pick was diagnosed with an adductor strain in late April and missed around three weeks. He returned on May 16 and looked sharp in his first couple starts. Mize was pitching well on Wednesday but forced to make an exit after four innings with what appeared to be a new groin injury.
That’s evidently the case, though it’s encouraging that this diagnosis was due to inflammation rather than another strain. It’s unlikely it’ll be an extended absence, yet it’s surely an annoyance for Mize and the team that he’ll need to miss another couple starts. He has arguably been the team’s most valuable pitcher this year thanks to the Tarik Skubal injury.
Mize carries a 2.27 earned run average with a career-best 26.5% strikeout rate across 47 2/3 frames. He’s certainly pitching well enough to earn a second straight All-Star appearance if he could stay healthy. Mize is also an impending free agent who’ll be one of the top non-Skubal options on the open market. Although a pair of minor groin issues probably aren’t going to be a huge blow to his value, they add to the various injuries Mize has faced throughout his career.
Detroit enters this weekend’s road series against the White Sox with a 22-35 record. They’re tied with the Angels for worst in the American League. Mize’s injury won’t change the rotation plans for this series. Troy Melton, Framber Valdez and Keider Montero were lined up for the three-game set. They’ll need a new starter for Monday’s series opener in Tampa Bay. There’s a decent chance that’ll be Ty Madden, who is eligible to return from a forearm contusion this weekend. Madden worked 4 1/3 innings in a rehab start with Triple-A Toledo on Monday and may only need the one minor league tuneup.
Brieske is back to give skipper A.J. Hinch a nine-man bullpen for the weekend. He has been out all season with a left adductor strain. The 28-year-old righty struggled last year while battling ankle and forearm issues. He was a capable middle innings arm from 2023-24.
Hurter is dealing with lumbar spine inflammation. He just went on the IL over the weekend, meaning this transfer rules him out until the second half of July. The 6’6″ southpaw has worked around middling strikeout and walk numbers to manage a 2.84 ERA across 25 1/3 frames.
Giants Place Tyler Mahle On Injured List
The Giants announced they’ve placed starter Tyler Mahle on the 15-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. The placement, which is retroactive to May 27, opens a spot on the pitching staff for Logan Webb. He returns from the IL to start tonight’s game at Coors Field. San Francisco also activated Jung Hoo Lee from the 10-day IL after optioning fellow outfielder Will Brennan to Triple-A Sacramento last night.
Mahle has had a frustrating year as a $10MM free agent signee. He only has one quality start in his first 11 outings. Mahle has allowed more than six earned runs per nine and has been hit hard in each of his last four times out. He’s striking hitters out at a decent 23% clip, but that belies a modest 8% swinging strike rate. The righty has also given up 11 home runs, a top 10 mark in the National League.
It’s unclear how long Mahle will be sidelined. The injury defers what might’ve been a decision for skipper Tony Vitello on how to handle the starting five. Trevor McDonald has pitched well at the back of the rotation, meaning Mahle and fellow offseason pickup Adrian Houser seemed the better candidates to drop their rotation spot once Webb made it back to the mound.
Webb missed just under three weeks with bursitis in his right knee. Lee, meanwhile, had a minimal stay due to a back strain. He’s in right field tonight against Colorado righty Michael Lorenzen. Rookie outfielder Victor Bericoto was called up when Lee went on the shelf. He’ll stick on the big league roster as a righty-hitting bench bat while the left-handed Brennan goes back to the minors.
Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript
Anthony Franco
- Hey all, hope you're well!
- I've been under the weather all week so going to keep this one right at an hour, let's get it going
NL Central
- I suggested in a previous chat that Nolan Arenado and Wilson Contreras would have the same fate as other hitters leaving STL/Busch, and it was met with skepticism. I had been hurt too often before. Nolan Arenado is running a wRC+ higher than all but one of his seasons in STL. Same for Willson. Is it just Busch or is it the dev team, or the hitting coaches? Seems crazy how often this happens.
Anthony Franco
- Contreras had stretches like this with STL. This is a little above his baseline but he's been a well above-average hitter everywhere he's been
- I think you have more of a case with Arenado's rebound but it's mostly coming at home, where Chase Field definitely plays more hitter-friendly than Busch, and probably has more to do with improved health than anything else
- Interesting debate with how little they've gotten from Gorman if they were better off holding Arenado than giving him away. Felt at the time like everyone needed the clean break, especially with where the organization was going, but you're probably looking at a win or two difference at third base in a season where the Cards are more competitive than they thought they'd be
Mike d
- Thoughts on a trade that would center around Matt McClain and top prospect for Duran? Boston and Cincy players could both use change of scenery.
Anthony Franco
- McLain's not doing anything for me at this point but I wouldn't give up a "top prospect" for Duran so I guess that's the bigger thing
AA
- my braves hit the ground running this year which is rare for my tenure.who do i trade for at the deadline? righty corner OF? starting pitcher? shortstop? bullpen? all seem like options but im ready for the big move. who is it and what will it cost?
-
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Blue Jays’ Joe Mantiply To Undergo Arthroscopic Knee Surgery
Blue Jays southpaw Joe Mantiply will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his injured left knee, manager John Schneider told reporters Thursday (relayed by Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet). The veteran reliever went on the injured list a couple weeks ago with what was initially diagnosed as inflammation.
It seems there’s some damage beyond inflammation that requires a scope to correct. (The Blue Jays didn’t provide specifics on Mantiply’s injury, but arthroscopic knee procedures frequently involve a meniscus or patellar tendon repair.) Schneider didn’t give a return timeline but said the Jays don’t believe it’ll be a season-ending procedure.
Mantiply finished last season in Triple-A in the Toronto system. He returned on a minor league deal midway through Spring Training. The Jays selected him onto the MLB roster a couple weeks into the regular season. Mantiply pitched well before the injury, working to a 2.04 ERA across 17 2/3 innings. He fanned 16 of 71 opponents (22.5%) while issuing only four walks.
The 35-year-old southpaw sits in the 88-89 mph range with his sinker. His arsenal is geared more towards weak contact than whiffs — this year’s league average strikeout rate notwithstanding — and he has mostly pitched in low-leverage spots. His loss is nevertheless a hit to an area in which the Jays were already lacking.
Brendon Little, their projected top left-handed bullpen arm, had a horrible start to the season and has been in Triple-A since early April. He’s missing bats in the minors but walking too many hitters. Mason Fluharty and rookie Adam Macko are the two lefties in the MLB bullpen. Ricky Tiedemann is on the 40-man roster but hasn’t pitched since 2024 due to elbow issues. Although Macko has been sharp over his first six MLB appearances, this figures to be a clear target for the Jays if they’re in position to add at the deadline.
Mantiply is one of 10 pitchers on Toronto’s injured list. Depending on his recovery timeline, he could move to the 60-day IL when they need to open another 40-man roster spot.
Yankees Notes: Bullpen, Lagrange, Catcher
The Yankees are riding a four-game win streak after a convincing road sweep in Kansas City. They’ve improved to 34-22 to pull back within a game and a half of the Rays, who have dropped four straight after being swept in Baltimore.
It’s clear the Yankees will be approaching deadline season as buyers. They’ve built a strong cushion in the Wild Card picture and are probably still the favorites in the division. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic took an early look at New York’s likely deadline approach, writing that the front office figures to be involved in the bullpen and catching markets. Jon Heyman of The New York Post echoes the latter target, reporting that the Yankees will evaluate trade possibilities for a right-handed hitting catcher.
There’s generally a far larger supply of relief pitching than catching at the deadline. Almost every contender will make some kind of bullpen upgrade, even if just in the middle innings. The Yankees were among the most aggressive teams on that front last July, trading for David Bednar, Camilo Doval and Jake Bird. All three pitchers are still around, but none has been as consistent as hoped.
Bednar was at least excellent down the stretch last season. He’s had a rockier go this year in the closer role. He’s a solid 12-14 in save chances but has allowed a 4.70 earned run average across 23 innings. Bednar’s strikeout, chase and ground-ball rates are all excellent. He’s being plagued largely by a .369 average on balls in play that’ll probably come down.
All that said, the Yankees faced a similar question with Devin Williams a year ago. Williams’ results never wound up matching his more encouraging underlying numbers, and the Yankees acquired Bednar to push Williams into a setup role. They could look to follow a similar path this summer depending on Bednar’s numbers over the next two months.
Bird spent most of last season in Triple-A after the trade. He also has better strikeout and ground-ball marks than his ERA would suggest, though he has mostly been effective aside from two poor outings in early April against the Marlins and Angels. Doval’s strikeout rate has plummeted and he’s working in low-leverage spots. Fernando Cruz, Brent Headrick and Bird are all clearly ahead of him in Aaron Boone’s confidence at this point.
Regardless of whether the Yankees target a closer, they at least figure to add an arm in the middle innings. Kuty floated Miami righty Lake Bachar as an under-the-radar pitcher who could generate some deadline buzz, although there’s nothing to suggest the Yankees have targeted him specifically. Bachar has fanned 28% of opponents with a 3.04 ERA across 26 2/3 innings. He’s under club control for five seasons and still two years from qualifying for arbitration.
Among the Yankees’ current bullpen, four pitchers have a minor league option: Cruz, Headrick, Doval and Bird. The first two certainly aren’t going to Triple-A anytime soon. The Yankees already optioned Bird once this year, but they recalled him eight days later. He has pitched 10 innings of three-run ball since coming back up.
They could soon face a question on whether to keep Doval on the MLB roster. He entered the season with four years and 71 days of service. Players with five-plus service years can refuse any minor league assignments. Doval needed 101 days on the MLB roster or injured list to reach that mark. He’s just over a month away from hitting that point, meaning he’d no longer be optionable at the deadline if the Yankees don’t send him down before early July.
If everyone stays healthy, long relievers Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough would be the other candidates to push off the roster. They each have sufficient service time to decline a minor league assignment. Blackburn and Yarbrough have managed decent results but don’t miss bats or have huge stuff, so either could be bumped for a higher-octane arm.
Internally, few pitchers fit that description more than prospect Carlos Lagrange. The 23-year-old righty had an electric Spring Training in which he was routinely in the triple digits. He’s working as a starter in Triple-A, where he’s averaging 99.1 mph on his four-seam fastball. Lagrange is predictably striking out hitters at a near-30% rate, but he has yet to solve longstanding control woes. He has walked more than 12% of opponents and is only averaging a little over four innings per start.
General manager Brian Cashman tells Joel Sherman of The New York Post that the front office has had ongoing discussions about moving Lagrange to the bullpen at some point this season. That wouldn’t close the door on a long-term rotation future — though there are some evaluators who feel Lagrange is ultimately destined for relief — but would be the sensible path for breaking him into MLB this year.
Lagrange doesn’t seem quite ready to be a major league starting pitcher, but his huge stuff could play in relief right away. There’s no room in the rotation right now regardless. The Yankees have an excellent rotation with Gerrit Cole, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, Carlos Rodón and Ryan Weathers. They should get Max Fried back before the deadline. Sherman floats the possibility of eventually moving Weathers to relief to keep an eye on his workload; the southpaw has already surpassed the 56 1/3 innings he threw last season between the Majors and minors with Miami. Clarke Schmidt could also make a second half return from elbow surgery and be a relief option.
As for the catching market, the Yankees have used the left-handed hitting duo of Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra all season. They did that last year as well — Wells, Escarra and Ben Rice took all their catching at-bats from the left side — but they’re not getting the same production. Wells and Escarra have combined for a .185/.280/.263 line that ranks near the bottom of MLB. Rice hasn’t caught all year and seems too valuable at first base/designated hitter to disrupt.
Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers is the top impending free agent catcher. He was off to a monster start but recently suffered a hamate fracture. That required surgery that’ll keep him out until close to the deadline in the best case scenario. Cincinnati’s Tyler Stephenson and the Cubs’ Carson Kelly are also impending free agents but on teams that expect to contend. Pedro Pagés, Christian Vázquez, Jake Rogers and old friend Kyle Higashioka are among the righty-hitting backup types who could be available.
Rangers Release Andrew McCutchen
The Rangers have placed Andrew McCutchen on release waivers, according to the MLB.com transaction log. That was the expectation after he was designated for assignment yesterday to make room for the signing of infielder Nicky Lopez.
Assuming McCutchen goes unclaimed on waivers, he’ll become a free agent. The former MVP can explore all opportunities at that point. The Rangers will remain on the hook for the guarantees in his contract, reportedly a $1.25MM salary. A signing team would pay him the prorated $780K league minimum for any time he spends on the MLB roster, which would be subtracted from the Rangers’ obligations.
McCutchen signed a minor league deal midway through Spring Training. He’d seemingly hoped to return to the Pirates for what would’ve been the fourth season of his late-career second act in the Steel City. The Bucs didn’t appear to reciprocate that interest, and the writing was officially on the wall when Pittsburgh signed Marcell Ozuna to a $12MM free agent deal.
Texas used McCutchen mostly in a short side platoon capacity, splitting his time between DH and the corner outfield. He didn’t hit much, batting .192 with one home run over 83 trips to the plate. McCutchen drew nine walks but fanned 22 times, a 26.5% rate that would be the highest of his career over a full season.
It’s the fourth straight year in which McCutchen’s numbers have declined. The five-time All-Star had been close to a league average bat over 551 plate appearances with the Bucs last season. McCutchen still has an elite understanding of the strike zone but no longer hits for much power.
Although he struggled against pitchers of either handedness in his limited sample with Texas, he hit lefties at a solid .267/.353/.389 clip a year ago. The Rangers themselves have been one of the worst offenses in MLB against left-handed pitching. They evidently weren’t expecting McCutchen to improve that production. The Mariners and Padres are also near the bottom of the league in hitting lefties and are speculative possibilities that could consider him for a bench role.