Guardians Outright Connor Brogdon
The Guardians have sent right-hander Connor Brogdon outright to Triple-A Columbus after passing him through waivers, according to Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. He had the right to elect free agency but has accepted the assignment.
It’s not surprising that Brogdon has waived his right to head to the open market. Players with at least three years of service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of heading to the open market. However, they need at least five years of service to become free agents and keep their salary commitments in tact. Brogdon is making $900K this year and his service is in between three and five years. That makes it understandable that he’s heading to Columbus to keep his paycheck coming.
The Guards took a shot on Brogdon this winter by giving him that $900K deal. He wasn’t coming off a great season, having posted a 5.55 earned run average with the Angels in 2025. The Guards were perhaps looking last that ERA and seeing positive momentum. Brogdon’s fastball velo had ticked up to 95.5 miles per hour, a nice jump from the 92.8 mph he averaged in an injury-marred 2024 campaign. His strikeout rate also leaped from 15.8% to 24.6%.
The gamble didn’t pay off, or at least hasn’t yet. Brogdon tossed 15 1/3 innings out of the Cleveland bullpen before being designated for assignment. His 5.28 ERA was only a marginal improvement over last year. His strikeout rate dropped to 20.9% as his velo dropped slightly to 94.5 mph.
Brogdon is out of options. Since things weren’t going well for him in the big leagues, the Guards bumped him off the 40-man. Since he has accepted his assignment, they can keep him in the system as depth without him using a roster spot. If he gets in a nice groove for the Clippers or the big league club simply needs some fresh arms later in the year, he can be added back to the roster.
Photo courtesy of Scott Marshall, Imagn Images
Reds Outright P.J. Higgins
The Reds have sent catcher P.J. Higgins outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He has the right to elect free agency but it isn’t stated whether or not he will do so.
Higgins, 33, signed a minor league deal with the Reds in the offseason. He was added to the roster in April when Jose Trevino hit the injured list due to a thoracic spine strain. Higgins was optioned to Triple-A later that month when Trevino came off the IL. During few weeks on the active roster, he appeared in six games and stepped to the plate 12 times. He struck out four times, drew one walk and picked up two hits, both singles.
That was the third time he had played in a major league season, though the other two were with the Cubs back in 2021 and 2022. He has a .209/.289/.342 line in 266 big league plate appearances on the whole. He’s generally been considered a decent defender in the minors. At the plate, he has done some good work, with a .273/.346/.405 line at Triple-A dating back to the start of 2021. His Triple-A line is just .133/.364/.133 this year, though in a small sample of 44 plate appearances.
Since Higgins has been outrighted in the past, he has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency. The Reds probably hope that he sticks around or can be re-signed to a new minor league deal. Tyler Stephenson and Trevino are the only two backstops on the 40-man right now, so they’re a bit light on depth to cover for a potential injury to one of those two guys. Will Banfield is in the system on a minor league deal but he has only seven games of big league experience. If Higgins departs, the Reds could look to add depth in other ways. For instance, old friend Austin Wynns was just released by the Athletics.
Photo courtesy of Sam Greene, Imagn Images.
Nationals Sign Alex Young To Minor League Deal
The Nationals have signed left-hander Alex Young to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The client of THE·TEAM has been assigned to the Florida Coast League Nationals for now but will presumably report to Triple-A when he’s ready.
Young will be looking to return to the big leagues for the first time since 2024. Going into 2025, he signed a minor league deal with the Reds. During spring training that year, he suffered an elbow injury and Tommy John surgery seemed possible.
It’s not exactly clear what happened from there. In April of last year, he made a post on his personal Instagram that is no longer available, though he did say he underwent season-ending surgery. Various sources, including Greg Kuffner of YardBarker, relayed the details of that post at the time.
“I never thought I would be in this situation,” Young wrote. “Nor did I think I would ever need surgery. Turns out, I’ve been unknowingly pitching with a distal tear for the past nine years, along with bone fragments being built up over the years. Crazy to think about how much I’ve put my arm through without realizing what was really going on. Definitely not how I wanted to have the 2025 season play out but it’s something I needed to take care of. I’m at peace with it and ready to move on. Surgery went smooth. Thank you to Dr. Meister and his team for giving my elbow a second chance at life. Woke up from anesthesia thinking I was about to throw 100 mph… turns out I was just asking for snacks.”
Prior to this injury odyssey, Young had some success in the majors. From 2019 to 2024, he logged 277 2/3 innings, allowing 4.34 earned runs per nine. He was even better in the latter half of that stretch. From 2022 to 2024, he logged 96 innings with a 3.28 ERA. His 20.5% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate in that span weren’t especially strong but he induced grounders on 50.9% of balls in play.
His current health status is unknown but the Nats are a good landing spot for him. They are rebuilding and have one of the worst bullpens in the league. Their relievers have a collective 4.63 ERA this year, with only five teams higher than that. If Young is able to recover from his surgery and get in good shape, they should be able to find room for him. Everyone in their current bullpen is optionable except for Richard Lovelady.
If Young gets a spot, he himself is out of options. If he finishes the year on the roster, he could be retained via arbitration for 2027, though he has a number of steps to go through before that becomes something worth thinking about.
Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images
MLBTR Podcast: Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Giants trading Patrick Bailey to the Guardians (1:25)
- The Astros losing Carlos Correa to season-ending ankle surgery (18:40)
- The Diamondbacks calling up Ryan Waldschmidt and trading Alek Thomas to the Dodgers (28:05)
- The Mets calling up A.J. Ewing (38:25)
- The Marlins calling up Robby Snelling (42:55)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Are the Tigers struggling due to injuries and will be fine as guys get healthy? Or should fans be more worried? (49:30)
- Which starting pitchers can the Cubs pursue? (53:25)
- When will the Yankees realize they need to upgrade on David Bednar as the closer? (58:20)
Check out our past episodes!
- Skubal’s Injury, The Marlins’ Catchers, Eldridge Called Up, And Volpe Sent Down – listen here
- The Alex Cora Situation, Lucas Giolito Signs, And The Phillies Fire Rob Thomson – listen here
- Kevin McGonigle, The Padres’ Franchise Valuation, And Edwin Díaz To Miss Time – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of David Dermer, Imagn Images
Angels Notes: Pomeranz, Johnson, Peraza, Grissom
The Angels placed left-hander Drew Pomeranz on the 15-day injured list today due to left elbow inflammation. Right-hander Ryan Johnson was reinstated from the IL in a corresponding move.
The Halos haven’t provided many details about the injury to Pomeranz, but it’s notable in light of his history. Ongoing issues with his throwing arm, including multiple surgeries, lead to Pomeranz not pitching in the majors from 2022 to 2024. He had a bounceback season in 2025, posting a 2.17 earned run average over 49 2/3 innings with the Cubs.
That prompted the Halos to sign Pomeranz to a one-year, $4MM deal for the 2026 season. That gambit hasn’t worked out so far, as the 37-year-old has a 7.20 ERA through 15 innings. His 16.7% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate are both significantly worse than last year, when he struck out 28.1% of opponents and only walked 7.4%.
For now, Johnson will apparently take his spot in the bullpen. The Halos have handled Johnson very strangely thus far in his career. He was drafted in the summer of 2024, 74th overall, but didn’t pitch in the minors that year. He then cracked the club’s big league roster to open the 2025 season, despite not having any professional experience. He pitched poorly out of the bullpen for a few weeks before being optioned all the way down to High-A. He finished the year pitching well at that level as a starter.
Here in 2026, he made the big league rotation out of camp but then hit the IL due to a virus after just one start. He recently began a rehab assignment, tossing 3 1/3 innings on May 3rd, followed by five innings on May 8th.
It appears that Johnson is now available out of the big league bullpen. “I see him as a guy that can do both,” manager Kurt Suzuki said to Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “I think if we need him as a starter, we can keep him as a starter. If we need him in the bullpen, he can do that. I think the luxury of having RJ is he can do everything.”
From the outside, it appears to be a bizarrely unconventional approach, something that has cropped up with other pitchers to lesser degrees. Alek Manoah began the season on the IL due to a finger issue. He made one official rehab appearances of 4 1/3 innings at the beginning of May. He was quickly added to the big league roster. His first appearance for the Halos was a single-inning relief outing. The next time out, he tossed five innings of long relief. Grayson Rodriguez, who began the season on the IL due to shoulder inflammation, has made two rehab appearances recently. The first was five innings and the second 4 2/3. He may be quickly reinstated at the big league level for his next appearance.
Those all feel like fairly hasty rehab assignments and activations. If a club were breaking convention and had a strong reputation for being on the cutting edge of analytics, that would be intriguing. The Angels have the opposite reputation, so it feels like they’re just winging things. Considering Manoah and Rodriguez both have extensive injury histories, that doesn’t seem like a prudent approach. The Halos haven’t been good for a while and currently have the worst record in baseball at 16-28, so perhaps they are trying to do anything they can to stop the bleeding.
Yusei Kikuchi is currently on the injured list and will be shut down for a few more weeks. José Soriano is firmly entrenched at the front of the rotation. Reid Detmers, Jack Kochanowicz and Walbert Ureña should have spots behind Soriano for now. Perhaps some combination of Manoah, Rodriguez and Johnson will cover the final spot.
Turning to the position player group, a separate column from Fletcher notes that Vaughn Grissom has been getting some work in left field, with Oswald Peraza to soon join him. Both infielders are hitting well while outfielder Josh Lowe has been struggling. Lowe has a .160/.211/.283 line on the season so far. Some of that is due to a .188 batting average on balls in play but his 5.2% walk rate and 29.6% strikeout rate are also below league average and his own career stats.
Grissom is currently sporting a .264/.353/.431 line while Peraza has a .279/.344/.477 slash. The Angels have Zach Neto at shortstop most days, with Yoán Moncada at third and Nolan Schanuel at first. That leaves Grissom and Peraza battling for playing time at second base, in addition to occasionally spelling the other infielders. Neither player has any professional outfield experience, apart from some brief winter ball action for Grissom. If one or both of them can take to left field, it could provide Suzuki some extra flexibility in setting his ideal lineup.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images
Marlins Place Robby Snelling On IL With UCL Sprain
The Marlins announced that left-hander Robby Snelling has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. Right-hander Pete Fairbanks has been reinstated from the IL in a corresponding move. Snelling had been scheduled to start Thursday’s game. Lefty Braxton Garrett will be recalled to start for the Fish on Thursday.
It’s brutal timing for Snelling and the Marlins. The lefty is one of the top pitching prospects in the league. He started the season in the minors but the club recently decided to shake up their rotation. Just over a week ago, Chris Paddack was designated for assignment. Snelling then came up to take Paddack’s rotation spot. Snelling made his major league debut on Friday, allowing three earned runs over five innings.
Prior to today, there wasn’t any indication that anything was wrong. Manager Clayton McCullough spoke with reporters, including Marlins broadcaster Kyle Sielaff, and said Snelling experienced some discomfort after throwing a between-starts bullpen session. The skipper confirmed that Garrett, who was scratched from his minor league start, would be called up to take the mound in the majors on Thursday.
McCullough didn’t have any more information about Snelling’s status, apart from the fact that the southpaw would be undergoing more testing. UCL sprains are often precursors to major surgeries, such as Tommy John. That’s not always the case, as some pitchers are able to return without surgery, though even those cases involve months of rehab.
It’s obviously very poor timing. Both Snelling and the Marlins hoped his promotion would be the start of a blossoming major league career. Instead, he’s facing a significant injury and potentially a lengthy absence, though time will tell on the specifics. For Snelling personally, the one silver lining is that this injury occurred after his promotion. That means he’ll collect major league pay and service time while he’s on the IL. That would not have been the case if he were injured while still in the minors.
If Snelling does end up requiring surgery, it could be a bitter development for the club. A lengthy surgery rehab could wipe out most of his 2026 and part of his 2027 as well, which would be a decent chunk of the club’s window of control over the lefty. That could also potentially impact the club’s trade plans this summer or in the coming offseason. The club’s knack for developing pitchers has allowed them to continually trade starters for bats and then replace the arms internally. Subtracting Snelling from their rotation depth chart could make that less likely.
For the short term, they will turn to Garrett. It’s unclear if this will be a spot start or if Garrett will stick around, as Marlins could also turn to another prospect in Thomas White. At least for tomorrow, it will be Garrett.
Garrett already has some major league experience under his belt, though it’s been a while. His best season was 2023, when he tossed 159 2/3 innings with a 3.66 earned run average, 23.7% strikeout rate, 4.4% walk rate and 49.1% ground ball rate. Shoulder and forearm injuries limited him to just seven starts in 2024, then UCL surgery wiped out his 2025 campaign entirely.
He has been healthy here in 2026 but the Marlins have been cautious with him. They optioned Garrett to Triple-A Jacksonville at the end of spring training, opting to start the season with Janson Junk in the final rotation spot behind Sandy Alcantara, Eury Pérez, Max Meyer and Paddack.
The Fish have given Garrett a lighter workload, giving him at least six days of rest between each start. He has pitched well with the kid gloves on, tossing 31 1/3 innings over his six outings this year with a 2.30 ERA. His 12.3% walk rate is high but some rust isn’t too surprising after almost two whole missed seasons. He has struck out 26.2% of batters faced while inducing grounders on 53% of balls in play.
The Marlins are one game into a stretch of playing 16 days in a row. If the plan is to keep Garrett in the majors, he’ll need to pitch on a more traditional five-man rotation, unless they try to get creative. They could go for a six-man rotation, deploy some bullpen games or have some other guys make spot starts.
If this isn’t just a one-and-done for Garrett, it will be notable for him from a career perspective. He came into 2026 with his service time count at three years and 168 days, which is just four days shy of the four-year mark. If he had spent all of 2026 on optional assignment, his path to free agency would have been delayed, but even a very brief stint in the majors will keep him on track for free agency after 2028.
As mentioned, it’s possible the Marlins consider involving White in some way. Snelling perhaps got the call first because he’s a bit older and has more Triple-A experience, and because White had been slowed by an oblique strain in spring training, but prospect evaluators rank White ahead of Snelling in terms of his potential future impact. White has recovered from that oblique issue and has been in the Triple-A rotation of late. It’s unclear if he’ll be called up in the immediate future but Snelling’s injury surely increases the odds of him getting the call at some point this year.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Max Fried Departs Game With Elbow Soreness
3:20pm: Fried spoke with reporters, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, after the game. He said he thinks it’ll be a short-term issue and that he is hoping to make his next start.
2:00pm: The Yankees removed starter Max Fried from today’s game after just three innings. It was later announced that he was lifted due to left elbow posterior soreness. He will undergo imaging tomorrow. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic was among those to relay the news.
At this point, it’s too early to know if this is simply a precautionary move or if this will ultimately prove to be a serious issue. Fried does have some elbow issues on his track record, as most pitchers do these days. He had Tommy John surgery way back in 2014, when he was a minor leaguer. In 2023, a forearm strain caused him to miss about three months of the season. In 2024, he had a much briefer IL stint related to his arm, as forearm neuritis put him on the shelf for about two weeks.
It was after that 2024 season that he became a free agent and signed with the Yankees on a huge eight-year, $218MM deal, the largest guarantee ever given to a left-handed pitcher. The deal has been working out great so far. In 2025, the Yankees lost Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery but Fried stepped up as the ace. The southpaw made 32 starts last year with a 2.86 earned run average. He finished fourth in Cy Young voting behind Tarik Skubal, Garrett Crochet and Hunter Brown.
Here in 2026, the Yanks are still waiting for Cole to return. They also began the campaign without Carlos Rodón, who underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow last fall. The Yanks have started the year strong with a 27-16 record. Coming into today, their 3.07 rotation ERA was just a hair behind Atlanta’s 3.06 for best in the majors. Fried has certainly done his part, with a 2.91 ERA coming into today’s game.
The rotation has done so well that the Yankees seemed to be trending towards some tough decisions. Rodón came off the IL a few days ago. Making room for Rodón was fairly easy since Luis Gil had struggled enough to get optioned down to Triple-A. But Cole is also trending towards a return. Between Fried, Rodón, Cam Schlittler, Ryan Weathers and Will Warren, the Yanks had a full rotation.
Rodón hasn’t really had a chance to put up any numbers yet this year but has a strong track record. The other four have all been throwing the ball well, with no one in the group having an ERA above 3.42. Weathers, Warren and Schlittler have options but it would be tough to tell one of them to head down to the farm when they’re pitching so well. Going to the bullpen would arguably be more palatable but still a bit awkward. If Fried ends up needing some time on the IL, the decision would become quite easy, as Cole could just step into Fried’s spot.
That probably wouldn’t happen right away. Cole made his most recent rehab appearance on May 10th and got to five innings pitched but the Yankees have said they expect him to make one or two more rehab appearances after that. Perhaps Fried hitting the IL would make them expedite the process but they probably don’t want to rush anything with a pitcher as important as Cole.
If Fried needs an IL stint and if Cole stays on his rehab for a bit longer, the Yanks will have to figure out a short-term rotation plan. They are off tomorrow but then play 13 days in a row after that. Recalling Gil won’t be an option because he was just shut down in the minors with some shoulder inflammation and won’t throw for three weeks. Elmer Rodríguez and Brendan Beck are on the 40-man and could be recalled. Paul Blackburn and Ryan Yarbrough have starting experience and each pitched multiple innings of relief after Fried departed today, so they could perhaps be part of some kind of patchwork solution.
For the Yanks, the greater concern will be the long term. In an ideal world, they would probably have Cole, Fried, Rodón and Schlittler lined up as an excellent rotation for a playoff series. Hopefully, Fried’s issue proves minor and he can come back in time to make that a reality. Any alternative outcome would be a blow to the club’s season.
Photo courtesy of Mitch Stringer, Imagn Images
Phillies Sign Dylan Carlson To Minor League Deal
The Phillies have signed outfielder Dylan Carlson to a minor league deal, reports Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia. The ALIGND Sports Agency client will report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He was with the Cubs on a minor league deal earlier this month but was released from that pact.
Carlson, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in January. He cracked the Opening Day roster while Seiya Suzuki was on the injured list. Carlson didn’t get a hit in four plate appearances then was designated for assignment when Suzuki was activated off the IL in April. Carlson cleared waivers and elected free agency, then re-signed on a new minor league deal. He hit .175/.250/.350 in 44 Triple-A plate appearances before being released.
Once upon a time, Carlson looked like a potential building block for the Cardinals. He was selected 33rd overall in 2016 and became a notable prospect. He hit 18 home runs in 2021 while playing all three outfield positions. Unfortunately, his offensive production has tailed off and he has become a journeyman depth guy. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has played for the Cardinals, Rays, Orioles and Cubs while hitting .204/.280/.303.
For the Phillies, there’s little harm in adding some depth on a minor league deal. They have Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford and Adolis García getting regular playing time in the majors. They have Edmundo Sosa and Félix Reyes on the bench, though those two have spent more time as infielders than outfielders. Johan Rojas would have been in the mix but he received an 80-game PED suspension back in March.
If someone on the major league roster suffers an injury, the Phils could turn to Carlson, though they will have other options. Steward Berroa and Gabriel Rincones Jr. are on the 40-man roster, as are infield/outfield guys like Otto Kemp and Christian Cairo. The Phils also have non-roster options like Bryan De La Cruz and Pedro León. For now, Carlson will report to the IronPigs and try to get in a good groove.
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images
Yankees Place José Caballero On IL, Recall Anthony Volpe
3:55pm: The Yankees have now officially announced the moves, listing Caballero’s injury as a right middle finger fracture. Manager Aaron Boone tells reporters, including Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, that Caballero could be back after a minimum stint and that he expects Caballero to be the club’s starting shortstop at that time.
2:35pm: The Yankees are placing infielder José Caballero on the ten-day injured list with a finger injury. Shortstop Anthony Volpe will be recalled as the corresponding move. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR first reported on Volpe’s recall. Jorge Castillo of ESPN confirmed that Caballero would be placed on the IL.
Though Max Schuemann is the starting shortstop today, Volpe will presumably take over as the club’s regular at that spot with Caballero on the shelf. That was the way things were supposed to play out earlier this year. Volpe was the Yankee shortstop from 2023 through 2025. Volpe required shoulder surgery in October of last year and was going to begin the 2026 season on the IL. The Yankees planned to have Caballero, who had mostly been a utility player, hold down the position until Volpe was healthy.
But the plans seemed to change as Caballero played well and Volpe didn’t storm out of the gates after getting back on the field. Caballero has produced a .259/.320/.400 line this year, good enough for a 105 wRC+. He has also received strong grades for his defense and stolen 13 bases.
The Yanks decided to ride the hot hand and stick with Caballero. Volpe had begun a rehab assignment in mid-April. Rehab assignments for position players come with a 20-day maximum. When Volpe’s 20 days were up a little over a week ago, the Yanks optioned him to Triple-A for more reps. Caballero hurt his finger sliding into a base this week. It’s unclear how much time he is expected to miss but it will lead to Volpe getting back to the majors.
Perhaps it will be a chance for Volpe to re-cement himself as the club’s shortstop, something that has become a bit more cloudy lately. He made the club’s Opening Day roster in 2023 just before his 22nd birthday. He hit 21 home runs, stole 24 bases and got good grades for his defense. Despite the home runs, his overall offense was subpar. He slashed .209/.283/.383 for a wRC+ of 83. But that was held back by a .259 batting average on balls in play. Given his youth and poor luck, it was fair to expect growth.
That hasn’t played out, unfortunately. Volpe slashed .229/.283/.377 over 2024 and 2025, translating to a wRC+ of 85. In 18 minor league games this year, he has a .221/.276/.294 line and 52 wRC+. After undergoing shoulder surgery, a bit of rust is perhaps not surprising but it’s continuing a trend of subpar offense.
The Yankees are 26-16 while most American League clubs are below .500, so they should be fine even if Volpe struggles in the next few weeks. There may be long-term implications, however. George Lombard Jr. is one of the club’s top prospects and has reached Triple-A, so he could be pushing for a big league promotion at some point. There’s also the fact that second baseman Jazz Chisholm Jr. is an impending free agent.
With a few things up in the air when it comes to the middle infield, the Yankees will eventually have to make some decisions about the way forward. Volpe has a full slate of options and could be sent back down in the future but the Yankees would also like it if he performs well enough to stick around.
For Volpe’s earning power, the quick recall is potentially significant. He came into this year with exactly three years of big league service time. He continued racking up service days while on the IL but that clock stopped when he was optioned. It will now start ticking again.
The big league season is 187 days long but a player only needs 172 days of service to be credited with a full year. Since Volpe was only optioned on May 3rd, nine days ago, he could still get to the four-year mark if he stays up for the rest of the year. Though if he’s optioned again and ends up short of that four-year line, his path to free agency will be delayed by a year.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
Sean Murphy To Miss Eight Weeks With Finger Fracture
3:35pm: Murphy will miss at least eight weeks due to his fracture, Weiss tells Jesús Cano of The Athletic.
12:08pm: The Braves announced that catcher Sean Murphy has been placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to May 11th, with a fractured left middle finger. Fellow catcher Sandy León was signed to a big league deal to replace Murphy on the roster. The club also selected the contract of outfielder José Azócar and optioned infielder Jim Jarvis. They had two 40-man vacancies, which have now been filled by these moves.
Murphy’s injury appears to stem from a catcher’s interference plan in Sunday’s game. Hyeseong Kim swung at a pitch and made contact with Murphy’s glove, as seen in this video from MLB.com. After the game, manager Walt Weiss told Mark Bowman of MLB.com that Murphy would be going for X-rays but would probably be fine. It now seems that a fracture has been discovered, so Murphy will head to the IL.
It’s unclear how long Murphy will be out of action but it’s a frustrating setback nonetheless. Injuries have been a recurring theme for him in recent seasons. He was limited to fewer than 95 games in both 2024 and 2025 due to various ailments. One persistent issue has been hip problems, which eventually led to surgery in September of last year. He was rehabbing from that surgery until about a week ago. Now after just four games, he’s back on the shelf.
While Murphy was on the IL earlier, Atlanta used a catching tandem of Drake Baldwin and Jonah Heim. When Murphy was reinstated earlier this month, Heim was designated for assignment and then traded to the Athletics. Atlanta still has Baldwin but now has no Heim and will be without Murphy for a while, so they had to get a bit creative in finding a new backup.
León, 37, is a glove-first veteran journeyman. He began this year with Triple-A Gwinnett but slashed .118/.268/.118 in ten games and was released. He then signed with the Saraperos de Saltillo in the Mexican League. He got into ten games for that club, hitting .143/.273/.143, before Atlanta came calling again.
It’s not likely that León will provide much with the bat. He has a career line of .207/.275/.311. From 2017 to the present, it’s an even slimmer .187/.256/.289 line. But he has nonetheless been able to carve out a lengthy career due to his strong reputation when it comes to the other facets of being a catcher, namely his defense.
He’ll back up Baldwin while Murphy is on the shelf. The club also has Jair Camargo and Chadwick Tromp in the system on minor league deals. They may keep their eyes out for external options. For instance, Austin Wynns was designated for assignment by the A’s last week and is still in DFA limbo.
Azócar, 30, was added to the roster for a few days earlier this month. Atlanta bumped him off when they called up Jarvis about a week ago. Azócar cleared waivers but quickly returned to the club on a new minor league deal and is now back on the big league roster. Since Jarvis is being sent out, it’s effectively a reversal of the transaction from last week.
Presumably, that quick change is due to developments elsewhere in the position player mix. Yesterday, the club reinstated infielder Ha-Seong Kim from the IL. In a corresponding move, outfielder Eli White hit the concussion IL. Kim’s return meant that they effectively had three bench infielders in Jorge Mateo, Kyle Farmer and Jarvis. Meanwhile, White’s IL placement left them shorthanded in the outfield.
Azócar has only hit .243/.288/.318 in his career but is a strong defender and baserunner. With Ronald Acuña Jr. on the IL, Atlanta should have a regular outfield of Mike Yastrzemski, Michael Harris II and Mauricio Dubón, with Azócar backing up that group. Azócar is out of options, which could potentially lead to him being designated for assignment again when guys come off the IL.
Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images