Astros Release Anthony Maldonado
The Astros released Anthony Maldonado, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Maldonado signed a minor league contract with Houston back in November, and will now head elsewhere without logging any time on the team’s active roster.
Over 22 relief innings at Triple-A Sugar Land, Maldonado posted a 2.87 ERA with only one home run allowed. This ability to keep the ball in the park is a marked improvement after Maldonado struggled with homers during his previous two minor league seasons, yet a .200 BABIP is the larger reason for Maldonado’s impressive ERA. A garish 17.4% walk rate is the larger issue, and the righty’s 21.7% strikeout rate is also far below Maldonado’s previous K-rates at the Triple-A level.
Maldonado made his MLB debut with Miami in 2024, and he has a 7.20 ERA over 25 career innings in the Show with the Marlins and Athletics. The West Sacramento team outrighted Maldonado after last season and he elected free agency, as was his right as a player who had previously been outrighted in his career.
Latest On Hunter Greene
Hunter Greene underwent surgery in March to remove bone chips from his right elbow, and the right-hander wasn’t expected to make his 2026 debut until July. Reds manager Terry Francona shed some light on Greene’s progress today, telling media (including Charlie Goldsmith and MLB.com) that the hope is that Greene will be activated from the 60-day injured list before the All-Star break.
The next step will come Monday when Greene is slated to throw a live batting practice session. He has already thrown multiple bullpens, and if all goes well, a minor league rehab assignment doesn’t seem too far off. Greene will surely need at least four minor league outings to fully build his arm strength after such a long absence, yet that would still line the former All-Star up for a return in the early part of July.
Greene’s return can’t come soon enough for a Reds team that has fallen to a .500 record (31-31). Cincinnati started the season with both Greene and Nick Lodolo on the injured list, yet still held a 20-11 record at the end of April. Unfortunately, the Reds then started May with an eight-game losing streak, beginning a spiral that has now put Cincinnati at the bottom of the competitive NL Central.
The Reds’ lineup and bullpen each have plenty of holes, and the rotation hasn’t fared much better since Chase Burns has been the only starter to post consistent results. Lodolo has struggled since his return from the IL, and the starting five took another hit when Rhett Lowder was sidelined due to shoulder problems. Lowder is expected to be activated from the 15-day IL tomorrow to start the Reds’ game with the Cardinals.
Durability remains a question for Greene, as the right-hander has spent at least five weeks on the IL in each of his first five Major League seasons. Over the last two years, however, Greene has looked like a frontline ace when healthy, posting a 2.76 ERA, 29.2% strikeout rate, and 8.1% walk rate over 258 innings since Opening Day 2024. This breakout came after the Reds had already cemented Greene as a cornerstone piece by signing the righty to a six-year, $53MM extension in April 2023.
In some other positive injury news for the Reds, Francona told reporters (including Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer) that Elly De La Cruz‘s next MRI is now scheduled for June 12, instead of the initial June 15 date. The earlier date reflects the progress De La Cruz has already made in his recovery from the hamstring strain that sent him to the 10-day IL last Monday. De La Cruz’s rehab period was initially estimated at 2-to-4 weeks, and it looks like he might be able to return to action on closer to the early end of that timeline.
Mariners Unlikely To Trade From Top Five In Rotation
Despite countless rumors over the years, the Mariners have long been resistant to the idea of trading from their strong rotation. The stance looks to continue at this year’s deadline, as Adam Jude of the Seattle Times writes that the M’s “have given no indication they are willing to move any of their top five starting pitchers this summer.” That being said, Jude speculates that “come July…Luis Castillo’s name figures to resurface in trade chatter.”
The caveat underlines the fact that Castillo is simply no longer viewed as one of the Mariners’ best rotation options. This was reflected when Castillo was twice used as a piggyback starter behind Bryce Miller once Miller returned from a season-opening stint on the 15-day injured list. Emerson Hancock pitched so well in Miller’s regular rotation spot that the M’s kept him on a regular turn, and instead opted for the piggyback strategy on a temporary basis. This didn’t entirely sit well with Miller or Castillo, but the Mariners then moved to a six-man rotation that they’ll employ until the middle of June, once the club is through a busy stretch of the schedule.
It remains to be seen how the M’s will re-adjust back to a five-man rotation at that point, particularly since Castillo has looked a little more like his old self after a rough start to the season. Castillo has allowed one earned run over his last nine innings of work, though his ERA still sits at 5.53 over 55 1/3 total frames. Castillo’s 4.08 SIERA is much more palatable and his walk and strikeout rates are around league average, but the veteran right-hander has also allowed a ton of hard contact.
Most teams would be more than satisfied with this sort of production from a back-end starter, yet Seattle is in the enviable position of having too many starters for too few rotation slots. Beyond Hancock’s breakout, George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Bryan Woo are all pitching well, and Miller has looked tremendous since his return. If this wasn’t enough starting depth, the M’s have a few starters (i.e. Dane Dunning, Randy Dobnak, Jhonathan Diaz, Casey Lawrence) with MLB experience down at Triple-A Tacoma, plus there has been speculation that top prospect Kade Anderson could go from Double-A to the majors before 2026 is over.
Dipping too far down the depth chart has never held much appeal for the Mariners, however, though Hancock’s emergence has been a big help on that front. The “you can never have enough pitching” mantra rings especially loudly for a team aiming to make a World Series run, so the M’s would be hesitant to move even Castillo unless they were sure they had enough starting pitching to cover a lot of extra postseason innings.
Castillo’s contract is another reason why the veteran has been the starter the Mariners have at least been open to moving, even as rival teams have surely asked more about the younger and more controllable arms. Castillo is owed roughly $14.6MM for the remainder of the 2026 season, $22.75MM in 2027, and a $25MM option for 2028 will vest if Castillo pitches at least 180 innings in 2027 and finishes the season healthy.
The no-trade protection that existed in Castillo’s extension is now up, so he can be dealt without his approval. That removes one potential obstacle to a deal, though the price tag remains steep for a 33-year-old pitcher who might be a mid-rotation starter at best at this stage of his career. Seattle probably doesn’t have interest in eating much or any of Castillo’s salary, and trading Castillo for another player with a hefty contract only has limited appeal, unless the M’s felt this hypothetical player would help will another need (probably on offense).
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.
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.