Mariners To Select Nick Davila
The Mariners are selecting right-hander Nick Davila‘s contract from Double-A Arkansas, the New York Post’s Joel Sherman reports. Lefty Josh Simpson is being optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. The M’s have an open spot on their 40-man roster.
The 27-year-old Davila will be making his big league debut whenever he appears in a game. It is a little unusual to see a team promote a player from Double-A rather than Triple-A, but it could be that the Mariners are particularly intrigued by Davila’s red-hot start to the season. Davila has a 2.00 ERA, a 29.4% strikeout rate, and eye-popping walk (2.9%) and grounder (69.6%) rates over nine relief outings in Arkansas this season.
It’s a small sample size, and obviously facing MLB hitters is a much taller order than Double-A competition. But, Davila has shown good control in the past, and he has shown flashes of his ability to miss bats. Even if the Mariners might just be calling on Davila to be a fresh arm in the bullpen for a few days, it’s still a career milestone for the right-hander and an opportunity to show what he can do during what might be a cup of coffee-type of promotion.
Davila began his career as an undrafted free agent with the Tigers in 2020, though Davila would surely have been drafted if the pandemic-shortened 2020 draft had been longer than only five rounds. Davila has been pitched in Seattle’s farm system for the last four seasons, and his 18 2/3 innings with Tacoma in 2023 represents his only taste of Triple-A ball. Injuries sidelined him for most of the 2024 campaign, but Davila returned to post a 3.55 ERA over 50 2/3 Double-A innings in 2025, though with a 10.1% walk rate and only an 18.3K%.
Blue Jays Activate Trey Yesavage
April 28th: The Jays officially reinstated Yesavage today. Right-hander Chase Lee, who was recalled yesterday when Scherzer hit the IL, was optioned as the corresponding move.
April 25th: Trey Yesavage is ready for his 2026 debut, as the rookie right-hander will be activated from the 15-day injured list prior to Tuesday’s game with the Red Sox. Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) that Dylan Cease, Yesavage, and Max Scherzer will start during the three-game series against Boston. Cease and Patrick Corbin will swap places in the rotation so Corbin will now face the Guardians on Sunday, and Eric Lauer will be moved from a starting role into a long relief role.
Yesavage had never thrown a professional pitch prior to 2025, and his quick path from A-ball to the Blue Jays’ World Series rotation was one of the key storylines of Toronto’s postseason run. After debuting in September with a 3.21 ERA over his first 14 big league innings, Yesavage then had a 3.58 ERA over six games and 27 2/3 frames in the playoffs, highlighted by an epic seven-inning, 12-strikeout performance against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series.
Between the minors, the majors, and the postseason, Yesavage threw a total of 139 2/3 innings in 2025 — a marked increase from the 98 innings Yesavage threw for East Carolina University in 2024 before Toronto made him the 20th overall pick of the 2024 draft. As such, there was already a sense that the Blue Jays would look to limit Yesavage’s innings in 2026 in order to keep the righty from overextending himself, though an immediate hurdle arose when Yesavage arrived at Spring Training with a shoulder impingement.
The Jays took it slow with Yesavage’s workload in camp, and then placed him on the 15-day IL to begin the season so the right-hander could continue to ramp up at his own pace. Yesavage has made four minor league rehab starts, and his most recent outing with Triple-A Buffalo on April 21 saw him toss only 64 pitches, in a step backwards from the 71 pitches he threw in his previous start. Yesavage also has a 7.50 ERA and a 12.5% walk rate across his 12 rehab innings, though on-field results are less important than feel and comfort during a rehab assignment.
As Matheson noted, Yesavage “typically landed more in the range of 65 to 85 pitches” per outing in 2025, and the Blue Jays will probably keep him on something of a similar leash this year. The goal is to keep Yesavage fully past any lingering after-effects of his shoulder problem, and also to keep him fresh for what the Jays hope will be another deep run into October.
For the moment, however, simply getting back to the .500 mark is the first order of business for the 10-15 Blue Jays. Yesavage is one of seven pitchers and 12 players overall on Toronto’s injured list, as a swath of health problems big and small have caused the Jays to stumble out of the gate this season. For the rotation in particular, the absences of Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Jose Berrios, and (to a season-ending ACL tear) Cody Ponce has left the Jays scrambling for pitching despite what seemed to be a surplus of starters in March.
Cease and Kevin Gausman have both been very good, and Patrick Corbin (signed to a one-year, $1MM deal as a response to all the injuries) has managed a respectable 3.86 ERA over three starts and 14 2/3 innings. Scherzer and Lauer have each been hit hard, which is also part of reason for Lauer’s shift back to relief work.
Lauer has been public about his desire to work both as a starter and not work behind an opener when starting, though his 6.75 ERA over 22 2/3 innings has left the southpaw with little room to contest a role change. In regards to Lauer’s comments, Schneider said “he’s still going to pitch meaningful innings for us. Our rotation has been and maybe will continue to be in flux. He was playing catch-up, I think. After his first outing, his stuff was down and there were some delivery things. Just talking to him yesterday, there’s still an opportunity to work on those things.”
Having Lauer work multiple innings out of the bullpen could help him get on track, and should also help relieve some of the pressure on the Blue Jays’ overtaxed relief corps. The 113 1/3 innings pitched by Toronto’s relievers is the fifth-highest total of any bullpen in the league, while the rotation’s 109 1/3 innings are the third-fewest in baseball.
Braves Temporarily Moving Reynaldo Lopez To Relief Role
After having their rotation depth tested by injuries in Spring Training, the Braves now find themselves in the position of having enough arms to allow themselves to tinker with the starting five. With Spencer Strider close to a return to the rotation, Reynaldo Lopez is being moved to the bullpen, as manager Walt Weiss told reporters (including Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) on Sunday.
Lopez’s last start saw him fail to get out of the second inning, as he allowed four earned runs over an inning plus two batters in the Braves’ 11-4 loss to the Nationals last Tuesday. In the aftermath of that tough outing, the decision was made to give Lopez some time to “iron some things out” as a reliever, as Weiss put it.
Lopez is “working through some things, delivery-wise, that type of thing, and he’s getting there,” Weiss said. “And when he’s right, he’s one of our best starters. He was our No. 2 coming out of camp, even with some of the issues he had at the end of Spring Training. We see him as a starter long term, but right now…he’s going to help us out of the pen in the short term.”
The situation is fluid, as Weiss admitted that “it’s series to series with the rotation right now.” Martin Perez, JR Ritchie, and Bryce Elder are lined up to start during the three-game series with the Tigers that begins on Tuesday. Grant Holmes will likely go on Friday against the Rockies and Chris Sale will start Saturday or Sunday, depending on Strider’s readiness.
Strider has been on the 15-day injured list all season recovering from an oblique strain, but he threw 82 pitches in his third rehab start today. Assuming no setbacks, Strider should be able to pitch during one of those two games next weekend in Denver.
Pretty much everything has been clicking for an Atlanta team that has a league-best 20-9 record. The offense, bullpen, and starting rotation have all been rolling, even if the rotation’s collective 3.12 ERA is undermined by some shakier secondary metrics. While it remains to be seen how long the starters can keep it going or how long a leash the Braves may give a rookie like Ritchie or a veteran like Perez (who has already been released and then re-signed to a new minor league deal, and re-selected to the active roster).
This leaves Lopez as an excess arm, even though Lopez’s 3.74 ERA is respectable and he is doing a good job of limiting hard contact. The righty’s 21.1% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate are both below average, however, and his four-seamer’s average velocity is 93.9mph — well below the 95.5mph that Lopez averaged in 2024.
That dominant 2024 campaign saw Lopez post a 1.99 ERA over 135 2/3 innings, as Atlanta’s decision to move Lopez back into a starting role paid big dividends. The end of that breakout year saw Lopez hampered by forearm and shoulder problems, which proved to be a harbinger for a 2025 season that saw Lopez make just a single start. The right-hander underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder following that lone outing, and his rehab was shut down late in the year since Lopez didn’t have enough time to build his arm back up to a starter’s workload.
It isn’t surprising that Lopez needs to shake off some rust after his long layoff, even if he looked pretty good over his first three starts of the year. Having Lopez available out of the pen to throw multiple innings gives the Braves some cover if any of their starters are chased early, and lower-leverage work will hopefully allow Lopez to solve his mechanical issues.
Cardinals To Activate Hunter Dobbins On Thursday
The Cardinals are three games into a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, and this busy schedule has presented an opening for Hunter Dobbins to make his Cards debut. Manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) that Dobbins will be called up from Triple-A, where he is pitching on a rehab assignment, to make a spot start on Thursday when the Cardinals wrap up their four-game series with the Pirates.
Thursday’s game will mark Dobbins’ first appearance in a St. Louis uniform, and his first MLB outing since he tore his right ACL during a fielding play last July 11 when Dobbins was still pitching with the Red Sox. Between that season-ending injury and an elbow strain that kept him on the injured list for three weeks, Dobbins’ first Major League season was limited to 61 innings.
The right-hander had a respectable 4.13 ERA and a solid 6.6% walk rate, though his strikeout and whiff rates were well below average. Between the ACL tear and the fact that the Sox had several other young pitchers ahead of Dobbins on the depth chart, Dobbins was one of three pitchers dealt to St. Louis in December in exchange for Willson Contreras. Prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita were more long-term projects, but in Dobbins, the Cardinals landed a big league-ready starter who was ready to contribute in 2026 once his ACL rehab was complete.
Over five Triple-A starts this season, Dobbins has a 4.37 ERA, 19.8% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate in 22 2/3 innings. The end of his 30-day rehab period lines up well with this extended stretch of games for the Cardinals, so Dobbins can fit right into the rotation for at least one turn.
As expected for a rebuilding team’s pitching staff, the Cardinals haven’t gotten much out of their rotation to date. Michael McGreevy‘s elite walk rate has carried him to strong results despite one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball, but Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Andre Pallante, and Kyle Leahy have all struggled to varying degrees. Dobbins may not be viewed as a front-of-the-rotation type, but a good showing on Thursday would both achieve some peace of mind for the righty after his long rehab, and likely earn him more starts down the road.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Mark P
- The Weekend Chat is underway! I had some trepidation about starting a chat tonight since I can’t help but feel like another managerial firing might happen any minute now, but let’s take the plunge….
Rene
- Bigger disappointment? Mets or Phillies
Mark P
-
Bigger disappointment?
Mets (57.9% | 564 votes)Phillies (42.0% | 410 votes)
Total Votes: 974 - This might be as close to a 50-50 result as we’ve had on any poll
Castellanos
- Are the pads really going to keep me on the roster with andujar and France there too? Really seems like a lefty bat would make way more sense…
Mark P
- Castellanos probably isn’t long for the roster. The Phillies are covering virtually all of his salary, making him just a flier for San Diego. If Castellanos can’t get things turned around quickly, the Padres can cut him without a second thought
Thunderwriter
- What is the value of a MLB draft pick if they were allowed to be traded?Give a player a qualifying offer and that will dampen his market. Teams are basically saying that they don’t want to lose the draft pick to sign the player. The pick is too valuable.
My Phillies tried all offseason to unload Nick Castellanos‘ contract and couldn’t find any takers. Are you going to tell me that if they were able to attach a third-round pick that half the league would all of a sudden been interested in him … even teams like the A’s and Rays?
Mark P
- The qualifying offer only tends to impact free agents whose markets were a little tenuous in the first place. Likewise, attaching a draft pick to a bad contract wouldn’t do a ton to improve the trade value of that player of his deal.
Kegger
- Was there a better solution for the red sox than firing manager? Just patience better?
Mark P
- Can’t help but think there’s some real behind-the-scenes intrigue that went into Boston’s decision. Cleaning house on the manager and coaching staff just a few weeks into the season is a bold move, notwithstanding how mediocre the Sox have been.It is also worth noting that the Sox are exactly 3.5 games out of a wild card slot, since most of the American League has also been struggling. So there was still lots of time for the team to turn things around with Cora in the dugout.
- But, obviously the front office felt that a change was needed. Barring a big turn-around, one has to think Breslow’s time as CBO might not last the season
Lefty Shellhammer
- Has Landon Roupp reached Ace status’s on this team? I’m genuinely concerned that Logan Webbs best days are slowly disappearing. What you say?
Mark P
- I’m more keen on Roupp’s emergence than I am down on Webb. I think Webb will ultimately be just fine, at least as a top-of-the-rotation guy if not THE ace. But, Roupp’s nice start is a very good development for SF
Atl
- what’s that mean for my Bravos
Mark P
- April is awfully early to be crowning a division champion, but the Braves are already in incredible shape to win the NL East. The Mets and Phillies are in freefall, the Nationals are rebuilding, and the Marlins’ ceiling may be .500.Perhaps Miami could also be the big beneficiary (bene-Fish-iary?!) here, as they’ve got second place staring them in the face. Depending on how the rest of the NL plays out, the Marlins might be able to sneak into a wild card slot
Mets Sign Austin Slater, Designate Tommy Pham For Assignment
The Mets have agreed to sign outfielder Austin Slater, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports. Slater’s signing comes shortly after news broke that outfielder Tommy Pham was designated for assignment, as per Mike Puma of the New York Post. It can be assumed that Slater will take Pham’s spot on the active roster and 40-man roster, though New York still has only 39 players on the 40-man even with Slater’s arrival.
Slater is now on his third team in a little over a month’s time. The Tigers signed Slater to a minor league contract over the offseason, and after Slater triggered the first mandatory opt-out clause in that contract at the end of camp, Detroit released the veteran rather than add him to the Opening Day roster. Slater then quickly landed with the Marlins on a one-year, $1MM guarantee, but was designated for assignment after 12 games.
It was just earlier today that Slater cleared waivers and he elected to become a free agent. Because he has more than five years of MLB service time, Slater can keep the remainder of that $1MM salary, so the Mets might just be paying him a prorated big league minimum salary (which is subtracted from the $1MM total, with the Marlins covering the rest).
Slater hit only .174/.286/.174 over his 28 PA in a Miami uniform, though that is still better than Pham’s numbers in a similarly small sample size with the Mets. Assuming that the DFA will end Pham’s tenure in Queens, Pham will conclude his nine-game stint with zero hits and just a single walk over 14 plate appearances.
New York signed Pham to a minor league contract right at the start of the season and then selected him to the active roster on April 13. His long stay in free agency meant that the veteran didn’t get any sort of traditional Spring Training, though he got some ramp-up time in the Mets’ extended spring camp and five games of single-A ball with the team’s St. Lucie affiliate. While 14 PA isn’t a huge sample, it is safe to wonder if Pham simply wasn’t yet ready to face big league pitching, notwithstanding the fact that Pham has plenty of experience as a 13-year MLB veteran.
The selection to New York’s roster locked in a prorated $2.25MM salary for Pham in 2026. Another team would absorb the remainder of that salary if Pham is claimed off waivers, but the likelier scenario is that Pham goes unclaimed, leaving the Mets on the hook for the remaining money no matter what the next step is in Pham’s career.
He has more than enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, though it’s possible Pham might accept an outright just to get more playing time in the Mets’ farm system, with a handshake agreement in place to recall Pham once he is fully ramped up. However, the Slater signing probably means Pham’s time in New York is over, and he’ll be released if he isn’t claimed. A new team could then sign Pham to a contract and only owe him a minimum salary, which is subtracted from the Mets’ $2.25MM figure.
Pham and Slater are both right-handed hitting outfielders, and Slater has more of a reputation as a lefty-masher even though his numbers against southpaws have been average to mediocre over the last three seasons. Pham has also not been particularly productive since 2023 (a season that included his first stint with the Mets), as he hit .246/.317/.369 over 927 PA with the White Sox, Cardinals, Royals, and Pirates in 2024-25.
With 10 different teams on his big league resume, Pham might well land with team #11 in relatively short order, or perhaps revisit another of his former organizations. Slater spent his entire Major League career with the Giants before the team dealt him to the Reds in July 2024, and Slater has since also become a journeyman who has now played for six different clubs at the MLB level.
Slater should slide right into Pham’s role as the complement to the left-handed hitting Carson Benge, who has yet to get going at the plate in his rookie season. Benge’s struggles are just one drop in the bucket of calamity that has been the 2026 Mets’ season, as the team has sunk to a 9-19 record (tied with the Phillies for the worst in baseball) after being swept by Colorado in today’s doubleheader.
Yankees To Promote Jasson Dominguez
The Yankees are calling Jasson Dominguez back up to the big leagues, according to reporter Francys Romero. The move will be made official prior to tomorrow’s game with the Rangers.
Dominguez is already on the 40-man roster, and New York already has an opening on its 26-man roster since Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A after his start today. Calling up Dominguez in Gil’s place, however, would leave the Bronx Bombers with only 12 pitchers on their active roster, so it seems more likely that another pitcher will be summoned tomorrow as a fresh arm for the bullpen.
To balance out the position-player side, it may be that Dominguez’s return is related to the calf injury that has sidelined Giancarlo Stanton for the last two games. Stanton left Friday’s game due to tightness in his right calf, and given the slugger’s long history of leg injuries, the Yankees could place Stanton on the 10-day injured list in at least a precautionary move.
All 23 of Stanton’s appearances this season have been as a designated hitter, so if Stanton is indeed heading to the IL, the Yankees now have the flexibility to rotate multiple players through the DH spot. Dominguez might well take some of those at-bats himself, or he could play in the outfield while any of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, or Trent Grisham are given a partial rest day.
Dominguez burst into the majors with four homers and a .258/.303/.677 slash line over 33 plate appearances when he debuted near the end of the 2023 season. It seemed like “the Martian” was on his way to living up the hype associated with his status as one of baseball’s top prospects, but he underwent a Tommy John surgery just eight games into his big league tenure. The TJ rehab and an oblique strain limited him to 58 minor league games and 18 MLB games in 2024, and Dominguez then hit .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs over 429 PA for New York in 2025.
It was a decent but unspectacular first full season for Dominguez, as his offensive numbers translated to a 103 wRC+. He struck out 115 times in his 429 PA, however, and made plenty of hard contact but had trouble consistently keeping the ball in the air. Dominguez’s biggest struggles came on defense, as he had -7 Defensive Runs Saved and -9 Outs Above Average over his 793 innings in left field.
Dominguez has reduced his strikeout rate to 15.2% over 99 Triple-A plate appearances this year, while hitting .306/.404/.471 with three homers for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Still, Dominguez doesn’t have anything left to prove in the minors at this point, as the question is now whether or not he can be a productive big leaguer.
It certainly isn’t too late for Dominguez given that he is still only 23 years old, but the crowded state of the Yankees’ outfield and Stanton’s presence as the regular DH left the Martian without a 26-man roster spot on Opening Day. The fact that New York re-signed Bellinger last winter was another sign that the club still had reservations about giving Dominguez more regular playing time in 2026.
Yankees Option Luis Gil To Triple-A
The Yankees announced that Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following the right-hander’s tough start against the Astros today. No corresponding move was announced, but the Yankees will likely call up another pitcher prior to tomorrow’s game with the Rangers.
Gil didn’t record a strikeout over four innings pitched today, allowing six earned runs on five hits and three walks. Two-run homers from Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker accounted for most of the damage in what wound up as a 7-4 Houston victory, and Gil has now allowed six home runs in only 19 1/3 innings this season.
Gil didn’t make his 2026 debut until April 10, as the Yankees kept him in Triple-A since multiple off-days in the early portion of the schedule left the team without any need for a fifth starter. In four starts since his return to the Show, Gil has a 6.05 ERA and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9), in addition to his problems in keeping the ball in the yard.
After winning AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, a right lat strain sidelined Gil for most of last season, though he returned in August to post a 3.32 ERA over 11 starts and 57 innings. Gil achieved that solid ERA despite a host of subpar secondary metrics, and his struggles have now carried over into 2026.
It’s clear that something isn’t quite right with Gil, so he’ll return to Triple-A to try and work out the kinks before his next call up to the Show. What remains to be seen, however, is when that next opportunity could come, as Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole are both making strides in their rehab assignments. Rodon is expected to need two more rehab starts, so he could be back in New York’s rotation within the next two weeks. Cole is still probably a month or so away from his return from Tommy John surgery.
Once Cole and Rodon are back, they’ll join Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and perhaps Ryan Weathers within what looks to be one of baseball’s top rotations. Weathers could be the odd man out and moved into long relief duty even though he has pitched well, but the Yankees could also deploy a six-man rotation or use Weathers as a spot starter or piggyback starter in order to manage everyone’s innings. Since this is Schlittler’s first full MLB season and Cole and Rodon are both returning from injury, the Yankees will be creative in finding ways to keep everyone fresh for what the club hopes is a deep playoff run.
In the short term, the Yankees’ upcoming off-day on Thursday means the club could skip Gil’s turn in the rotation without the need for a replacement starter. Beginning Friday, however, New York plays 13 games in 13 days, so the Yankees will need to fill at least one start before Rodon is perhaps ready for his season debut. The Yankees could consider a bullpen game, or top prospect Elmer Rodriguez might be given his first taste of big league action.
NL Central Notes: Jones, Lodolo, Trevino, Pages
A little over 11 months after undergoing an internal brace surgery, Jared Jones is slated to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday with the Pirates‘ low-A affiliate in Bradenton. Pirates GM Ben Cherington made the announcement on his weekly radio show, telling MLB.com’s Jason Mackey that Jones has “passed all the physical checks. He pitched in an extended game last week [and] was up to 100 mph. He has the velocity and has been recovering well. Now he has to get back into that routine of being a pitcher and getting outs.”
While Paul Skenes naturally garnered most of the headlines in 2024, Jones also made his big league debut that season and posted a 4.14 ERA over 121 2/3 innings and 22 starts. He hasn’t been able to follow up on that solid rookie campaign due to elbow problems that surfaced late in Spring Training 2025, though Jones was able to avoid a full Tommy John surgery. The shorter timeline usually associated with an internal brace procedure means that Jones is on track to return to Pittsburgh by late May or early June, if all goes well in his rehab. Interestingly, Mackey floated the idea that Jones could be used as a piggyback starter or even as a reliever if the Buccos want to limit his innings in his return from major surgery, as the Pirates’ rotation is strong enough at the moment that Jones isn’t necessarily needed for starting duty right away.
More from the NL Central…
- Nick Lodolo recorded seven strikeouts and allowed only two hits over five scoreless innings and 51 pitches for high-A Dayton in the first start of the Reds southpaw’s latest rehab assignment. Lodolo has yet to pitch in the majors this season due to blister problems that arose during Spring Training, and more blisters cut short his first rehab start with Dayton back on April 2. A few more weeks of recovery may have finally gotten the problem under control, though the extra time away means Lodolo will need another rehab start or two to build up his arm strength. Despite a lack of hitting and the absence of top starters Lodolo and Hunter Greene, the Reds weathered the storm to post an 18-10 record in their first 28 games.
- The Reds also activated catcher Jose Trevino from the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Tigers, and catcher P.J. Higgins was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. A thoracic spine strain has kept Trevino out of action since April 4. Now in his second season with the Reds, Trevino will resume his duties as a glove-first backup behind starting catcher Tyler Stephenson.
- Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages left Saturday’s game due to left hamstring tightness, but Pages told media (including Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that he is day to day after scans revealed no substantive damage. “Everything’s intact from the hamstring. It’s just more swelling in the area, which is fine. I just got to flush it out and be ready to go,” Pages said. The backstop didn’t play today but believed he could be ready Monday when the Cardinals open a series in Pittsburgh. Though the Cards don’t have an off-day until May 11, they have the catching depth to afford Pages extra rest time if necessary since Ivan Herrera and Yohel Pozo are both on the active roster. Known more for his glove than his bat, Pages has a respectable 101 wRC+ (from a .250/.310/.404 slash line) over his first 59 plate appearances.
Phillies Reinstate Zack Wheeler From 15-Day Injured List
Zack Wheeler is officially back on the Phillies’ roster, as the team announced that the right-hander has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list in time to start tonight’s game against the Braves. Righty Alex McFarlane was optioned to Triple-A to create space on the 26-man roster.
The three-time All-Star last appeared in a big league game on August 15, as his 2025 season was unexpectedly brought to an early end after Wheeler posted a 2.71 ERA over 24 starts and 149 2/3 innings. Wheeler was placed on the IL the next day due to the discovery of a blood clot near his throwing shoulder, and he quickly underwent surgery to have the clot removed. A thoracic outlet syndrome procedure followed in late September, and the fact that Wheeler had the venous form of TOS provided some hope that he would be able to return to pitching in relatively short order. (By comparison, the neurogenic form of TOS is more harmful to a pitcher’s recovery since it relates to nerve problems, if less of a threat health-wise.)
The initial optimism over Wheeler’s potential for a quicker return has proved true in the sense that the ace will be back on the mound today, almost exactly seven months to the day after his surgery. What remains to be seen, of course, is whether or not Wheeler will be able to return as a front-of-the-rotation starter. While TOS surgery is still a relatively new procedure and there isn’t a lengthy track record on recoveries, the list of pitchers who haven’t been the same after the surgery is considerably longer than the list of pitchers who returned in good form. Merrill Kelly is the best-case scenario of a hurler who continued to pitch well after undergoing a TOS procedure.
In terms of pure results, Wheeler’s 5.85 ERA over 20 innings in five rehab starts isn’t a great sign, nor is the fact that his average fastball velocity sat at only 92.9mph. (Wheeler’s career average is 95.8mph.) Still, Wheeler threw at least 72 pitches in each of his last two outings, and Phillies manager Rob Thomson suggested earlier this week that Wheeler wouldn’t be used beyond six innings or around the 90-pitch mark tonight.
Even if it may take a while before Wheeler looks like his old self, even a C+ version of Wheeler can boost a Phillies rotation that has struggled massively in the early going. The rotation’s cumulative 5.68 ERA ranks 28th of 30 teams in starter ERA, as everyone besides Cristopher Sanchez has yet to get on track. The starters have been only one piece of what has basically been a team-wide slump for the 8-18 Phillies, who take a 10-game losing streak into tonight’s contest.