Orioles Designate Weston Wilson, Select Sam Huff
The Orioles announced that utilityman Weston Wilson has been designated for assignment. Taking Wilson’s place on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters is catcher Sam Huff, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Norfolk.
Huff’s arrival is related to the availability of Samuel Basallo, who made an early exit from Friday’s game due to what the team described as abdominal discomfort. The injury hasn’t yet been seemed serious enough to warrant a trip to the injured list, but even if Basallo is fine after a day or two of rest and recovery, the Orioles now have Huff on hand as a backup catcher behind Adley Rutschman.
Baltimore signed Huff to a minor league contract during the offseason, and his deal was previously selected to the active roster in April when Rutschman was on the 10-day IL. Huff appeared in three games for the O’s during his week on the 26-man roster before he was DFA’ed, and after Huff chose free agency over an outright assignment, he quickly re-signed with the Orioles on a fresh minors contract.
Should Basallo’s abdominal issue prove to be a short-term concern, it is very possible Huff will face another DFA within the next few days. Wilson is also no stranger to the DFA cycle, as he was designated and then outrighted off Baltimore’s 40-man roster last February, just a couple of weeks after the Orioles claimed him from the Phillies’ waiver wire. This past outright means that Wilson also has the ability to elect free agency over an outright assignment, assuming he clears waivers this time around.
Wilson’s contract was selected to the active roster on April 13, but he has seen only sporadic action in a backup role. Wilson has hit .231/.348/.333 in 46 plate appearances over 19 games, playing mostly at third base with one game in the outfield and three mop-up outings as a pitcher.
Now a veteran of the last four MLB seasons, Wilson has a .240/.331/.413 slash line over 291 career PA with the Orioles and Phillies. Wilson also has a good deal of experience at first and second base plus some work at the other two outfield positions, so he offers some versatility to any team looking to add bench depth on a waiver add.
Mets Release Anderson Severino
The Mets have released left-hander Anderson Severino, according to The Athletic’s Will Sammon. Severino was designated for assignment last week, and Sammon indicates that the release was granted so Severino could sign with a Japanese team.
The southpaw is no stranger to international play, as Severino pitched in the Mexican League during the 2024-25 seasons. He made his return to affiliated ball this year after signing a minor league deal with the Mets over the offseason, and Severino posted a 1.31 ERA over 20 2/3 innings with Triple-A Syracuse. Despite the impressive ERA, Severino’s grounder-heavy (51.1% groundball rate) got a lot of help from a .229 BABIP, and his 13.8% walk rate indicated some control issues.
Those under-the-hood numbers were likely the reason why the Mets (despite their penchant for cycling through relievers) didn’t give Severino a look at the MLB level. His only Major League experience consists of six games and 7 1/3 innings with the White Sox in 2022, as Severino posted a 6.14 ERA over his couple of weeks in the Show.
Severino has worked as a reliever for almost the entirety of his pro career, so he isn’t likely to explore a move to starting pitching in Nippon Professional Baseball. A good showing in Japan could very well get Severino back onto the radar for big league teams down the road, or perhaps lead to a longer stint in NPB for the 31-year-old.
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.
Red Sox “Shopping” Connor Wong In Trade Talks
Rival teams have shown interest in Boston’s catching trio of Connor Wong, Carlos Narvaez, and Mickey Gasper, The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey reports. It seems like Wong may be viewed the most expendable of the group, as McCaffrey writes that “the Red Sox are shopping Wong in particular.”
The 2024 season was seemingly a breakout for Wong, who hit .280/.333/.425 with 13 homers over 487 plate appearances. Last year, however, Wong stumbled to a .190/.262/.238 slash line over 188 PA. His playing time was reduced first by a pinkie finger fracture that cost him a month of action early in the season, and then as Wong struggled following his IL activation, Narvaez emerged as Boston’s preferred option behind the plate.
The situation has flipped to some extent in 2026, as Wong has rebounded to hit a respectable .264/.338/.375 over 82 PA, while Narvez is hitting only .214/.290/.313 over 125 PA. Gasper wasn’t called up from Triple-A until May 7, but over the last month has also gotten a good chunk of playing time both as a catcher and a DH, as Gasper is batting .306/.353/.387 in 69 PA.
Most teams only carry two catchers on their 26-man roster, though Gasper has hit well enough to earn himself more of a look on an offensively-challenged Red Sox team. The other wrinkle is that Narvaez is clearly the best defensive catcher of the group, which may be why Wong could be the relative odd man out, if the Sox prefer Gasper’s bat and Narvaez’s glove as the preferred catching combination. Gasper and Narvaez are also both pre-arbitration players, though Wong isn’t exactly expensive — he is earning $1.375MM in 2026 in the first of his three arb years.
With former big leaguers Jason Delay and Matt Thaiss both at Triple-A, the Red Sox may feel they have enough catching depth to move Wong elsewhere if the right offer emerges. Given that catcher is a traditionally thin position around the game, it isn’t surprising that Boston is getting calls on its backstops, even if it relatively rare to see a starting-level catcher dealt in-season.
The first week of June is also a little early for trades of true consequence, as clubs generally wait until much closer to the trade deadline for such moves. The amount of parity in the American League has also made trade talks more difficult to parse, as Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow alluded to when speaking with McCaffrey and other reporters yesterday.
“[We’re] having a lot of conversations, a lot of discussions, and I think it’s been kind of true industry-wide,” Breslow said. “But there are a lot of teams that probably feel pretty similar to us, which is to say that they have confidence in their rosters, they know they’re not playing as well as they’re capable of, and really, nobody is kind of putting the postseason out of reach. So there are a bunch of teams that are in it right now and are thinking along the same lines as we are.”
While the Red Sox have a 27-35 record, they are also only 3.5 games behind the 31-32 Rangers for the last AL wild card slot. To this end, Boston has been looking to add to its roster, with right-handed hitting a particular desire for the club. Wong is a right-handed hitter with roughly even splits for his career, though 2026 has been a reverse-splits year, with Wong enjoying far more success against right-handed pitchers than against southpaws.
If the Sox do fall out of the race and decide to sell, the team would have plenty of trade chips available, particularly from its relief corps. McCaffrey notes that the Red Sox have gotten calls on Aroldis Chapman, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten, but the club currently has “no interest in dealing anyone from that bullpen trio.” That stance is understandable given how Boston’s pen has helped carry the team this season, so even in a strength-for-strength scenario, the Red Sox might not want to deplete the bullpen to address another need.
Chapman and Whitlock are technically both in the final years of their contracts, but with some level of additional control. The $13MM mutual option for Chapman’s 2027 season vests into a guaranteed salary if he pitches only 40 innings, and he has already logged 19 2/3 frames. The Red Sox hold an $8.75MM club option (with a $1MM buyout) on Whitlock for 2027, and a $10.5MM club option ($100K buyout) on his services for 2028. Slaten would probably be the toughest to pry away in a trade due to his affordability, as the right-hander doesn’t reach arbitration eligibility until this winter.
The Opener: Padres, Freeman, Sasaki, Ashcraft
Kade Morris is set to make his Major League debut today when the Athletics right-hander gets the start against the Astros. Morris will take on a Houston lineup boosted by the return of Jose Altuve, who was activated from the 10-day injured list yesterday and went 1-for-4 in the Astros’ 5-1 win over the A’s in the series opener. A Grade 2 oblique strain went Altuve to the IL on May 18, but the second baseman was able to return in less than three weeks’ time.
1. San Diego’s spiral continues
While it might not have been the top story of the night in New York sports, the Mets got a 5-0 win over the Padres on Friday, led by 5 2/3 shutout innings from Christian Scott. The defeat extended the Padres’ losing streak to six games, and San Diego has scored only 26 runs over an 11-game stretch that has seen the club post an ugly 1-10 record. Strong pitching helped San Diego paper over its offensive woes for much of the season, yet the lack of hitting seems to be catching up to the team. The Padres are hitting a collective .215/.289/.356, ranking last in the majors in all three slash categories while also scoring a league-low 235 runs.
2. Freeman finishes it
Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Dodgers a 1-0 win over the Angels on Friday. Since 1920, only five players have collected more walkoff hits in the regular season and postseason than Freeman, who now has 20 career game-ending hits. Perhaps of even greater import for the Dodgers is that Roki Sasaki recorded 10 strikeouts over seven shutout innings, as Sasaki continues to round into form. Sasaki posted a 5.88 ERA over his first 33 2/3 innings and seven starts of the season, but has now delivered a 1.48 ERA over his last four starts and 4 1/3 frames.
3. Braxton battles the Braves
A nice pitching matchup is on tap today in Atlanta, as Spencer Strider leads the Braves against Braxton Ashcraft and the Pirates. While Paul Skenes rightly gets the nod as Pittsburgh’s ace, Ashcraft has been only a step behind with a 2.77 ERA, 27.3% strikeout rate, and 5.7% walk rate over 74 2/3 innings. The second-year starter faces a big test in the league-leading Braves, who improved to 43-21 after Friday’s 6-3 win over the Pirates in the series opener.
Rays Place Jon Heasley On Injured List
June 2: Tampa Bay announced that Heasley has been diagnosed with a stress reaction in his right elbow, which he evidently suffered while on the big league roster. As a result, his outright was rescinded and he has been placed on the MLB 15-day injured list with an effective date of May 29. That will return him to the 40-man roster, which already had a vacancy after Andrew Wantz was designated for assignment over the weekend.
May 30: Right-hander Jon Heasley has cleared waivers and been outrighted to the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate. (Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported the move shortly before the team’s official announcement.) Heasley isn’t able to decline the outright assignment, so he’ll return to Durham and await his next selection to the active roster.
The Rays signed Heasley to a minor league deal in April and then selected him to their 26-man roster just three days ago. Heasley pitched the final four innings of the Rays’ 11-2 loss to the Orioles on Wednesday, allowing five runs on eight hits, including a pair of home runs. Tampa Bay then designated Heasley for assignment yesterday, and the right-hander made a quick trip through waivers.
Though Wednesday’s outing was far from memorable, it did mark Heasley’s first MLB game in almost exactly two years. Ironically, Heasley’s last appearance was with the Orioles back on May 23, 2024, and that unsuccessful stint saw him post a 16.88 ERA across four games and 5 1/3 innings of work.
A 13th-round pick for Kansas City in the 2018 draft, most of Heasley’s pro career has been spent in the Royals organization, apart from the 2024 season in Baltimore and his current stint in Tampa. Heasley has exhibited good control but only intermittent strikeout ability even in the minors, and his career ERA now stands at 6.04 over 143 frames with the Rays, Orioles, and Royals. Big league batters have taken Heasley yard a stunning 31 times in that relatively brief 143-inning sample size.
Pirates Reinstate Carmen Mlodzinski From Restricted List
June 1: Pittsburgh reinstated Mlodzinski from the restricted list during Monday’s off day, reports Jason Mackey of MLB.com. The right-hander tells Mackey he did not consider a trade request and will be available to pitch out of the bullpen for tomorrow’s series opener in Houston.
“I want to do what’s best to help us win baseball games,” Mlodzinski told MLB.com. “Being around these guys, this team, it’s a pretty cool group to be a part of. Of course I want to start and will always want that, but winning games takes precedence.”
May 31: In an unexpected move, the Pirates placed right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski on the team’s restricted list today. Righty Cam Sanders was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Mlodzinski’s spot on the active roster, and Pittsburgh now has an open spot on its 40-man roster.
As a reminder, players aren’t paid for any time spent on the restricted list, nor do they receive any MLB service time. Clubs usually use the restricted list for players who are suspended, or are dealing with a personal issue that keeps them away from the team for an undetermined period of time. Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Mlodzinski is expected to be available on Tuesday, so it will be just a short absence for the righty.
The reasons for the placement were revealed today by Pirates GM Ben Cherington, who told Beazley and other reporters that Mlodzinski “wasn’t ready to” pitch on Sunday. “Going into the weekend, we understood and communicated with Carmen that at some point this weekend we were going to need him to be ready or we’d have to replace him on the team in fairness to the team, so that’s what happened today.”
The issue seems to stem from the Pirates’ decision to remove Mlodzinski from the rotation when Jared Jones made his return from the 60-day injured list on Friday. Jones joins Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, Mitch Keller, and Bubba Chandler in the starting five, leaving Mlodzinski as the odd man out. As Beazley noted, Mlodzinski was open about his disappointment while speaking with the media on Thursday, and Mlodzinski has been vocal in the past about preferring to work as a starting pitcher.
Mlodzinski said Thursday that he is “still communicating with the organization and the people in my corner, whether that’s my family or my agency, about what is next,” but Cherington said today that the right-hander hadn’t requested a trade. The Pirates control Mlodzinski through the 2029 season, as the right-hander won’t reach arbitration eligibility until the coming offseason.
Over 55 innings this season, Mlodzinski has posted a 3.76 ERA in 11 games — nine proper starts and two bulk-pitcher outings working behind an opener. Mlodzinski’s 8.4% walk rate is around league average but he isn’t missing many bats and he is allowing a ton of hard contact. The right-hander’s 50.9% hard-hit ball rate sits only in the second percentile of all pitchers. Still, Mlodzinski’s SIERA is only 4.21, as he has done a good job of limiting the damage of all that hard contact by allowing only three home runs.
A case can be made that Mlodzinski could’ve or should’ve retained a rotation spot over Bubba Chandler, as Chandler has struggled badly with his control while posting a 4.85 ERA across 52 innings. Since Mlodzinski has more experience as a swingman or long reliever, however, the Pirates opted to use that flexibility by moving him into a relief role, with the knowledge that Mlodzinski would likely have an easier time than Chandler in shifting back to a starting gig down the road.
It is understandable why Mlodzinski isn’t happy with the move, but his impending return on Tuesday probably means there aren’t too many hard feelings. Without much leverage in trade demands, Mlodzinski may simply have to move forward as a reliever for the time being, though obviously any number of circumstances (injuries, more struggles from Chandler, etc.) could open up a rotation spot in the future. Having a de facto sixth starter on the roster is also a good way for the Pirates to help keep the entire rotation fresh for what the team hopes will be a push towards a playoff spot.
Elly De La Cruz To Undergo MRI On Right Hamstring
Elly De La Cruz left the Reds’ 6-4 win over the Braves today due to what the club described as right hamstring tightness. The star shortstop cracked a line drive to the gap in right-center field during the fifth inning, yet held up at first base in obvious discomfort, and then left the game after a visit from team trainers.
Manager Terry Francona told reporters (including the Cincinnati Enquirer’s Pat Brennan) that De La Cruz will undergo an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of the injury. De La Cruz believes he avoided a serious injury, telling the media via a translator that “when I was making the turn for first, I felt tightness in my hamstring and immediately I decide to stop because I felt like ‘if I keep going, this can get worse.’ ”
The Reds host the Royals for a three-game series that begins on Monday, and then have an off-day on Thursday. If the MRI results don’t show anything serious but De La Cruz is still feeling sore, the Reds could opt to play with a short bench during the Kansas City series in the hopes that four days off would allow De La Cruz to be ready for Friday’s game. Dane Myers‘ status is also a factor since the outfielder has missed the last two games due to illness, so if Myers isn’t feeling better by tomorrow, Cincinnati likely wouldn’t want to play with two players unavailable.
Through 58 games, De La Cruz is on pace for what would be the best yet of his four Major League seasons. De La Cruz had two singles, two runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base in his abbreviated outing today, and he is now hitting .280/.346/.509 with 12 homers over 257 plate appearances. Only six qualified hitters in baseball have more than De La Cruz’s 2.5 fWAR, as he has matched his offensive production with improved glovework at shortstop.
Losing De La Cruz for even a 10-day IL stint would be a tough blow to a top-heavy Reds lineup. Outsized contributions from De La Cruz, Sal Stewart, and (in smaller sample sizes) Nathaniel Lowe and JJ Bleday have helped cover for underwhelming starts from several other Cincinnati batters, not to mention shaky pitching from an injury-ravaged rotation and bullpen.
Matt McLain would likely take over at shortstop in the event of a De La Cruz injury, and highly-touted prospect Edwin Arroyo is on the 40-man roster and could be called up to provide infield depth. Between McLain’s struggles at the plate and Ke’Bryan Hayes‘ injury absence, the Reds’ recent lineups have seen Stewart and Eugenio Suarez split the third base and DH at-bats, Spencer Steer has been getting more time at second base, and the hot-hitting Lowe has gotten an increase in playing time at first base.
Phillies Notes: Realmuto, Miller
X-rays were negative on J.T. Realmuto‘s left wrist after the catcher was hit by a Yoshinobu Yamamoto fastball in the third inning of today’s 9-1 Phillies loss to the Dodgers. Realmuto remained in the game and was back behind the plate in the bottom of the third, but was replaced by Rafael Marchan before the bottom of the fourth.
After the game, Phils manager Don Mattingly told MLB.com’s Paul Casella and other reporters that Realmuto was “obviously sore, couldn’t really squeeze, wasn’t gonna be able to swing and actually had a little trouble catching, too. So, sore enough to get him out of there.” Despite this lengthy list of issues, Mattingly felt Realmuto was “gonna be okay” given the x-ray results.
The Phillies don’t play on Monday, so Realmuto has an extra day to heal up before the club begins a six-game homestand on Tuesday against the Padres. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Realmuto also sits Tuesday due to any lingering soreness, and the presence of both Marchan and Garrett Stubbs on the active roster gives the Phillies some flexibility in giving Realmuto some more rest without leaving the club short-handed at the catcher’s spot.
Realmuto missed 10 days earlier this season due to a bad back, and the veteran backstop is one of several Philadelphia hitters who has underperformed at the plate. After signing a new three-year, $45MM free agent deal with the Phillies during the offseason, Realmuto has stumbled out of the gates with a .220/.296/.299 slash line and two home runs over 142 plate appearances.
In a longer-term injury concern, Phillies GM Preston Mattingly didn’t have any new news on the status of infield prospect Aidan Miller, who has been sidelined all season due to ongoing back pain. “We’re leaning on medical. [He’s] still just doing his rehab program at this point. It’s not baseball activities, but as we’ve seen over the years, that could change pretty quickly,” Mattingly told The Athletic’s Charlotte Varnes and other reporters.
Miller dealt with back problems in the second half of the 2025 season, and played through discomfort over a two-month stretch that saw the infielder promoted to Triple-A for the first time. Miller still hit .264/.392/.433 over 526 combined PA between the Double-A and Triple-A levels, but had to finish the year on the Triple-A injured list after only eight games with Lehigh Valley.
The back soreness resurfaced again in Spring Training, and has put a halt to Miller’s fourth pro season. He has been able to play catch and take some grounders, but that has been the extent of his baseball activity for the better part of three months.
Mattingly feels Miller will be able to play before the 2026 campaign is over, though the fact that this is now even a question speaks to the uncertainty surrounding Miller’s status. The team seems to be operating with some extra caution given the lingering nature of this back problem, and how the Phillies “want him to be good to go not just this year, but the rest of his career,” as director of player development Luke Murton told Varnes.
Miller entered 2026 as a consensus top prospect in baseball, with The Athletic’s Keith Law and ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel each ranking the infielder within the top ten of their preseason rankings. It was seen as just a matter of time before Miller made his Major League debut, with the career shortstop seen as a candidate to supplant Alec Bohm at third base or Bryson Stott at second base given how Trea Turner has the shortstop position covered. This extended injury absence has thrown a wrench into all of these plans, and it may be that Miller will have to wait until 2027 to get his first taste of the majors.
Joe La Sorsa To Exercise Upward Mobility Clause In Pirates Contract
For the second time this year, Joe La Sorsa will trigger an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the Pirates. 7 News’ Ari Alexander reports that La Sorsa will exercise the clause tomorrow, and the Pirates will then have to offer the left-hander to the other 29 big league clubs.
If any other team is willing to give La Sorsa a roster spot, the Pirates are required to trade La Sorsa to an interested team, or add them to their own active roster. If none of the 29 teams are interested, La Sorsa will remain in Pittsburgh’s minor league system.
The two sides already went through this process at the end of Spring Training, when La Sorsa exercised his clause and went unclaimed. The Bucs haven’t felt compelled to select La Sorsa’s contract over the last two months, though he has a respectable 3.60 ERA, 5.9% walk rate, and 46.4% grounder rate rate over 25 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis.
La Sorsa has only a 20.8% strikeout rate, which about matches his moderate swing-and-miss ability over his pro career. After breaking into the majors with Tampa Bay in 2023, La Sorsa has a 5.21 ERA, 17.5K%, and 6.3BB% over 57 career innings with the Rays, Nationals, and Reds. The Mets inked La Sorsa to a minors deal last September that didn’t result in any big league playing time, and La Sorsa became a minor league free agent at season’s end before joining the Pirates.
Between closer Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery, and Evan Sisk, Pittsburgh has been getting good results from the left-handed complement of its relief corps. Most teams generally don’t have more than three southpaws in the bullpen, so La Sorsa might not have a path to the Pirates’ roster. That said, the Bucs do have an open spot on the 40-man roster and even on their 26-man, as Cam Sanders was optioned back to Triple-A following a one-game cup of coffee in today’s 9-3 win over the Twins.
Another club with more of a pressing need for left-handed depth could have interest in La Sorsa. He has a minor league option remaining, so he has value for teams looking for bullpen arms that can be shuffled back and forth (up to five times) from Triple-A.