Braves Place Spencer Strider On 15-Day Injured List
1:11pm: Ritchie will indeed take Strider’s spot in the rotation, Weiss announced (via Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution).
9:05am: The Braves announced that right-hander Spencer Strider has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to inflammation in his throwing elbow. Right-hander Anthony Molina was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move.
The placement comes a day after Strider was removed during the fourth inning of Friday’s 7-5 loss to the Mets. Strider was charged with seven runs over his three innings (plus one batter) of work, and he was visited on the mound by a team trainer after walking MJ Melendez to begin the fourth inning.
During the game, the Braves said Strider’s departure was due to soreness in both his right elbow and shoulder. Manager Walt Weiss told MLB.com’s Matthew Ritchie and other reporters post-game that Strider would undergo an MRI, and the fact that Strider has been immediately placed on the IL likely isn’t a good sign.
After an All-Star season in 2023, Strider’s emergence as a homegrown ace of the Braves rotation has been dimmed by multiple injuries. An internal brace surgery sidelined him for almost all of the 2024 season and the first few weeks of the 2025 campaign, and then Strider quickly picked up a hamstring strain that led to another month on the shelf. This season, Strider strained his oblique during Spring Training and didn’t make his 2026 debut until May 3.
Strider has a 5.31 ERA over eight starts and 39 innings in 2026. While his 4.09 SIERA is considerably better than his ERA and Friday’s outing can probably be chalked up to injury, Strider hasn’t really looked like his old self. Strider’s strikeout rate is an impressive 27.9% but he is walking a lot of batters (12.1BB%) and has allowed nine home runs over his small sample size of work. The elite fastball velocity that Strider showed pre-UCL surgery hasn’t returned, as his four-seamer is averaging a modest 95.1mph this year.
Strider’s inconsistency has been one of the few down notes during an otherwise superb year for the Braves, who lead the majors with a 45-24 record. Some early-season injuries thinned Atlanta’s rotation depth and that may be a question again now that Strider is again on the IL, yet the Braves are now in better position to fill a hole in the starting five. JR Ritchie threw five shutout innings in relief of Strider last night and might simply be bumped up to rotation duty, or Reynaldo Lopez could again be stretched out to be a starting pitcher.
Hurston Waldrep was also activated from the 60-day IL yesterday and optioned to Triple-A, as Waldrep continues to build up arm strength after undergoing a February surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow. Spencer Schwellenbach underwent a similar surgery at the same time but isn’t expected back until after the All-Star break. AJ Smith-Shawver should be back around the same time assuming no setbacks in the righty’s recovery from a June 2025 Tommy John surgery.
Garrett Crochet Unlikely To Return Before All-Star Break
Garrett Crochet spoke to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters Friday about his health status, though the left-hander still didn’t have any clear timeline about when he might return to the Red Sox rotation. “I think it would take a huge leap to say I’d be back before” the All-Star break, Crochet said, as “I think that would be really rushing it” given that his rehab process will now have to be essentially restarted in the aftermath of a lat strain.
Crochet tossed six shutout innings on April 25 and was then (retroactively) placed on the 15-day injured list the next day due to left shoulder inflammation. After about a month on the sidelines, Crochet had progressed to facing live batters before the lat strain resulted in a throwing shutdown that has now lasted over two weeks.
The lat strain is now no longer a real issue, and Crochet said he is “getting close to throwing.” Understandably, the southpaw is frustrated “that I’ve been out this long” due to a confluence of two relatively minor injuries that overlapped at just about the most inconvenient time.
The best-case scenario would have Crochet ready to go when the second half begins on July 17, as the Red Sox face the Rays in a doubleheader. It remains to be seen if that twin bill may have much impact on the AL East race, as 12.5 games currently separate the division-leading Rays from the Sox at the bottom of the division standings. Boston is looking like a trade deadline seller as things stand now, and not having Crochet for several more weeks will make it even harder for the Red Sox to climb back into contention.
Between Crochet’s injury absence and Brayan Bello pitching so poorly that was optioned to Triple-A last week, the emergency of Connelly Early and Payton Tolle have been a godsend to the Sox rotation. With Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray also pitching well, the rotation hasn’t been much of an issue, at least not in comparison to the offensive woes that have been Boston’s biggest Achilles heel.
Brewers Place Coleman Crow On 15-Day IL Due To Flexor Strain
The Brewers placed right-hander Coleman Crow on the 15-day injured list on Friday (retroactive to June 10) due to right forearm flexor strain. Right-hander Craig Yoho was called up from Triple-A Nashville in the corresponding move.
The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, and the lighter variety of such flexor injuries would see Crow return to action in under a month. Beyond that best-case scenario, it isn’t out of the question that Crow’s 2026 season could be in jeopardy, especially given his past history of arm troubles. A Tommy John surgery cost Crow almost all of the 2023-24 seasons, and he was limited to 50 minor league innings in 2025 due to hip problems and another flexor strain.
It seemed like Crow had put his injury woes behind him when the righty made his MLB debut earlier this season. Crow has been called up to the majors three times in his rookie year — twice to make spot starts, and his last three appearances have consisted of two starts and a two-inning relief outing. This appearance out of the pen last Tuesday marked Crow’s last game before his flexor strain surfaced.
Crow has a 5.30 ERA and a tiny 11.8% strikeout rate to show for his 18 2/3 innings in the big leagues. On the plus side, his walk rate is a solid 7.1%, and his ERA was somewhat inflated by a particularly rough outing (six ER over 2 1/3 innings) against the Giants on June 4. While Crow’s time in the majors is a small sample size, the lack of punchouts is unusual considering the righty’s much more respectable 25.39K% over 299 1/3 career minor league frames in the Angels and Brewers farm systems.
Milwaukee has soared to a 42-25 record despite a number of pitching injuries, and Crow’s absence removes another rotation candidate from the mix. Brandon Woodruff (shoulder inflammation) has started a minor league rehab assignment and is expected to be back sometime in June, while Logan Henderson (back strain) is still a few weeks away. Quinn Priester‘s status remains up in the air, as the right-hander again had his rehab assignment put on hold as Priester continues to struggle in his recover from thoracic outlet syndrome.
Jacob Misiorowski‘s brilliance has helped carry the shorthanded Brewers rotation, and Kyle Harrison has also looked great in his first season in Milwaukee. Brandon Sproat has at least contributed 60 innings but with a 5.70 ERA, and Robert Gasser has a 6.38 ERA over 18 1/3 frames as a starter this season. Shane Drohan is slated to make his fourth start of the season today, and the rookie southpaw has looked pretty good in delivering a 3.11 ERA, 24% strikeout rate, and 7.1% walk rate in his first 37 2/3 innings in the big leagues (with 10 bullpen appearances along with his three starts).
The situation should improve itself once Woodruff and Henderson are back, and it could be that Crow’s flexor strain isn’t too serious. The Brewers have a knack for finding and developing rotation help from within, but if depth is still an issue in a month’s time, Milwaukee could consider adding a veteran innings-eater at the trade deadline.
The Opener: Misiorowski, Alvarez, Skubal
The Marlins are baseball’s hottest team, as a six-game winning streak has brought Miami back to a .500 (35-35) record. Friday’s 8-3 win over the Pirates saw Sandy Alcantara allow five runs and a walk over eight innings of three-run ball, while striking out seven. Alcantara’s impressive start included his 1000th career strikeout, with 992 of those punchouts coming in a Marlins uniform. Ricky Nolasco is Miami’s all-time strikeout leader with 1001, so Alcantara figures to set a new franchise record perhaps as early as his next start.
1. Miz’s masterpiece
Jacob Misiorowski‘s dream season continued with one of the best pitching performances in recent memory, as the Brewers ace faced the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 shutout of the Phillies on Friday. Kyle Schwarber‘s fourth-inning single made him the only Philadelphia batter to reach base, and Misiorowski quickly extinguished the threat by inducing Bryce Harper to hit into a double play. Misiorowski recorded 15 strikeouts and needed only 94 pitches to finish his complete-game gem, and an absurd 58 of those pitches reached or topped the 100mph threshold. Misiorowski has a 1.34 ERA over 14 starts and 87 innings this season, and he has been charged with just one earned run over his last 54 1/3 IP.
2. Yordan goes yard twice
If Misiorowski’s pitching numbers look like something out of a video game, Yordan Alvarez is posting his share of unreal statistics on the offensive side. The Houston slugger is hitting .321/.433/.659 with over 305 plate appearances, and his 24 home runs are tied with Schwarber for the Major League lead. Alvarez’s 23rd and 24th homers came in the first inning of Friday’s 10-8 Astros win over the Royals, as Alvarez also became the first batter in Astros history to record six RBI in one inning.
3. Skubal returns
For the first time since April 29, Tarik Skubal will take the mound for the Tigers. The reigning two-time AL Cy Young Award winner is set to be activated from the 15-day injured list for today’s key AL Central game against the Guardians, capping off what seems to be a remarkable recovery. Skubal was expected to miss at least a couple of months after he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove loose bodies from his throwing elbow, but the use of the new “NanoNeedle” scope during the procedure appears to have shaved several weeks off of Skubal’s recovery time. While the Tigers are still just 29-41, Detroit has a 7-3 record in June, and the returns of both Skubal and Casey Mize from the IL create some hope that the Tigers can continue to dig themselves out of their early-season hole. And, if not, Skubal suddenly becomes the biggest trade chip in baseball heading into the deadline.
Diamondbacks Sign Max Kepler
June 8th: Per the Associated Press, Kepler’s salary will be a prorated $780K, the league minimum. He can earn an extra $500K in roster bonuses. He would get $100K for spending 35 days on the roster, then $200K at 55 days and 75 days.
June 7th: The Diamondbacks announced a one-year deal with outfielder Max Kepler. The signing won’t yet impact Arizona’s 40-man roster or active roster, as Kepler is still on the restricted list while serving an 80-game PED suspension.
News broke last January about Kepler’s positive test for the PED known as Epitrenbolone, and with Kepler still on the free agent market, his camp and Major League Baseball worked out an agreement for Kepler to serve his 80-game suspension even if he didn’t land a new contract. Since Kepler didn’t sign until now, he has been serving his 80-game suspension as if he was still a member of the Phillies (his former team).
Philadelphia played its 65th game of the season today, so the final 15 games of Kepler’s suspension presumably now adhere to the Diamondbacks’ schedule. This makes June 25 the first day Kepler is eligible to take part in the 2026 season, so he’ll get a couple of weeks of ramp-up time in the minor leagues before making his D’Backs debut.
Financial terms of the signing weren’t revealed, but it can be assumed Kepler will be receiving a pretty small guaranteed salary prorated over the remainder of the 2026 campaign. Even before the suspension, Kepler was likely facing a tough market given his lack of production with the Phillies last year. He hit .216/.300/.391 with 18 home runs over 474 plate appearances, and even those modest numbers now come under the cloud of the PED suspension.
Kepler has provided almost exactly league-average offense over his 11 MLB seasons, as he had a 101 wRC+ from a career slash line of .235/.316/.425 over 1199 PA with the Twins and Phillies. Kepler posted a 122 wRC+ in both 2019 and 2023 and a 109 wRC+ during the shortened 2020 season, but he has otherwise been a subpar hitter in his other eight seasons.
The left-handed hitter has struggled against southpaw pitching for much of his career, limiting Kepler’s effectiveness as a true everyday player. Kepler has expressed some frustration over a platoon role in the past, such as last June when he said “I signed here [in Philadelphia] being told that I was going to be the starting everyday left fielder” after he wasn’t in the lineup for three straight games when the Phils faced left-handed starters.
While naturally more productive against right-handed pitching, Kepler hasn’t really been a righty-masher, as he has hit a respectable but uninspiring .240/.324/.446 over his career with the platoon advantage. Most of Kepler’s success against righties came earlier in his career, as he has batted just .237/.315/.408 in 1436 PA against righties since Opening Day 2022.
Beyond the offense, Kepler also contributed outstanding right field defense during his prime years as a regular in the Twins lineup. His defensive metrics, however, have dipped as he has battled knee problems in recent years, and the move to the seemingly easier left field position in Philadelphia resulted in +2 Defensive Runs Saved and 0 Outs Above Average over 773 1/3 innings (which represented the first time Kepler had ever played left in his career).
Corbin Carroll obviously has right field covered in Arizona, so Kepler will likely act as a left fielder and DH against right-handed pitching. The Diamondbacks were known to be looking for left-handed hitting help, given that outfielders Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Jordan Lawlar, Ryan Waldschmidt, and Tommy Troy are all right-handed hitters. By the time Kepler is eligible for reinstatement, Gurriel should be back from the hamstring strain that has sidelined him for last couple of weeks, and Lawlar (currently on a Triple-A rehab assignment) should be back from the broken wrist that has kept him on the IL for over two months.
It should be noted that Kepler’s salary is likely small enough that the D’Backs would feel comfortable releasing Kepler (or designating him for assignment) if he doesn’t produce. This seems like purely a depth move for the Snakes as they continue to try and figure out two-thirds of their outfield picture, and a bit of a flier to see what Kepler might have in the tank in his age-33 season. However Kepler might contribute to Arizona’s postseason chase, he is ineligible to participate in this year’s playoffs, as per the terms of PED suspensions.
Astros Notes: Brown, Allen, Ullola
Hunter Brown will make his fourth and possibly final minor league rehab start on Wednesday, Astros manager Joe Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters yesterday. Brown will pitch for Triple-A Sugar Land for the third time during his rehab assignment, with the first of his four outings coming with Double-A Corpus Christi on May 24.
As expected, Brown’s pitch count has slowly increased with each start, going from 35 to 44 to 57. Espada had previously hinted that the Astros could activate Brown after just three rehab outings, though an earlier return probably would’ve required the use of a piggyback pitcher behind Brown if he was limited to something in the realm of 70 pitches. As such, the right-hander will get a bit more time to fully build his arm strength before returning from the 60-day injured list.
Brown emerged as the ace of Houston’s rotation in 2025 and hit the ground running this year with an 0.84 ERA over his first two starts. A Grade 2 shoulder strain then sent Brown to the IL in one of the first of what has been many major injury blows to the Astros roster. Brown is one of seven pitchers and 10 overall players still on Houston’s injured list, so it isn’t any surprise that the Astros have a 30-37 record.
That said, the Astros have gone 13-9 in their last 22 games, as the team has gotten a little healthier. Yordan Alvarez‘s MVP-level numbers have helped carry the lineup, while Spencer Arrighetti, Peter Lambert, and Kai-Wei Teng have all pitched well in filling in the many holes in the rotation. An in-form Brown returning to the top of that rotation would be another major boost to the Astros’ chances of digging themselves out of their early-season hole.
Just as Brown is getting nearer a return, however, yet another player is facing an injury scare. Nick Allen made an early exit from today’s 5-0 loss to the Athletics due to left hamstring discomfort, which arose after the infielder singled in the third inning. “I was trying to leg out a double there and kind of felt something grab on me, a little bit on the left hammy, lower left side,” Allen told MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart and other reporters.
Allen said he’ll undergo testing to determine the extent of the injury but downplayed the seriousness of the discomfort. The backup infielder already missed a couple of weeks earlier this year dealing with back spasms, but Allen has already played in 37 games this season, as the Astros’ various injuries opened the door for playing time at second base, third base, and shortstop. Allen is providing his usual light offense (.266/.304/.344 in 70 plate appearances) and his glovework isn’t quite up to its usual stellar standard, but Allen has been a useful depth piece for the shorthanded roster.
In another piece from McTaggart, he notes that the Astros have transitioned pitching prospect Miguel Ullola into a full-time relief role. Ullola is a classic case of a pitcher with great stuff that he hasn’t been able to harness — over 471 2/3 career innings in the minors, Ullola has an impressive 30.54% strikeout rate but also a 15.75% walk rate, resulting in an uninspiring 4.45 ERA.
Ullola doesn’t turn 24 until later this month so it is possible he might get another look as a starter down the road. But after six seasons of inconsistency, “you start narrowing it down when they get to Triple-A,” Espada said. “He’s started [86] games already, so now we start getting a better feel for what he’s going to be and how can impact our roster.”
Houston added Ullola to the 40-man roster last November to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and the move to the bullpen might be the final step in getting the right-hander to the majors. Ullola was charged with three runs over two-third of an inning today, but he hadn’t allowed a run in his previous five relief innings. As usual, switching to relief pitching has delivered a velocity bump, as Ullola’s already plus fastball has touched 97.3mph since going to the pen.
Jameson Taillon Leaves Game Due To Hamstring Strain
Jameson Taillon‘s start tonight was cut short in the second inning, as the right-hander was removed due to what the Cubs later revealed as a left hamstring strain. Taillon allowed a run on a walk and two hits in his first inning against the Giants, but after walking Matt Chapman to lead off the second inning, Taillon requested a visit from the team trainer and then left the mound.
More will be known about Taillon’s status when manager Craig Counsell meets with the media postgame, but it isn’t a good sign that Taillon’s injury has already been termed as a strain. A trip to the 15-day injured list might be inevitable, though a lower-grade strain might see Taillon return in a fairly minimal amount of time.
Taillon has a 5.19 ERA over 67 2/3 innings, and a league-leading 20 home runs is the root cause of his struggles. While Taillon has never been great at keeping the ball in the park, this season’s spike in homer rate is eye-opening. Taillon’s hard-hit ball rate is actually around league average, yet his dismal 14.5% barrel rate indicates that opposing batters are maximizing the damage when squaring up against the righty’s offerings.
As much as the results haven’t been there for the 34-year-old, he has at least been able to take the ball for 13 starts, providing the Cubs with some innings in an injury-ravaged year for the team’s pitching staff. Now it seems like Taillon may be the latest Wrigleyville hurler bit by the injury bug, just after Edward Cabrera was activated from the 15-day IL on Friday and Matthew Boyd may be just days away from returning from left meniscus surgery.
Cade Horton was also lost to a Tommy John surgery and Justin Steele‘s return from a TJ surgery has been delayed until some time in the second half of the season. Despite all these rotation ailments, the bullpen has perhaps been hit even harder by a variety of major and minor injuries, leaving the Cubs scrambling for arms basically since Opening Day. The Cubs overcame their lack of healthy and effective pitching to go 27-12 in their first 39 games, but they’ve since lost 19 of their last 26 games heading into tonight’s matchup with San Francisco.
Monday’s off-day provides some chance for a rotation reset, and perhaps a chance for Taillon to undergo further evaluation on his hamstring strain. Chicago’s rotation currently consists of Shota Imanaga, Colin Rea, Ben Brown, Cabrera, and possibly Boyd taking Taillon’s place if Boyd doesn’t require a third rehab start. Javier Assad could be a candidate to be a stretched out for rotation work as well, should Boyd need more ramp-up time.
Athletics Interested In Kris Bubic
Royals left-hander Kris Bubic is a player of interest for the Athletics in advance of the trade deadline, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes. Bubic is a free agent after the season, and thus a logical trade candidate if the 27-39 Royals can’t get back into contention.
The first order of business is Bubic’s health, as the southpaw hasn’t pitched since May 14 due to soreness in his throwing elbow. Bubic downplayed the severity of the problem at the time of his placement on the 15-day injured list, and while he is already beyond the 15-day minimum, he has been throwing bullpen sessions and seems to be on track with a standard throwing progression.
Any sort of elbow issue is of particular concern given Bubic’s injury history, as he has pitched only 213 innings since the start of the 2023 season due to a Tommy John surgery and a rotator cuff strain. After the TJ procedure shelved Bubic for most of the 2023-24 seasons, he returned to the rotation in great form and earned an All-Star nod last year before the rotator cuff issue prematurely ended his season in late July.
Things haven’t gone quite as smoothly in Bubic’s latest return to action, as he posted a 4.11 ERA over his first nine starts and 50 1/3 innings of the 2026 campaign. Bubic is still striking out a decent number of batters, but his 12.6% walk rate is well above his previous career average of 9.4%. Batters are also chasing Bubic’s pitches far less than they did in 2025, and having a lot more success against both his sweeper and his low-90s fastball.
Still, even if Bubic projects as more of a mid-rotation or even a back-end starter than a frontline arm, that still makes him a valuable rental commodity. Bubic has roughly $3.88MM remaining on his $6.15MM salary, so he is a fit in any team’s budget. Assuming Bubic is back in Kansas City’s rotation within a couple of weeks, the A’s and plenty of other teams figure to be scouting the veteran’s readiness in the lead-up to the August 3 trade deadline.
There is so much parity given the American League that it may take well over a month for most teams to fall within “buyer” and “seller” categories, and naturally several teams might do a bit of both. At 31-34, the Athletics aren’t that far ahead of the Royals in the standings, so there’s no guarantee the West Sacramento club will still be in buyer mode once the deadline rolls around.
If the A’s do remain in the hunt, rotation help is an obvious need. Today’s 5-0 shutout of the Astros was a rare gem for a pitching staff that entered Sunday’s action with a collective 4.66 ERA, ranking 26th of 30 teams. Injuries to Luis Severino and Aaron Civale further thinned what was already a shaky rotation to begin with, and a move to acquire Bubic (or another prominent starter) for immediate help doesn’t seem likely since the Royals are probably still hoping to turn their season around.
The Athletics’ current starting five consists of Jeffrey Springs, J.T. Ginn, Jack Perkins (who has 70 2/3 MLB innings to his name) and two rookies in Gage Jump and Kade Morris. The highly-touted Jump tossed 6 1/3 shutout frames today and has a 2.45 ERA over his first 13 1/3 innings, but the A’s may not want to lean too hard on the idea of Jump keeping up this production throughout a playoff race.
Sutter Health Park has proven to be a daunting challenge for most starting pitchers, but Bubic could be a decent fit for the hitter-friendly venue. Bubic has done a good job at keeping the ball in the park over his last four seasons, though naturally pitching at Kauffman Stadium has helped him in the regard. Bubic has a 45.7% grounder rate over his career, with this season’s 43.8% number a little below that norm.
Giants Release Ryan Borucki
TODAY: The Giants have released Borucki, according to his transactions log at MLB.com. Borucki is now a free agent and free to sign with any club.
May 31: The Giants have designated left-hander Ryan Borucki for assignment and selected the contract of outfielder Jonah Cox from Double-A Richmond, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser. Outfielder Will Brennan has also been optioned to Triple-A, with righty Tristan Beck recalled in his place.
After being cut by the White Sox near the end of Spring Training, Borucki quickly caught on with the Giants on a big league contract. The results haven’t been there for Borucki in his ninth MLB season, as the southpaw has a 4.94 ERA, 14.4% strikeout rate, and 8.7% walk rate across 23 2/3 relief innings. Just when it seemed like Borucki was getting on track after a shaky start to the season, he gave up five earned runs over his last three outings and 5 1/3 innings of work.
As usual, Borucki has drastic splits, as left-handed batters have only a .550 OPS against him this season (while righty batters have a whopping 1.085 OPS). A team in need of southpaw relief help could be inclined to claim Borucki off San Francisco’s waiver wire, but the likelier scenario is that he’ll clear waivers and then be outrighted to Triple-A. Borucki has been outrighted in the past, so he can elect free agency rather than accept that assignment.
The 24-year-old Cox will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game, and Cox will get his first taste of the Show before even getting a look at the Triple-A level. It seems like Cox’s superb performance in Richmond couldn’t be ignored, as Cox is hitting .400/.453/.644 with six home runs and 27 steals (in 34 attempts) over 183 Double-A plate appearances.
Cox has never posted anything close to these numbers in his previous three minor league seasons, and he is surely getting a lot of help from an eye-opening .464 BABIP. That said, Cox’s elite speed has helped him generate large BABIPs in the past, and he has drastically cut back on his strikeout rate to 16.9% in Double-A ball.
The bat has been the only question mark about Cox’s game, as his defense and speed were already seen as ready for primetime. Those plus skills alone make Cox a viable bench piece for the Giants and perhaps a platoon partner for Drew Gilbert in center field, even if there’s bound to be a learning curve as Cox makes the big jump from facing Double-A pitching to big league arms. The Giants rank last in baseball in stolen bases, so Cox should provide an immediate boost on the basepaths.
Baseball America ranks Cox 21st on their list of Giants prospects. Cox was a sixth-round pick for the Athletics in the 2023 draft, and he was dealt to San Francisco in the February 2024 trade that sent Ross Stripling to the A’s.
Twins Recall Royce Lewis, Designate James Outman
Royce Lewis is back in the majors, as the Twins announced that the infielder has been called up from Triple-A St. Paul. Outfielder James Outman was designated for assignment in the corresponding move, so Minnesota now has an open spot on its 40-man roster.
Lewis’ ugly .163/.261/.279 slash line over his first 119 plate appearances of the season was enough to convince the Twins that the former first overall pick needed a tune-up, so Lewis was optioned to St. Paul on May 19. The move has apparently worked, as Lewis’ bat has come to life against minor league pitching. Between the 13 games since his demotion and two rehab games earlier this season, Lewis has hit .333/.403/.900 in 67 PA at the Triple-A level, with a whopping 10 homers in that small sample size.
Obviously this kind of Ruthian production isn’t going to continue against MLB pitching, yet it does indicate that Lewis may have at least regained some confidence at the plate, in addition to any mechanical changes worked out with the Triple-A coaching staff. While injuries have been the dominant storyline of Lewis’ Major League career, he hasn’t been a particularly effective hitter since what seemed to be a breakout 2023 season, as Lewis has hit just .225/.285/.398 over 847 PA since Opening Day 2024.
The other interesting element to Lewis’ time in the minors has been some time spent at first and second base, in addition to his usual third base spot. It remains to be seen where Lewis will play upon his return to the majors, as Brooks Lee was moved from shortstop to third base in Lewis’ absence, with Tristan Gray getting most of the looks at shortstop.
Neither player is hitting well enough to have laid a real claim to either position, so it could be that Gray is returned to bench duty and the Twins revert to their normal infield alignment. Outman’s DFA leaves utilitymen Kody Clemens and Ryan Kreidler as the backup outfield options on the 26-man roster, so Clemens could get more time in the outfield if Lewis gets some looks as a first baseman.
Minnesota acquired Outman from the Dodgers for Brock Stewart at last year’s trade deadline, and the change of scenery didn’t help Outman regain any of the hitting prowess he showed early in his big league career. Outman hit .248/.353/.437 with 23 home runs for the Dodgers over 567 PA in 2023, but he has since batted .144/.235/.284 over his last 374 PA against MLB pitching. Those lowly numbers include a .156/.229/.250 slash in 70 PA this season as a backup outfielder.
This is the first time Outman has been designated for assignment, and he has less than three years of MLB service time. As such, he will have to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A if he clears waivers or isn’t traded since the DFA period. Outman has some speed and he can play all three outfield positions, yet his offense has been so lackluster that he’ll probably clear waivers and remain in Minnesota’s organization.