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AL West Notes: Trout, Rangers, Rodgers, Waldichuk
Mike Trout was hitting .179/.264/.462 when a bone bruise in his left knee sent him to the injured list on May 2, but since being activated from the IL, Trout has been closer to his old superstar form in batting .287/.432/.483 over his last 183 plate appearances. It might not be a coincidence that Trout has excelled since exclusively acting as a designated hitter since his return, as the Angels have been cautiously managing his leg health in the wake of both the bone bruise, and a variety of other leg injuries over the years. Trout did take part in some right field drills prior to Friday’s game and came away feeling good, though he told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger and other reporters that the team doesn’t yet have a timetable set in regards to an in-game return to right field.
Both Trout and interim manager Ray Montgomery are eager to see Trout return to right field, with Montgomery noting that freeing up the DH spot would allow more players to get partial rest days. Time will tell when Trout is entirely physically ready to go, though there must be some slight sense of “if it ain’t broke….” within the Angels’ decision process. Trout has been so hammered by injuries in recent years that if regular DH duty allows him to stay in the lineup and post big numbers, the Halos surely have to be considering whether limiting Trout to just cameo appearances in the outfield could be the best course of action going forward.
More from the AL West….
- The Rangers had interest in Kyle Finnegan when the reliever was a free agent last winter, and the club has had interest in Pirates closer David Bednar dating back to at least last season’s trade deadline, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes. These two relievers could therefore be particular names to watch as Texas looks for help at the back of its bullpen, along with a few other closer candidates that Grant cite as possible deadline candidates. Texas is an even 49-49 entering today’s play, so it remains to be seen if the Rangers could buy or sell at the deadline. Speculatively, a trade for Bednar would help for both this season and as a jump start on the 2026 plans, as Bednar is arbitration-controlled for one more year. Finnegan, meanwhile, is just a rental since he signed a one-year contract with the Nationals in the offseason.
- Brendan Rodgers suffered a concussion and a nasal fracture after a scary collision with teammate Edwin Diaz in a game with Triple-A Sugar Land yesterday. As a result, the Astros told the Athletic’s Chandler Rome and other reporters that Rodgers has been returned from the minor league rehab assignment that only just began with yesterday’s abbreviated Triple-A outing. Rodgers was placed on the big league 10-day IL just over a month ago due to an oblique strain, and while the start of his rehab assignment indicated that he was getting close to a return, his timeline is now completely up in the air as he deals from these new injuries. Over 128 plate appearances for Houston, Rodgers has hit only .191/.266/.278.
- Ken Waldichuk has reached the end of his 30-day rehab window, so the Athletics activated the southpaw from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Las Vegas. Waldichuk underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2024, and he clearly isn’t yet ready for the bigs based the results during his rehab assignment. Over 15 1/3 minor league innings, Waldichuk has struggled to a 7.63 ERA and almost as many walks (16) as strikeouts (17). Should he get on track, Waldichuk could emerge as an option for the A’s rotation or bullpen in August.
Tanner Houck’s Rehab Paused Due To New Pronator Strain
Tanner Houck is being evaluated by Red Sox team doctors after sustaining “a recurrence of the right pronator strain” the right-hander initially suffered back in mid-May, MLB.com’s Ian Browne writes. Houck had pitched in five minor league games during his rehab assignment, but the Sox have now officially returned him from that assignment and kept him on the 15-day injured list in order to monitor this new problem.
More will be known once Houck is through a fresh round of tests, yet if he has suffered another strain, it might entirely set his rehab back to square one. Given how he has already missed more than two months of the season, a similar recovery timeline could now threaten Houck’s availability to return before the 2025 campaign is over.
Even the best-case scenario of just a minor strain would still likely mean Houck will be sidelined for at least another month, adding to what has been a frustrating season for the right-hander. Houck had reached the 30-day end point of his initial rehab assignment and was seemingly close to being activated from the IL before this setback arose. The Red Sox will probably shift Houck to the 60-day IL at some point, which wouldn’t change his timeline (the 60-day window would start at the time of his initial placement on the 15-day) but it would allow the club to open up space on the 40-man roster.
A breakout 2024 season seemingly cemented Houck’s place in the Boston rotation, as Houck posted a 3.12 ERA and 6.5% walk rate over 178 2/3 innings. Most of his secondary metrics didn’t back up that strong bottom-line ERA, however, and as Browne noted, most of Houck’s success came in the first half of the 2024 campaign. The hurler’s late struggles then got several degrees worse in 2025, when Houck posted an 8.04 ERA in his first nine starts and 43 2/3 innings.
Getting Houck back before the trade deadline wouldn’t have really altered Boston’s plan to acquire starting pitching, yet getting a change to gauge Houck’s effectiveness in a start or two would’ve given the Sox a bit more information before jumping into the trade market.
Looking at Boston’s rotation depth, Hunter Dobbins and Kutter Crawford have already been lost to season-ending injuries. Josh Winckowski has been sidelined by a flexor strain for roughly the same amount of time as Houck, and only just started a throwing progression, so Winckowski is probably a month away if all goes well in his rehab. Patrick Sandoval had internal brace surgery on his elbow last June and has moved to the point of mound work, though early September could be his target date.
This leaves Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, Richard Fitts, and the struggling Walker Buehler as Boston’s starting five. Even with Kyle Harrison and Cooper Criswell available in Triple-A as backup options, getting another solid rotation piece in play at the deadline would go a long way towards helping the Sox reach the playoffs. Boston is 53-46, as yesterday’s loss to the Cubs snapped a 10-game winning streak that had brought the Red Sox back into the postseason hunt.
Trevor Cahill Retires
Right-hander Trevor Cahill has officially retired after 18 professional seasons, agent John Boggs told Newsweek’s Jon Paul Hoornstra. Cahill’s retirement was initially noted by the Gastonia Ghost Peppers of the independent Atlantic League, after the 37-year-old Cahill made two appearances in a comeback attempt this summer.
Before his Atlantic League work this year, Cahill’s last appearance in pro ball came when he tossed 20 2/3 innings in the Mets farm system in 2022. That stint in New York’s organization came on the heels of a 13-year run in the majors that saw Cahill toss 1507 2/3 innings with nine different clubs.
A second-round pick for the Athletics in the 2006 draft, Cahill broke into the Show by throwing 178 2/3 innings in his 2009 rookie season, and then followed up that workhorse year with a 2.97 ERA over 196 2/3 frames in 2010. The latter performance earned Cahill an All-Star nod, a ninth-place finish in AL Cy Young Award voting, and a five-year, $30.5MM contract extension in April 2011. Cahill’s five-year pact stood as the longest guaranteed deal the A’s gave to any player until this year, when the club inked long-term extensions with Lawrence Butler (seven years) and Brent Rooker (five years).
Despite the seeming contractual security, Cahill found himself on the move by December 2011, when he was dealt to the Diamondbacks as part of a five-player swap. He posted decent results in Arizona’s rotation in 2012-13 before running into struggles during the 2014 season that carried into 2015, and after bouncing around from the D’Backs to the Braves to the Dodgers to the Cubs all within a five-month span, Cahill reinvented himself as a reliever in Chicago. Cahill worked out of the pen in 60 of his 61 appearances with the Cubs over the 2015-16 seasons, posting a 2.61 ERA and earning a World Series ring for his work with the streak-busting 2016 squad (though Cahill didn’t see any action during Chicago’s playoff run).
Cahill returned to rotation work after signing a free agent deal with the Padres during the 2016-17 offseason, and that kicked off a stretch of Cahill pitching for six different clubs (including a return stint with Oakland in 2018) over his final five Major League seasons. The results were very inconsistent, as Cahill started to run into some problems with the home run ball, and his usual grounder-heavy approach had some built-in variance depending on his defenses and batted-ball luck.
For his career, Cahill finished with a 4.26 ERA in 361 games (233 of them starts). While only posting a 17.8% career strikeout rate, Cahill had a knack for keeping the ball on the ground for much of his career, with a 54% groundball rate.
We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Cahill on a fine career, and wish him all the best in his post-playing days.
Phillies Place Alec Bohm On 10-Day IL Due To Fractured Rib
Third baseman Alec Bohm has been placed on the Phillies’ 10-day injured list due to a fractured left rib. Utilityman Weston Wilson was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.
The injury dates back to last Saturday, when Bohm was hit by a pitch during the Phillies’ 5-4 loss to the Padres and had to make an early exit from the game. Bohm didn’t play in Philadelphia’s final game before the All-Star break and then returned to the lineup in yesterday’s 6-5 loss to the Angels, with the idea that the time off during the break allowed him to recover.
Unfortunately, Bohm reaggravated his injury in the game, manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Bohm didn’t receive any scans last week but it would appear as though new tests revealed the fracture, forcing an IL stint. More will be probably be revealed about Bohm’s recovery timeline later today, but a fracture almost certainly means he’ll miss more than the minimum 10 days.
After a brutal opening month, Bohm righted the ship and has quietly been one of the more productive bats in the Phils’ lineup, hitting .309/.362/.455 with eight home runs in 257 trips to the plate since May 3. As per his career norms, Bohm is making a good deal of hard contact and a lot of contact in general (16.2% strikeout rate), though he isn’t walking much and his slugging percentage is significantly down from the last two seasons. The other story is Bohm’s continued improvement with the glove, as a player once known for being a defensive liability is in the midst of his second straight year of slightly above-average fielding at third base.
Boho also saw some time at first base when Bryce Harper was on the IL, with Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp filling in at third base. With Bohm now out, the Phillies will likely turn to some combination of Sosa, Kemp, and Wilson at the hot corner, and Kemp will still remain part of the left field platoon with Max Kepler.
Depending on how long Bohm may be out, his injury situation could impact Philadelphia’s plans at the trade deadline. The Phillies were already known to be looking for outfield help and potentially some more depth at second base since Bryson Stott hasn’t been hitting. Adding a new outfielder could now conceivably push Kemp into more of a full-time infield role at either second or third base, or the Phils could seek more of a utilityman type that could be toggled around to multiple positions. Since Bohm himself was linked to several trade rumors during the offseason, his injury might also erase any chance there was of a need-for-need trade, with the Phillies might have moved the controllable Bohm (who has one more arbitration year) for a more high-impact rental player.
Tigers Sign Tanner Rainey To Minor League Contract
The Tigers have signed Tanner Rainey to a minor league deal, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Rainey has been assigned to Triple-A Toledo to act as a depth arm in the organization’s bullpen mix.
Initially signed to a minors deal by the Pirates during the offseason, Rainey posted a 10.57 ERA over 7 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh at the MLB level. The Pirates first selected Rainey to their active roster in early May, then designated him for assignment in early June. Rainey cleared waivers, elected free agency rather than an outright assignment, then quickly re-signed with the Bucs on a fresh minor league contract.
Best known for his six-year run with the Nationals, Rainey posted generally solid numbers in Washington, highlighted by his contributions to the 2019 World Series championship team. Rainey had a 3.30 ERA over 30 innings as recently as the 2022 season, but after a Tommy John surgery cost him virtually all of the 2023 campaign, Rainey hasn’t looked the same.
The righty has a 5.52 ERA across 58 2/3 innings since the start of the 2024 season, as well as an unimpressive 19.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate. Control has been an issue for Rainey even in the better times of his eight-year MLB career, though he had been able to balance out his walks with plenty of strikeouts in the past. Rainey averaged 97.1mph on his fastball prior to his TJ surgery, but that has dropped to 94.1mph post-surgery.
At Triple-A Indianapolis this season, Rainey’s walk rate is still on the high side at 12.6%, but he has a 28.4% strikeout rate and a 3.18 ERA over 17 innings and 17 appearances. That is some evidence that the 32-year-old still has some of his old form left, and the Tigers can now gauge for themselves if Rainey can translate his Triple-A numbers into some renewed success in the majors. Detroit’s bullpen has been shaky in recent weeks, and while the team is likely to target some more prominent relievers at the deadline, there’s no risk in taking a flier on Rainey on a minor league commitment.
Nationals Agree To Sign First Overall Pick Eli Willits
The Nationals have agreed to sign Eli Willits, the first overall pick of the 2025 draft. The high school shortstop announced yesterday (in an interview on CNN with Wolf Blitzer) that he planned to officially ink his first pro contract today, and the Nats indeed have a press conference set to mark the event. MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis reports that Willits will receive an $8.2MM bonus, which is the highest bonus ever given to a high school draft pick. However, Willits’ bonus is well beneath the $11,075,900 slot value assigned to the 1-1 selection.
Washington’s decision to select Willits raised a few eyebrows on draft night, and it would seem like his willingness to take a below-slot deal factored into the Nationals’ plan. With just under $2.876MM saved in draft pool money, the Nats can now re-allocate some funds towards other members of their draft class. To wit, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Nats went way over slot to sign fourth-rounder Miguel Sime Jr., who had committed to LSU. Sime will now instead start his pro career after getting $2MM from the Nationals — Sime’s draft spot of 111th overall has an attached $687,800 slot price.
Several teams have adopted this tactic in the draft pool era, opting to spread around to their available money to multiple highly-touted players rather than commit the bulk of the draft pool towards its top pick. Willits will still end up with just under half of Washington’s $16,597,800 total pool, and the $8.2MM figure seems purposeful, as Willits can at least claim to getting the biggest draft payday of any high schooler.
This isn’t to say that the Nationals necessarily reached by picking Willits, who still well-regarded even if he didn’t top the boards of any of the most notable pundits. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Baseball America were highest on Willits as the third-ranked player in their pre-draft rankings, MLB Pipeline and Fangraphs each had Willits fifth, and The Athletic’s Keith had Willits eighth.
Willits is viewed a relatively safe, high-floor type of pick, as the evaluators agreed that Willits looks like a big leaguer, even if he could top out as a regular moreso than the type of star usually associated with the 1-1 selection. That said, there’s still a lot to like about Willits’ upside given his contact skills and mature approach at the plate, especially if he can add more power. Willits has plenty of other tools, including plus speed, and a plus throwing arm and good defensive range that should make him a solid shortstop.
White Sox Place Shane Smith On 15-Day Injured List
The White Sox announced that right-hander Shane Smith has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 16) due to a left ankle sprain. Outfielder Will Robertson was also optioned to Triple-A, making way for two new arrivals on Chicago’s active roster — Triple-A call-up Wikelman Gonzalez and utilityman Brooks Baldwin, who was reinstated from the 10-day IL.
Taken out of the Brewers’ organization during last winter’s Rule 5 Draft, Smith has immediately enjoyed some success in his first taste of the majors. Smith has a 4.26 ERA over 86 2/3 innings and 18 starts for the Pale Hose, and he was even selected as Chicago’s rep for the AL All-Star team. It could be that opposing batters have started to catch up to Smith, however, as the righty has an 11.29 ERA over his last 18 1/3 innings.
Workload could also be a factor, as Smith is nearing his career high of 94 1/3 innings in a single season (set last year when pitching in Milwaukee’s farm system). Smith has tossed 243 2/3 total innings over his four pro seasons, and he underwent a Tommy John surgery in 2021 that was the likely reason he went undrafted that year coming out of Wake Forest.
The White Sox have made a point of trying to keep Smith’s innings managed, as his last start on July 11 saw the righty throw only two innings. While obviously Smith would’ve preferred to avoid this ankle injury, the IL stint does somewhat resolve the innings question for the time being, as the righty will now be out of action for at least the rest of July.
Marlins Sign First-Round Pick Aiva Arquette
The Marlins officially announced that first-round pick Aiva Arquette has signed a pro contract. Craig Mish reported yesterday that an agreement had been reached between the club and the seventh overall pick. Arquette signed for a $7,149,900 bonus, as per MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, which exactly matches the slot price attached to the seventh overall pick.
The Oregon State shortstop was a consensus top-10 prospect, with Fangraphs and The Athletic’s Keith Law each highest on Arquette as the fourth-highest player on their boards. Baseball America ranked Arquette fifth in the 2025 draft class, MLB Pipeline had him sixth, and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel was the relative lowest in putting Arquette ninth.
Despite this high profile and ceiling, evaluators acknowledge some risk in Arquette. While he is seen as a solid fielder, his size (6’5″, 220 pounds) lead some scouts to believe he’ll inevitably have to move over to third base in the future. Law also raised some issue about the quality of competition Arquette faced in college ball this season, and wondered if his hitting approach can hold up as he rises the ranks in pro ball. Despite these questions, Arquette is seen as a very solid bat with plus power and very good contact skills. A move to third base might not be a problem since Arquette could very well profile as a plus fielder at the hot corner, and he has a strong throwing arm. Overall, Arquette was generally viewed as the best position player available from the college ranks.
This ties into a somewhat unique draft for Miami, as the team took college players with all 21 of its picks. When talking with the Miami Herald’s Steve Gorten and other reporters, Marlins scouting director Frankie Piliere described this collegiate trend as “the coincidences of a draft board” rather than a specific tactic from the organization. Still, it does perhaps set the Marlins up to get some help from the 2025 draft class sooner rather than later at the big league level.
Cardinals Sign Aaron Wilkerson To Minor League Contract
The Cardinals announced that Aaron Wilkerson has signed a minor league deal, and the right-hander has been assigned to Triple-A Memphis. Wilkerson had been pitching in the Reds organization on another minors contract until earlier this week, as KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported that Wilkerson triggered an opt-out clause in that deal.
It has been almost six years since Wilkerson’s last big league appearance, as the righty posted a 6.88 ERA across 35 1/3 innings with the Brewers from 2017-19. Now 36 years old, Wilkerson’s career has seen consisted of a pair of trips abroad (pitching with NPB’s Hanshin Tigers in 2022 and with the KBO League’s Lotte Giants in 2023-24) and a few other stints in the minors with MLB organizations. Wilkerson has pitched with the Dodgers, Athletics, and Reds without any further calls to the Show.
This year, Wilkerson has a 4.17 ERA over 18 starts and 95 innings for Triple-A Louisville, with a modest 20.7% strikeout rate but an outstanding 4.5% walk rate. A .249 BABIP has undoubtedly contributed to Wilkerson’s success, and his 15% homer rate continues his trend of having some trouble keeping the ball in the park in both the upper minors and during his brief time as a Major Leaguer.
Wilkerson’s work in Louisville wasn’t enough to get him a look in Cincinnati, as the Reds have turned to a couple of top prospects (Chase Petty, Chase Burns) and more established starting options when having to fill holes in the rotation this year. The Cardinals’ rotational depth chart is also pretty crowded, yet the Wilkerson signing is intriguing within the context of the July 31 trade deadline. Since St. Louis could be looking to move Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, or long reliever Steven Matz, it behooves the Cards to have an experienced starting depth at Triple-A should a vacancy suddenly appear on the team’s pitching staff.
