Mark Polishuk | MLB Trade Rumors

Red Sox Place Brennan Bernardino On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | September 13, 2025 at 8:15am CDT

Prior to yesterday’s game, the Red Sox placed left-hander Brennan Bernardino on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 10) due to a left lat strain. Southpaw Chris Murphy was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and Murphy tossed a scoreless inning in Friday’s 4-1 Sox loss to the Yankees.

Bernardino hasn’t pitched since September 6, but Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) that the injury only arose this past Wednesday in the final game of Boston’s series with the Athletics. “Playing catch the last day in Sacramento, [he] felt something grab him below the shoulder, so he had an MRI yesterday,” Cora said.

The severity of the strain wasn’t specified, and it isn’t known if Bernardino will be able to make it back before the end of the regular season. Given the backdated placement, the earliest the lefty could be activated is September 25, which would make him available for Boston’s final four games of the schedule.

The larger question, of course, is whether Bernardino’s status could be in question for a first-round playoff roster, should the Red Sox clinch at least a wild card berth. While Bernardino hasn’t pitched many high-leverage innings this year, the Sox naturally want as many healthy arms as possible when deciding their optimal October roster.

Bernardino has a strong 3.14 ERA over 51 2/3 frames for the Sox in 2025, but a 4.50 SIERA indicates some red flags behind that excellent bottom-line result. Between his .252 BABIP and his ability to induce soft contact, Bernardino’s ability to keep the ball on the ground (49.7% grounder rate) has again been his biggest strength. However, Bernardino’s 19.2% strikeout rate is well below average, and his 11.6% walk rate is only in the sixth percentile of all pitchers. The left-hander has battled control problems in the past, yet his strikeout rate has been steadily declining over his three full Major League seasons.

Trea Turner To Undergo MRI Due To Hamstring Strain

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 10:59pm CDT

4:17pm: Turner is slated to undergo an MRI tomorrow, according to a report from Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Turner told reporters (including Lauber) that he hopes his current ailment proves to be milder than the hamstring strain he suffered last year that sidelined him for six weeks, but an exact timeline won’t be known until his test results come back.

2:58pm: Phillies shortstop Trea Turner made an early departure during the seventh inning of today’s game with the Marlins due to what the Phils announced as a right hamstring strain. A throwing error from Miami shortstop Otto Lopez allowed Turner to reach base, but Turner immediately left the field and headed into the Phils’ dugout, and was replaced by pinch-runner Edmundo Sosa.

Manager Rob Thomson will provide more of an update in his postgame meeting with reporters, but it surely looks like Turner is heading for the injured list. The only question now is the severity of the strain, and whether or not Turner’s availability for the playoffs is now in question. Philadelphia entered today’s action with a healthy seven-game lead in the NL East, and with the second-best record of the division leaders, the Phillies would receive a first-round bye if the postseason began today. Securing the bye gains even greater importance for the Phils if Turner needs a few more days to recover.

Losing Turner would be another huge blow to a Phillies roster that will already be without ace Zack Wheeler for the playoff run. Turner has been not just Philadelphia’s best all-around player but one of the top players in all of baseball in 2025 — his 6.5 fWAR ranks fourth in the league, topped only by Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, and Bobby Witt Jr.

Turner launched his 15th home run of the season today, and the shortstop is now hitting .305/.356/.458 over 637 plate appearances. On top of his 125 wRC+ and 36 stolen bases (in 43 attempts), perhaps the biggest story of Turner’s season is his enormously improved glovework. After posting subpar defensive metrics across the board in 2023-24, Turner has quieted whispers about a possible move to the outfield by delivering +16 Outs Above Average and +2 Defensive Runs Saved from the shortstop position.

Durability has also been a big part of Turner’s production, as he has missed just three of Philadelphia’s games all season. Sosa is the only other player who has gotten any time at shortstop this year, and while the utilityman is a decent replacement, naturally he brings a lot less than Turner in terms of overall productivity. Bryson Stott could also handle some shortstop in a pinch, and Otto Kemp could be called up from the minors to then provide more infield depth if Sosa is taking on more of an everyday role. Star shortstop prospect Aidan Miller is having a big season at Double-A, but it doesn’t seem too likely that the Phils would have Miller bypass Triple-A and toss him into the pressurized environment of a pennant race.

The pickings are slim in terms of external help, as any player acquired off a big league roster isn’t eligible for postseason play. The Phillies can only trade for minor leaguers who haven’t yet appeared either in the Show or on a 40-man roster in 2025, or they can pick up players via the waiver wire. If a team wants to shed some money off the books by designating a shortstop for assignment, the Phils might be more inclined to make a claim if Turner will miss significant time.

AL East Notes: Abreu, Kremer, Sugano, Goldschmidt

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 2:19pm CDT

Wilyer Abreu was (retroactively) placed on the 10-day injured list on August 18 due to a right calf strain, and some eyebrows were raised last Sunday when both Abreu and Red Sox manager Alex Cora didn’t have any sort of timeline in place for the outfielder’s return, other than Abreu stressing that he wanted to “be ready for the playoffs.” Some literal steps in the right direction were taken this weekend when Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters that Abreu took part in running activities on both Friday and Saturday.

Cora described the drills as “the start of the progression,” and noted that Abreu “wasn’t at full speed.” The skipper didn’t have any more details about when Abreu could be tapped for a minor league rehab assignment or an activation from the IL. While naturally the Red Sox won’t rush Abreu for fear of re-aggravating his injury, there is some increased urgency to bolster the outfield now that Roman Anthony’s regular season has possibly been ended by an oblique strain. What was once an overcrowded outfield picture in Boston has been thinned out by the loss of two regulars, leaving the Sox with a Rob Refsnyder/Nate Eaton timeshare in right field since Anthony’s IL placement.

Rangers Shut Down Josh Sborz For Rest Of 2025 Season

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 12:29pm CDT

Josh Sborz’s 2025 season will end without any big league action, as Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told MLB.com’s Kennedi Landry and other reporters that Sborz has been shut down from throwing. Sborz underwent right shoulder debridement surgery last November and didn’t return to game action until he tossed two-thirds of an inning with Triple-A Round Rock on July 12.

The right-hander’s rehab assignment had multiple stops and starts, and Sborz finished with a 5.25 ERA over 12 combined innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Beyond the inflated ERA and the walk rate that was much higher than usual, Bochy made note of Sborz’s velocity drop — the reliever was averaging only 91.7 mph on his fastball, which is well beneath his 95.1 mph average from 2024. Sborz isn’t dealing with any new physical issues, but there wasn’t enough time left on the calendar to get him fully ramped up, so the Rangers will instead put Sborz on the shelf until the start of Spring Training.

It is undoubtedly a frustrating outcome for Sborz, who has now seen essentially two full years of his career spoiled by his bothersome right shoulder. He was limited to 16 1/3 innings with Texas in 2024 due to four different IL stints related to rotator cuff strains and shoulder fatigue, and the hope was that his surgery would correct the issue once and for all. The initial projection was that Sborz would miss the first 2-3 months of the 2025 season, yet a slower-than-expected throwing progression set his clock back and resulted in an entirely lost year.

With elbow problems also limiting Sborz to 22 1/3 innings in 2022, the right-hander’s tenure in Arlington consists of a 4.86 ERA, 28.7% strikeout rate, and 10.0% walk rate over 143 appearances. Sborz’s 3.46 SIERA over that same stretch is probably a better reflection of his overall performance, even if Sborz has had a tendency to hurt himself by allowing home runs. Despite the inconsistent results, Sborz will be fondly remembered in Texas for his 2023 postseason, as he posted an 0.75 ERA over 12 playoff innings to help the Rangers capture the World Series.

The two injury-plagued seasons have coincided with Sborz’s first two years of arbitration eligibility. He avoided the arb process by agreeing to a $1.1MM salary for 2025, and he’ll get only a minimal raise above the number for 2026. The dollars are small enough that Texas will probably still tender Sborz a contract if the team thinks he’ll be fully ready for next year, though a non-tender and then a re-signing on a non-guaranteed deal is a possibility.

Angels Select Sammy Peralta, Designate Chad Stevens

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 12:22pm CDT

The Angels announced that left-hander Sammy Peralta’s contract has been selected from Triple-A Salt Lake. In corresponding moves for the 28-man and 40-man rosters, righty Chase Silseth was optioned to Triple-A, and infielder Chad Stevens was designated for assignment.

After beginning his season in the Mexican League and posting a 2.53 ERA over 21 1/3 innings with El Aguila de Veracruz, Peralta inked a minors deal with the Angels in May. His 4.33 ERA over 70 2/3 innings with Salt Lake is pretty good for the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, plus Peralta has a solid 24.1% strikeout rate and an excellent 4.8% walk rate.

The southpaw’s control has generally been a plus over his minor league career, but he has only an 11.1% walk rate over his 35 career MLB innings, along with a 4.37 ERA and 17.9K% with the White Sox during the 2023-24 seasons. Those two years in Chicago saw Peralta shuffled up and down from Triple-A and on and off the roster in a flurry of transactions, which even included a couple of months in the Mariners organization before he was claimed back by the Sox.

Peralta will now get his first taste of big league action in 2025, adding a fresh arm to a Los Angeles pitching staff that has been pulverized by the Athletics over the last two days. The Angels have been outscored 27-8 in the first two games of their series with the A’s, and Silseth allowed a run in 1 2/3 of relief work in Saturday’s 17-4 rout.

Stevens made his Major League debut earlier this season, hitting .154 in 14 plate appearances during a five-game cup of coffee with Los Angeles in July. An 11th-round pick for the Astros in the 2021 draft, Stevens’ first full Triple-A season has been a triumph, with a .291/.372/.494 slash line over 478 PA with Salt Lake this year.

Given that production, it’s a little surprising that the Angels chose Stevens as the odd man out of the 40-man roster mix. As noted, the PCL environment is quite favorable for hitters, so Stevens’ big numbers translated to a solid but unspectacular 111 wRC+. Stevens has primarily played shortstop in the minors but has a lot of experience at second and third base, plus a smattering of time as a first baseman and corner outfielder. A team in need of versatility could potentially put a claim in for Stevens, who has multiple minor league option years remaining.

Rangers Select Carl Edwards Jr., Designate Caleb Boushley

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 11:12am CDT

The Rangers have selected the contract of right-hander Carl Edwards Jr. from Triple-A Round Rock, according to multiple beat writers. To create space on both the 28-man and 40-man rosters, Texas designed right-hander Caleb Boushley for assignment.

Edwards’ 2025 season has consisted of two big league games with the Angels, a brief stint in the Mexican League, and 15 games (and 50 2/3 total innings) at the Triple-A level with the Angels’ and Rangers’ top affiliates. His time in Mexico ended when the Rangers inked Edwards to a minor league contract in July, and today’s selection is something of a full circle moment in the veteran’s career. Texas drafted Edwards in the 48th round of the 2011 draft, but he has never appeared in a big league game in a Rangers uniform, as the team dealt him to the Cubs in advance of the 2013 trade deadline.

After making his MLB debut with Chicago in 2015, Edwards became a staple of the Cubs’ bullpen during the 2016-18 seasons, but success has been much more sporadic for Edwards in the intervening years. Since Opening Day 2019, Edwards has pitched for seven different teams at the Major League level, with a 4.28 ERA over 124 innings in that nomadic stretch. The righty’s contributions to the last two seasons consisted of just a single game with the Padres in 2024, and then his two games with the Angels earlier this year.

Edwards’ 5.31 ERA over 39 innings at Round Rock doesn’t jump off the page, but his 26% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate, and 53.6% grounder rate are more palatable. The grounder-heavy arsenal has contributed to that inflated ERA, as Edwards has an unlucky .362 BABIP with the Rangers’ Triple-A club. Though Edwards is best known as a reliever, he has been trying to reinvent himself as a starter during his time in the Mexican League and in the minors, and he has started seven of his eight games in Round Rock.

The Rangers used six different pitchers in yesterday’s 11-0 loss to the Astros, so Edwards is very likely being brought up as an innings-eating long relief option rather than as a candidate for the rotation. If Edwards does happen to make a spot start, it would make the first start of his 11-year Major League career.

Boushley was one of the pitchers who took the mound in yesterday’s rout and was hit the hardest, allowing five runs to the Astros in an inning of relief work. If this DFA marks the end of Boushley’s time with the Rangers, he’ll have bookended his stint with five-run appearances, as he was also touched up for five ER over 3 2/3 innings in his Texas debut on April 12.

Over 43 2/3 innings this season, Boushley has an ugly 6.02 ERA but a much more respectable 3.81 SIERA. Some bad batted-ball luck (.358 BABIP) is to blame, not to mention a 58.7% strand rate. Boushley’s 7.3% walk rate and 21.2% strikeout rate have been decent, so a rival team exploring the waiver wire might have interest in the righty’s services. Boushley has two minor league option years remaining, so a waiver claim now could be more designed towards adding some relief depth for 2026 than the remainder of the 2025 campaign.

Boushley had pitched just 6 1/3 big league innings prior to 2025, and he has a 4.60 ERA across 503 1/3 innings (starting 97 of 105 games) at the Triple-A level. He has a prior outright on his resume, so if he clears waivers, Boushley has the right to reject an outright assignment to Round Rock and instead choose free agency.

Mets Activate Reed Garrett, Designate Justin Garza

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 9:43am CDT

The Mets announced five roster moves in advance of today’s game with the Reds, including their official selection of Brandon Sproat’s contract from Triple-A. Sproat will make his MLB debut as today’s Mets starter, and New York is also welcoming right-hander Reed Garrett back from the 15-day injured list. In corresponding 28-man and 40-man roster moves, right-handers Kevin Herget and Wander Suero were optioned to Triple-A, and righty Justin Garza was designated for assignment.

Garza was acquired in a trade with the Giants in June, and his five appearances with the Mets marked the righty’s first Major League action since the 2023 season when he pitched with the Red Sox. While Garza’s first four Mets outings were scoreless, he was torched for four runs in his last game on June 20, and he was optioned to Triple-A Syracuse the next day. His Triple-A work has been far from stellar, as Garza has an 8.17 ERA over 25 1/3 innings in Syracuse.

If Garza clears waivers and is outrighted off the Mets’ 40-man roster, he has the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency, since Garza has already been outrighted earlier in his career. Given the late date on the regular-season calendar and the frequency of the Mets’ bullpen shuffles, Garza might prefer to just stick in the organization if he thinks another call back to the majors might still be in the cards.

A waiver claim is a possibility, if another team is willing to look past Garza’s lack of success in 2025. He has added some velocity to his fastball this season and is now averaging better than 96.1mph in the big leagues and in Triple-A, even if that added heat has actually led to a downturn in his strikeout rate. Garza has also been a lot more homer-prone in 2025 than in past seasons.

Garrett was retroactively placed on the IL on August 23, and he’ll return in short order since his bout of elbow inflammation fortunately didn’t turn out to be too serious. The time off could also act as a bit of a reset, as Garrett struggled to a 15.43 ERA over his last 4 2/3 innings prior to hitting the injured list.

Garrett ranks second on the Mets with 54 appearances, and he’ll resume his role as one of the few true regulars within New York’s revolving door of a bullpen. Over 52 1/3 innings, Garrett has a 3.61 ERA and a strong 28.3% strikeout rate, even if his 11% walk rate is on the high side.

Rays Place Mason Englert On 15-Day Injured List

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 9:35am CDT

The Rays announced that right-hander Mason Englert has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to an impingement in his throwing shoulder. The placement is retroactive to September 4. Righty Cole Sulser was called up from Triple-A to take Englert’s spot on the active roster.

After posting a 5.45 ERA in 77 2/3 innings with the Tigers in his first two Major League seasons, Englert has had a semi-breakout year since being dealt to the Rays in February. The righty has a 3.83 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, and a particularly solid 5.9% walk rate across 44 2/3 innings and 29 appearances for Tampa Bay. Fifteen of Englert’s 29 outings have been longer than one inning, adding to his value as a bullpen weapon.

Since impingements can vary greatly in severity, it isn’t yet known whether or not Englert’s season could be in jeopardy. A minimal 15-day absence would allow Englert to still contribute to Tampa’s final nine games of the regular season, which could be important given how the Rays’ recent hot streak has brought the club back into the wild card race.

Englert is the second Rays reliever to hit the 15-day IL in as many days, as fellow righty Brian Van Belle was also sidelined by elbow inflammation yesterday. Van Belle was slated to undergo an MRI yesterday to look for any structural damage.

Twins Place Ryan Jeffers On 7-Day IL, Designate Brooks Kriske

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 8:55am CDT

The Twins announced that catcher Ryan Jeffers has been placed (retroactive to September 5) on the seven-day injured list for concussion-related injuries. Right-hander Brooks Kriske was designated for assignment in another move, and the two open roster spots will be filled by Triple-A call-ups Pierson Ohl and Carson McCusker.

Jeffers hasn’t played since he left Thursday’s game after taking a foul ball off his mask. The move to the seven-day IL will allow him at least a full week to recover from any lingering symptoms, and gives the Twins a bit of roster flexibility so they aren’t short-handed behind the plate. Jhonny Pereda was already called up from Triple-A on Friday, and Pereda and Mickey Gasper will assume catching duties while Jeffers is sidelined.

One of the few experienced Twins players that wasn’t dealt at the trade deadline, Jeffers has hit .262/.353/.394 with nine home runs over 442 plate appearances this season. This translates to a 111 wRC+, which ranks Jeffers sixth of the 10 catchers who have played enough in 2025 to count as qualified hitters. Jeffers’ power has dropped rather sharply over the last two seasons, yet the 2025 campaign has seen the backstop post career bests in both strikeout and walk rates.

It was just over a month ago that Kriske was claimed off the Cubs’ waiver wire, as Minnesota was looking to add some arms to a bullpen depleted by the team’s many deadline moves. Unfortunately, Kriske’s brief time in the Twin Cities didn’t yield many positive results, as he was pounded to the tune of an 11.25 ERA over 12 innings, with almost as many walks (14) as strikeouts (15). The Athletic’s Aaron Gleeman notes that Kriske posted the second-highest ERA of any Twins pitcher in franchise history with at least 10 innings pitched.

Kriske probably won’t get a chance to improve on his standing, if he is released after clearing waivers. Because teams are always in need of pitching depth, there’s a chance he could be claimed off waivers again, though Kriske’s recent results may not drum up much interest. He also has a 9.56 ERA over 37 2/3 career innings in the majors, but the right-hander posted far better numbers during his minor league career and during a two-season stint in Japan in 2022-23. Since Kriske has been outrighted before, he has the right to reject another outright assignment if he clears waivers, and instead opt for free agency.

Cubs Sign Billy Hamilton To Minors Contract

By Mark Polishuk | September 7, 2025 at 7:50am CDT

The Cubs signed Billy Hamilton to a minor league contract last week, according to Hamilton’s MLB.com profile page. The signing specifically took place on August 31, which means that Hamilton is eligible for a spot on Chicago’s postseason roster.

Hamilton (who turns 35 in two days) was assigned to the Cubs’ Arizona Complex League team and hasn’t yet seen any game action. It could be that Hamilton is simply being ramped up in a Spring Training-esque environment given that he hasn’t played much in 2025, and hasn’t taken part in affiliated baseball since 2023. The outfielder appeared in 132 games in 2024 between stints in the Mexican League and in winter league action, but he has played in just 10 games during the 2025 Mexican League season.

A veteran of 11 Major League seasons from 2013-23, Hamilton is known for his excellent defense and incredible speed, with 326 career stolen bases (out of 398 attempts). Only Starling Marte has more steals since the start of the 2013 season, and Marte amassed his 349 steals with the benefit of over 500 more games than Hamilton. Despite those elite tools, Hamilton has never been much of a hitter, with only a .239/.292/.325 slash line to show for 3285 career plate appearances in the Show.

After beginning his career as the Reds’ regular center fielder, Hamilton’s last few Major League seasons were largely spent bouncing around between several teams as defensive depth and as a pinch-running specialist. This includes a prior stint with the Cubs, and it was exactly five years ago today that Chicago claimed Hamilton off waivers from the Mets. Hamilton started only one of his 14 regular-season games in a Cubs uniform, and came off the bench again in one playoff game, as the Cubs were swept in two games during their wild card series with the Marlins.

A similar role is surely in store for Hamilton if the Cubs decide to add him to their active roster. The Cubs have a sizeable lead in the NL wild card race and are looking like a virtual lock to reach the playoffs, allowing the team some flexibility in using September as a chance to get healthy and to decide on its optimal postseason roster. Chicago isn’t exactly hurting for speed (ranking third in baseball with 142 steals) or outfield depth, but having Hamilton in the organization gives the Cubs yet another option to consider, especially if an injury arises.

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