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Rockies Select Dakota Hudson, DFA Chasen Shreve

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2024 at 6:25pm CDT

The Rockies have selected the contract of right-hander Dakota Hudson from Triple-A Albuquerque, the team announced. In a corresponding move, left-hander Chasen Shreve has been designated for assignment.

Hudson, 29, accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A earlier this season. He signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract with Colorado this past winter, but following a poor performance over his first 17 starts (career-worst 5.84 ERA, 5.61 SIERA, and 12.3% strikeout rate), he was designated for assignment in early July. After he passed through waivers unclaimed, the Rockies sent him outright to the Albuquerque Isotopes.

Through three starts with the Isotopes, Hudson has given up 14 runs (12 earned) in 11 1/3 innings. He has 10 strikeouts, four walks, and a .360 batting average against. His most recent outing against the Las Vegas Aviators was especially brutal; he lasted just 2 2/3 innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) on seven hits while striking out only two. Nevertheless, the Rockies have selected his contract, and he will start tonight’s contest against the Braves at Coors Field (per Patrick Lyons of Just Baseball).

Lyons reported yesterday that Hudson would be starting today in place of Cal Quantrill, who is dealing with some “general forearm soreness.” The team has pushed back his next outing indefinitely (per Lyons). Presuming Quantrill is ready to get back on the mound within a few days, Hudson will, most likely, remain in the rotation until Ryan Feltner returns from the 15-day IL. Feltner landed on the injured list on Thursday with a right shoulder strain, but his recent MRI came back clean, and he could return as soon as his minimum 15 days on the IL are up (per Lyons). That should mean at least two more starts for Hudson after tonight. While he has struggled this season, Hudson is only two years removed from a solid 2022 campaign with the Cardinals, when he pitched to a 4.45 ERA and 5.11 SIERA over 139 2/3 innings. Those aren’t excellent numbers by any means, but all the Rockies need right now is an innings eater.

Shreve, 34, has pitched in the majors every year since 2014, appearing for the Braves, Yankees, Cardinals, Mets, Pirates, Tigers, Reds, and, most recently, the Rockies. He has a 3.96 ERA and 3.87 SIERA across 368 career appearances, mostly as a lower-leverage reliever. Despite his serviceable performance in 2023 (4.63 ERA, 3.77 SIERA in 50 games), the veteran southpaw could only land a minor league contract from the Rangers this winter. Texas released him in May, re-signed him, and then released him again in June. Following that, he signed a minor deal with the Yankees, only to be released again in August. After inking a minor league pact with the Rockies earlier this month, Shreve finally made it back to the majors. He made one brief appearance for Colorado on Wednesday, tossing a scoreless inning against the Mets. He will now be placed on waivers, and if he goes unclaimed, he could opt to return to free agency and seek an opportunity with his fourth organization of the season.

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Colorado Rockies Transactions Chasen Shreve Dakota Hudson

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Blue Jays Claim Luis Frías Off Of Waivers From Diamondbacks

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2024 at 5:20pm CDT

The Blue Jays have claimed Luis Frías off of waivers from the Diamondbacks, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. Arizona designated the right-hander for assignment on Thursday to make room for catcher Andrew Knizner on the 40-man roster. As Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet first noted, Frías will report to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto had two open spots on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary.

Frías has spent his entire career in the Diamondbacks organization; he signed with Arizona as a 17-year-old international free agent in 2015. The righty made his MLB debut in 2021, and since then, he has pitched 57 2/3 big league innings with a 6.55 ERA and 5.42 SIERA. He throws hard, averaging close to 96 mph on his four-seam fastball, but he has struggled to induce enough strikeouts at the MLB level. What’s more, he has walked 43 of the 276 batters he has faced; his 15.6% career walk rate is barely lower than his 18.1% career strikeout rate. Unfortunately, his numbers at Triple-A Reno aren’t much better. He has a 4.88 ERA and 6.32 FIP this season in 24 innings pitched. Throughout his career, he has a 4.26 ERA over 124 2/3 innings with the Reno Aces.

All that said, Frías is still just 26 years old, and he was once a relatively well-regarded prospect. Before he graduated from prospect status during the 2022 season, FanGraphs ranked him as the No. 12 prospect in the D-backs system, while Baseball America and Keith Law of The Athletic had him at No. 17. Baseball America ranked him as highly as No. 8 ahead of the 2020 campaign, writing “He could be a force in the rotation if it all clicks. Otherwise, his path might lead him to a high-leverage relief role.” While his days as a starting pitcher are likely all in the past, the Blue Jays must be hoping Frías still has a future as a big league reliever. He’ll provide some extra depth for their bullpen this year, which ranks last in the AL in ERA and second-last in SIERA. As for next year, he’ll be out of options, so Toronto will either need to add him to the Opening Day roster or designate him for assignment.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Toronto Blue Jays Transactions Luis Frias

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Reds Activate Emilio Pagán From 60-Day IL

By Leo Morgenstern | August 10, 2024 at 4:51pm CDT

The Reds have activated Emilio Pagán from the 60-day injured list, the team announced today. To free up a spot on the active roster, Yosver Zulueta was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. The team had two open spaces on the 40-man roster, so no additional corresponding move was necessary.

Pagán, 33, signed a two-year, $16MM contract with the Reds this past offseason. Before reaching free agency, he spent the first seven seasons of his career pitching for the Mariners, Athletics, Rays, Padres, and Twins. Despite being traded four times in less than five years, Pagán put up solid numbers, pitching to a 3.71 ERA and 3.39 SIERA across 369 appearances. What’s more, although he compiled 22 wins, 32 saves, and 60 holds – and a 1.80 ERA in 11 postseason appearances – his most impressive accomplishment in that time was, perhaps, his durability. From 2017-23, he only took one trip to the injured list: a brief stint on the 10-day IL with right biceps inflammation in 2020. He pitched at least 50 innings in every full season. Only five players threw more innings in relief over those seven years: Raisel Iglesias, Héctor Neris, Miguel Castro, Adam Ottavino, and Kenley Jansen.

Unfortunately, the injury bug finally caught up to Pagán in his first season with Cincinnati. The veteran righty landed on the IL with a right lat strain in mid-June, and he was transferred to the 60-day IL later that month.

Results-wise, Pagán has had his ups and downs throughout his career. He put up a strong performance in his walk year last season, tossing 69 1/3 innings for Minnesota with a 2.99 ERA. Yet, there were warning signs that his success wasn’t entirely sustainable. His 23.8% strikeout rate was a career-low, his 5.3% HR/FB was well below his career average, and his 4.01 SIERA was more than a full run higher than his ERA. Nonetheless, he managed to secure a $16MM guarantee from the Reds. He is making an $8MM salary this season, and he has an $8MM player option for 2025.

Pagán looked solid but unspectacular over his first 22 appearances with Cincinnati. His strikeout rate climbed back up to 29.9%, but his home run rate jumped up too; he gave up four long balls in just 22 games. His 3.06 SIERA is a marked improvement from last season, but his 4.43 ERA is not. Most concerningly, his velocity is down by at least one and a half miles per hour on all three of his pitches (a four-seam fastball, a cutter, and a splitter). He has also allowed hard-hit balls (95+ mph EV) at the highest rate of his career. Then again, his SIERA, xERA, and xFIP are all significantly better than the league average, and pitch modeling systems like Stuff+ and PitchingBot agree that Pagán remains an above-average arm. Ultimately, what this tells us is that 20 1/3 innings is a pretty small sample size with which to evaluate a pitcher. With seven weeks remaining in the season, it will be interesting to see if Pagán performs well enough that he might choose to reject his player option this offseason and return to free agency.

Cincinnati has had one of the better bullpens in baseball all season, and Nick Krall bolstered that group with Jakob Junis at the trade deadline. Even so, the Reds will need all the help they can get if they want to stay alive in the NL Wild Card race; they’re currently five games back of the third Wild Card spot, with six teams standing in their way.

The Reds claimed Zulueta off of waivers from the Blue Jays on Opening Day, and he made his MLB debut with Cincinnati in late June. The 26-year-old has already been recalled and optioned several times this season, pitching to a 3.09 ERA and 3.63 SIERA over eight low-leverage appearances. He will return to the Louisville Bats, with whom he has pitched 40 1/3 innings this year with a 2.23 ERA and 3.24 FIP.

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Cincinnati Reds Transactions Emilio Pagan Yosver Zulueta

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Dodgers Release Cavan Biggio

By Leo Morgenstern | August 9, 2024 at 9:00am CDT

Aug. 9: The Dodgers have released Biggio, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com.

Aug. 5: The Dodgers have reinstated Freddie Freeman from the restricted list and designated Cavan Biggio for assignment, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Biggio joined the Dodgers organization in a June trade with the Blue Jays. Over 3o games with L.A., he hit .192/.306/.329 with a paltry .635 OPS and 88 wRC+. The 29-year-old logged most of his playing time at third base, but he took over duties at first base while Freeman was away from the team.

Freeman went on the family emergency list when his son was hospitalized in late July. The first baseman was later transferred to the restricted list as a formality; players can only stay on the family emergency list for a maximum of seven days. Thankfully, his son has been discharged from the hospital and returned home (per Chelsea Freeman on Instagram). Freeman will make his return to the Dodgers lineup in tonight’s game against the Phillies.

The Dodgers already had an open spot on their 40-man roster, but they needed to free up a spot on the active roster to reinstate Freeman. Given Biggio’s poor performance with L.A. and the team’s recent acquisition of another utility player (Amed Rosario) and another left-handed hitter (Kevin Kiermaier) for the bench, it was little surprise that Biggio was the odd man out. Moreover, Ardaya notes that the Dodgers are also hoping to activate shortstop Miguel Rojas from the 10-day IL at some point in the coming days. He, too, will require a spot on the active roster.

If another team claims Biggio off of waivers, they will take responsibility for the small portion of his 2024 salary that is still on the Dodgers’ books; the Blue Jays took on a significant amount of his remaining salary as part of their trade with the Dodgers in June. He is making $4.21MM this season in his second year of arbitration eligibility. If he goes unclaimed, the Dodgers can attempt to send him outright to the minor leagues, but as a player with more than five years of MLB service time, Biggio would have the right to reject the assignment without forfeiting any salary.

In additional Dodgers news, Ardaya reports that the team is planning to activate one of Brusdar Graterol or Michael Grove from the IL “as soon as tonight.” Grove, 27, has been on the 15-day IL since mid-June with an intercostal strain. He has a 5.06 ERA (but a 2.97 SIERA) in 37 1/3 innings pitched this season. Graterol, 25, has been out all season with a shoulder injury. He is on the 60-day IL, so he is not currently taking up a spot on the 40-man roster. However, the Dodgers already had an open 40-man spot before they activated Freeman and DFA’d Biggio, so they would only need to free up a spot on the 26-man roster to activate Graterol.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Cavan Biggio Freddie Freeman

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The Opener: Miller, Freeland, Doubleheaders

By Leo Morgenstern | August 7, 2024 at 8:26am CDT

Here are three things we’ll be watching around baseball today:

1. A’s to activate Mason Miller:

After missing a couple of weeks with a broken pinky finger in his non-pitching hand, Athletics closer Mason Miller will return to the club’s bullpen tonight. Manager Mark Kotsay shared the news with reporters yesterday (including Jessica Kleinschmidt). Kleinschmidt noted on Monday that Kotsay himself stepped in to face Miller in live batting practice, and the young hurler reportedly felt great.

The A’s have been playing surprisingly well as of late, but they’ll surely be glad to have their closer back in the fold. The team went 10-6 in July before Miller’s injury, and they have gone 7-6 since. Miller has been, arguably, the most dominant reliever in baseball this season, with a 2.21 ERA and 1.67 SIERA in 40 2/3 innings pitched.

2. Kyle Freeland exits with blister on pitching hand:

Rockies starter Kyle Freeland exited in the fifth inning of last night’s contest against the Mets. After the game, he explained to reporters that he developed a blister in the fourth, and it became a problem in the fifth, causing too much discomfort for him to throw his curveball properly. The southpaw was unable to say if he thinks the blister will affect his next start; he has dealt with blisters in the past, but “this one got pretty big on [him]” (video on X via Christian Saez of DNVR).

While a blister does not sound like a particularly serious injury, it’s not unheard of for a pitcher to require an IL stint while a blister heals. The Rockies, who already have one of the worst pitching staffs in baseball by almost every metric, will be in an even worse position if Freeland misses a few starts. Freeland has a 5.65 ERA but a career-best 4.24 SIERA in 12 outings this season.

3. Two doubleheaders on the docket:

Fans will get a little extra baseball today, with 17 games on the schedule. After a couple of rainouts on Tuesday, there will be two doubleheaders this afternoon and evening. The Guardians and Diamondbacks will kick things off at 12:10 PM CT, with Brandon Pfaadt set to take the mound for Arizona against Cleveland’s Ben Lively. In game two, Eduardo Rodriguez will make his 2024 (and his Diamondbacks) debut, while Carlos Carrasco will take the ball for the Guardians. The Guardians will look to slow down a red-hot D-backs team that has not lost a series since June. Meanwhile, with a pair of wins (and a Padres loss), the Diamondbacks could move into sole possession of the top NL Wild Card spot.

The Yankees and Angels will play the second doubleheader of the day, with game one starting at 3:05 PM CT. Luis Gil of the Yankees is lined up to face Davis Daniel of the Angels. In game two, New York will send Will Warren to the hill against L.A.’s Carson Fulmer. The Yankees are hoping to hold onto sole possession of first place in the AL East, which they reclaimed when the Orioles lost to the Blue Jays on Tuesday.

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The Opener

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The Opener: Mahle, Moreno, Rasmussen, MLBTR Chat

By Leo Morgenstern | August 6, 2024 at 8:46am CDT

With a full slate of games on the schedule tonight, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around baseball:

1. Tyler Mahle to make his 2024 debut:

The Rangers are planning to activate Tyler Mahle from the 60-day IL to start tonight’s game against the Astros (per Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News). It will be Mahle’s first start of the 2024 season and his first start since signing a two-year, $22MM deal with Texas during the offseason. The right-hander underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, so the Rangers knew they wouldn’t have him for most of the 2024 season when they signed him this winter. Now, he is returning just in time to help the team attempt an unlikely comeback over the final two months of the season. The Rangers are five games back in the AL West and 8.5 games back in the Wild Card race, but with Mahle getting back on the mound (and Jacob deGrom soon to follow), this team is still hoping to contend.

Texas has an open spot in the rotation after placing Max Scherzer and Jon Gray on the IL last week and trading Michael Lorenzen ahead of the deadline. However, the club will need to make corresponding moves to open up space for Mahle on the 40 and 26-man rosters.

2. Gabriel Moreno suffers groin strain:

Diamondbacks catcher Gabriel Moreno exited yesterday’s game against the Guardians after hurting himself running out an infield single. The team later described the injury as a “strained left groin.” While the D-backs have not yet discussed the severity of the strain, it certainly didn’t look good on Monday, as Moreno fell to the ground in pain. He later got up with a trainer’s assistance and limped off the field. Presumably, Arizona will provide an update on his condition ahead of today’s game, which begins at 5:40 pm CT at Progressive Field.

The Diamondbacks have the best record in baseball since the beginning of July, and Moreno has played a big part in their recent success. In 97 plate appearances since coming back from a brief stint on the IL (sprained left thumb) on July 2, he is slashing .333/.412/.476 with a 152 wRC+, all while providing his consistently excellent defense behind the plate. If he misses time, backup Jose Herrera will most likely fill in as the regular catcher, and the D-backs will need to add another backstop to the 40-man roster – perhaps Ronaldo Hernández or Adrian Del Castillo – to take over as the backup.

3. Drew Rasmussen to join Rays bullpen:

Drew Rasmussen is expected to rejoin the Rays either today or tomorrow, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Although he had success as a starter with Tampa Bay from 2021-23, Rasmussen will work as a multi-inning relief pitcher upon his return. Needless to say, the Rays are planning to exercise caution with the 29-year-old, who has undergone three elbow surgeries since 2016. He had Tommy John surgery twice in college and underwent a hybrid internal brace procedure last summer. Very few pitchers have ever worked their way back from three major elbow procedures, but Rasmussen is looking to defy the odds. He will take his next step toward that goal when he returns to the Rays this week.

The Rays already have two open spots on their 40-man roster, so they will only need to clear a space on the active roster before they activate Rasmussen.

4. MLBTR chat today:

The trade deadline is squarely in the rearview mirror, and the post-deadline push for the 2024 postseason is underway. If you have questions about your favorite team’s deadline activity (or lack thereof), its offseason direction or anything else pertaining to the final third of the season, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

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The Opener

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Dodgers Activate Brusdar Graterol, Place Blake Treinen On IL

By Leo Morgenstern | August 6, 2024 at 7:18am CDT

Today: Following last night’s game, Roberts told Ardaya that Treinen felt a problem in his hip after his appearance on Sunday against the Athletics. It likely isn’t serious, however, and Treinen could return to the team as soon as his minimum 15 days on the IL are up.

August 5: The Dodgers activated right-handed pitcher Brusdar Graterol from the 60-day injured list ahead of tonight’s game against the Phillies, the team announced. To make room on the active roster, the club placed fellow right-handed reliever Blake Treinen on the 15-day IL with left hip discomfort. The Dodgers already had an open spot for Graterol on their 40-man roster.

Graterol and Treinen both wound up on the IL in spring training, but while Treinen returned to the field in May, Graterol has been out all year. His injury was initially described as hip tightness and inflammation in his throwing shoulder, but seemingly, the shoulder issue was the bigger problem. He started throwing off a mound again in early April, but the Dodgers shut down his throwing program a few weeks later because his arm wasn’t bouncing back as well as they might have hoped. After that, the team seems to have decided to take things particularly slow with the young flamethrower. Graterol started throwing bullpen sessions in mid-June and began his minor league rehab assignment in mid-July. After eight rehab appearances, he is back in Dodgers blue for the first time this season.

After coming over from the Twins in 2020 as part of the package for Kenta Maeda, Graterol slowly became a key player in the Dodgers’ bullpen. He was an especially important piece for manager Dave Roberts from 2022-23, pitching to a 2.08 ERA and 3.06 SIERA in 114 games. Often serving as a set-up man for closers Craig Kimbrel and Evan Phillips, he led the team with 29 holds and ranked second among Dodgers relievers in Win Probability Added over those two years. Across his four seasons with the Dodgers, he has also made 21 appearances in the playoffs, pitching to a 1.71 ERA and 2.52 FIP.

Still just 25 years old, Graterol is making $2.7MM this season in his first year of arbitration eligibility. He is set to reach free agency following the 2026 campaign.

Treinen, 36, had been enjoying a triumphant comeback campaign after missing most of the 2022 and ’23 seasons with a shoulder injury. In 34 appearances, the righty has pitched to a 2.67 ERA and a 2.81 SIERA. His fastball velocity is down about three miles per hour, but his 30.6% strikeout rate is the highest it’s been since his All-Star season in 2018. That has a lot to do with his slider, which has been one of the best whiff-inducing pitches in baseball this season. Thus, Roberts has given Treinen the ball in plenty of high-leverage spots; no Dodgers pitcher has a higher average leverage index when entering games in 2024 (per FanGraphs).

It is unclear how serious Treinen’s injury is or how much time he will miss. However, if Graterol picks up where he left off in 2023, the Dodgers will have no trouble replacing Treinen’s production at the back end of the bullpen. What’s more, right-hander Michael Grove is also nearing his return from the injured list, which will give L.A. another right-handed option for the bullpen.

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Los Angeles Dodgers Transactions Blake Treinen Brusdar Graterol

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Rangers Sign Chase Anderson To Minor League Deal

By Leo Morgenstern | August 5, 2024 at 11:22pm CDT

The Rangers have signed Chase Anderson to a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He was released by the Red Sox earlier this month.

Anderson, 36, signed a minor league deal with the Pirates during the 2023-24 offseason. He was released shortly before Opening Day, and not long after, he signed a major league deal with the Red Sox worth $1.25MM guaranteed. Primarily a starter throughout his career, the veteran right-hander joined Boston’s bullpen as a multi-inning arm. Over 27 games, he tossed 52 innings, pitching to a 4.85 ERA and 4.92 SIERA. Despite his move to a full-time bullpen role, his velocity was not meaningfully higher on any of his pitches, and his 15.6% strikeout rate was the lowest of his career. Ultimately, Anderson was a serviceable mop-up arm but not much more for the Red Sox. As they bolstered their bullpen at the trade deadline, they no longer had room for him on the roster.

Over 11 MLB seasons, Anderson has suited up for eight different clubs: the Diamondbacks, Brewers, Blue Jays, Phillies, Reds, Rays, Rockies, and Red Sox. He has also spent time with the Rangers, Tigers, and Pirates organizations, although he did not pitch for their big league clubs. If his second stint with Texas is more successful than the first, the Rangers will become the ninth team he has played for in his big league career.

As for the Rangers, there’s no such thing as too much pitching, and this team could surely use some veteran bullpen depth. Aside from those on the active roster, Texas does not have many healthy relievers in the organization with significant big league experience and any amount of recent big league success. If the Rangers select Anderson’s contract, they will only owe him a prorated portion of the minimum salary for however long he remains on the roster. The Red Sox are still responsible for the rest of his guaranteed 2024 salary.

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Texas Rangers Transactions Chase Anderson

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Phillies Sign Ryan McKenna To Minor League Deal

By Leo Morgenstern | August 5, 2024 at 10:29pm CDT

The Phillies have signed Ryan McKenna to a minor league contract, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The outfielder was recently released by the Giants, who claimed him off of waivers from the Orioles in May. He will report to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

McKenna, 27, made his MLB debut with the Orioles in 2021, six years after the team selected him in the fourth round of the 2015 draft. Across 284 games and 508 plate appearances with Baltimore from 2021-23, McKenna slashed .221/.299/.318 with a 75 wRC+. While his bat was underwhelming, he stole eight bases on nine attempts thanks to well-above-average sprint speed. He also provided 7 OAA with his glove while spending time at all three outfield positions. Ultimately, however, he could never secure a full-time position with the big league club, and the Orioles shuttled him back and forth between Baltimore and Triple-A Norfolk several times each year.

Out of options in 2024, McKenna was designated for assignment on Opening Day and sent outright back to the Norfolk Tides. The Orioles selected his contract less than a month later, but despite his impressive performance in a brief stint with the club (3-for-8 with two home runs), he was DFA’d again in mid-May. The Giants claimed him off of waivers, but his cup of coffee with San Francisco wasn’t nearly as productive; McKenna went o-for-6 over four games before the Giants, too, designated him for assignment. This time, however, he passed through waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A. Unfortunately, things continued to go downhill for McKenna after that. He missed some time with an injury, and when he was healthy, he hit just .227/.308/.348 with a 62 wRC+ for the Sacramento River Cats. He played his last game in the organization on August 1.

McKenna will provide the Phillies with a bit of additional outfield depth at Triple-A. His ability to play all three outfield positions could make him an asset on the bench in case of an injury.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Ryan McKenna

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Reds Outright Eric Yang

By Leo Morgenstern | August 5, 2024 at 8:46pm CDT

The Reds have sent Eric Yang outright to Triple-A Louisville, according to his transaction log on MLB.com. The team selected his contract last Monday, and the catcher made his MLB debut two days later. He was optioned back to Triple-A on Friday and, evidently, removed from the 40-man roster at some point between then and today. There was no prior indication he had been designated for assignment. Yang does not have the right to reject an outright assignment, so he will remain with Louisville.

Now 26, Yang joined the Reds organization at 21 when the club selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 draft. The UC Santa Barbara alum quickly made a strong impression, batting .290 with an 11.0% walk rate and a 135 wRC+ across 51 games of Rookie ball during his first professional season. He was not a highly-regarded prospect across the industry, but Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked him among his top 30 Reds prospects in 2020. That same year, Keith Law of The Athletic included Yang among the “others of note” below his top 20 Reds prospects, describing him as “a solid catch-and-throw guy who rarely struck out in college.”

Following the canceled minor league season in 2020, Yang began to rise up the ranks in the Reds organization. He played for the High-A Dayton Dragons in 2021, and since then, he has bounced back and forth between the Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts and Triple-A Louisville Bats. According to Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer, Yang developed a reputation in the system as a catcher who builds great relationships with his pitchers. However, he failed to make much of an impression with the bat at any of those three levels, producing a .613 OPS and 76 wRC+ across 192 minor league games from 2021-24.

Nonetheless, Yang earned his first call to the show last week as a roster replacement for veteran backstop Austin Wynns, who suffered a teres major tear in his right shoulder. Wynns himself was only on the MLB roster as a replacement for Luke Maile, who landed on the IL earlier in July with a herniated disc in his back. Thus, the Reds optioned Yang back to Triple-A when they reinstated Maile on Friday. Presumably, they decided they did not need to carry four catchers on the 40-man roster, so they must have designated Yang for assignment shortly thereafter.

Yang made it into one game during his brief stint with the Reds, pinch-hitting for Tyler Stephenson in the ninth inning of a blowout loss to the Cubs on July 31. He struck out swinging against Cubs righty Porter Hodge.

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Cincinnati Reds Transactions Eric Yang

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    Latest On Rockies’ Front Office Search

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