Marlins Select Christian Roa, Release Declan Cronin

The Marlins announced a trio of roster moves, including the news that right-hander Christian Roa‘s contract has been selected from Triple-A Jacksonville.  To open up space on the 28-man and 40-man rosters, Miami placed right-hander Freddy Tarnok on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 3), and released right-hander Declan Cronin.

Roa will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in his first Marlins game.  A second-round pick for the Reds in the 2020 draft, Roa struggled with control problems in 2023-24 and his 2024 season was cut short by injury.  This didn’t stop the Marlins from claiming him off waivers last November, and the righty has rebounded with a better showing in a full-time relief role in 2025.

Over 57 1/3 innings in Jacksonville, Roa has a 2.83 ERA and a 26.1% strikeout rate.  The 12% walk rate is still on the high side and Roa has benefited from a tiny .221 BABIP, but the bottom-line efforts have been enough to earn Roa his first taste of Major League action.

Tarnok is dealing with a left ankle sprain, and the timing of the injury means that he could be shut down for the rest of the season unless there’s some quick progress in his recovery.  With a whopping 17 players now on the injured list, the Marlins as a whole are to some extent just trying to get to the finish line of the season, though Kyle Stowers, Ryan Weathers, and Janson Junk are all expected to be activated from the IL within the next week.

A minor league signing for the Marlins last winter, Tarnok had his minors contract selected to the active roster in mid-June, and he has made five appearances for Miami while being frequently optioned back and forth from Triple-A.  Within the small sample size of 7 1/3 innings, Tarnok has a 2.45 ERA and a big 35.7% strikeout rate, with a 14.3% walk rate.  This marks Tarnok’s first big league action since 2023, and he has a career 3.97 ERA across 22 2/3 innings with the Marlins, Athletics, and Braves.

Cronin’s release comes as the right-hander has been on Jacksonville’s IL for about the last three weeks, due to an undisclosed injury.  Cronin already missed the first two months of the season due to a hip problem, and with a 4.87 ERA over 20 1/3 Triple-A innings, Cronin didn’t seem to be 100 percent.

After tossing 11 innings with the White Sox in his 2023 debut season, Cronin became a regular in Miami’s bullpen last year.  Cronin’s 4.35 ERA wasn’t too impressive, but that statistic was inflated by a .365 BABIP, as the righty didn’t receive much good fortune from his 57.6% grounder rate.  His 23.2% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate were also solid, and Cronin was a workhorse in tossing 70 1/3 innings over 56 appearances.

These numbers were strong enough that it is a little surprising to see Cronin released entirely, even despite his tough 2025 season.  It could be that the Marlins have a handshake deal in place to bring Cronin back, and today’s move was made just to open up a 40-man roster spot.

Astros Notes: Meyers, Ort, Dezenzo

After close to two months on the injured list, Jake Meyers might make his return to the Astros lineup as early as today.  Meyers played six games during a minor league rehab assignment and then rejoined the big league team for a workout on Friday, though manager Joe Espada (speaking with the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters) didn’t give any hint about when exactly Meyers might be activated from the 10-day IL.

Meyers’ excellent glove earned him at least part-time duty as Houston’s center fielder during his five MLB seasons, and he moved into more of an everyday role in 2024.  Continuing that regular job this year, Meyers responded with his best sustained stretch of hitting, as he batted .308/.369/.405 with three homers and 14 steals (in 19 attempts) over his first 322 plate appearances of 2025.  However, this impressive start was interrupted by a right calf strain that has kept Meyers on the IL since early July.

If Meyers is able to keep up that hot hitting along with his customary defense, he’ll suddenly be a tremendous all-around addition for an Astros club fighting to stay in first place in the AL West.  Houston has remained in first place despite dealing with a ton of injuries, and even with Meyers on the verge of returning, the IL carousel continued yesterday when Kaleb Ort was placed on the 15-day injured list.  (Colton Gordon was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and Gordon started yesterday’s game with the Rangers.)

Ort is dealing with right elbow inflammation, and according to Espada, Ort was feeling sore in the aftermath of his most recent outing — a rough two-thirds of an inning against the Yankees that saw Ort charged with four runs.  There isn’t yet any word on the seriousness of Ort’s injury, yet given both the calendar and the caution teams usually deploy with elbow injuries, it is possible Ort’s season might be in jeopardy even if his scans come back clean.

Now in his fifth MLB season, Ort had a bit of a breakout in 2024, posting a 2.55 ERA over 24 2/3 innings in his first year in Houston.  Things haven’t gone as smoothly this year, as Ort missed the first month due to an oblique strain, and has a 4.89 ERA and an inflated 13.9% walk rate over 46 relief innings.  Ort did seem to be getting on track with a 1.80 ERA in the 15 innings pitched prior to Thursday’s meltdown against the Yankees.

If there’s still hope that Ort can make it back before the season is over, Zach Dezenzo‘s outlook looks much more uncertain.  The Astros announced yesterday that Dezenzo was pulled off his rehab assignment after suffering a right elbow sprain.  As Espada told Kawahara and company, Dezenzo hurt his elbow making a throw on Tuesday during a game with Triple-A Sugar Land.

Dezenzo’s last game with the Astros came on May 31, as he suffered a capsule sprain his left hand that sent him to the 10-day and eventually the 60-day version of the injured list.  The elbow issue surfaced just as Dezenzo seemed to be approaching a return to the majors, as the outfielder was playing in his fifth rehab game.

It’s a tough break for what may end up as a lost season for the 25-year-old.  Dezenzo made his Major League debut in 2024, and he has a .244/.305/.369 slash line over 174 career PA at the big league level.  This brief time in the Show saw Dezenzo utilized primarily at first base and in both corner outfield slots, with a few fill-in appearances as a third baseman last year.

Mets Sign Joe La Sorsa To Minors Contract

1:12PM: The Mets have signed La Sorsa to a minor league contract, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports.  La Sorsa will provide some left-handed bullpen depth for a New York team that has had a revolving door of relievers going up and down from Triple-A all season.

11:59AM: Left-hander Joe La Sorsa has chosen to become a free agent instead of accepting an outright assignment to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, according to reporter Charlie Goldsmith.  Cincinnati designated La Sorsa for assignment earlier this week, and after he cleared waivers, La Sorsa had the ability to decide his next step since he has been previously outrighted in his career.

Over his first two MLB seasons, La Sorsa posted a 4.47 ERA over 50 1/3 innings and 41 games with the Rays and Nationals in 2023-24.  Cut loose by the Nats over the offseason, the southpaw caught on with Cincinnati on a minors contract, and that contract was selected to the active roster in early June.

The Reds made only sporadic use of La Sorsa and frequently only kept him in the majors for brief stints, and the up-and-down usage may have contributed to his ugly 10.80 ERA over five appearances and 6 2/3 innings.  Within that small sample size, La Sorsa was tagged for four home runs.

Time is running out on La Sorsa’s chances of landing a big league job with another team before 2025 is over, yet signing elsewhere on another minors deal might at least give the lefty a head start on the offseason.  La Sorsa has another minor league option year remaining, and clubs might be intrigued by La Sorsa’s career 2.88 ERA over 134 1/3 Triple-A innings.  These excellent bottom-line results come with a modest 19.05% strikeout rate, and La Sorsa’s walk rate also drastically spiked upward when pitching with Triple-A Louisville this season.

AL Central Notes: Ragans, Sewald, Olson, Brennan

Cole Ragans is set to begin a rehab assignment on Sunday, with a scheduled two-inning start planned with Triple-A Omaha.  It has now been over three months since Ragans was sidelined by a rotator cuff strain, and if the southpaw is able to make it back to the Royals rotation before the season is over, it won’t be in a full-fledged starting role.  “We know we don’t have the time to get him built up to five or six innings,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (including Jaylon Thompson of the Kansas City Star), indicating that Ragans would still be a starter, but perhaps in a piggyback capacity or as the lead pitcher of a bullpen game.

Seth Lugo was just placed on the 15-day IL earlier this week due to a back strain, and Kris Bubic‘s season was ended by a rotator cuff strain in late July.  Despite these and other injuries, the Royals’ pitching staff has still been the biggest factor in keeping the team afloat in the wild card race, as Kansas City’s offense has remained inconsistent.  If the Royals can stick around in the playoff hunt until late September, getting Ragans back in even a limited capacity might be a huge boost in helping K.C. return to the postseason.

More from around the AL Central…

  • Paul Sewald began a rehab assignment with the Tigers‘ high-A affiliate on Thursday.  Sewald hasn’t pitched since July 11 when he was still a member of the Guardians, and his placement on Detroit’ 60-day IL means that he can’t be activated until September 10 at the absolute earliest.  Though Sewald remains on the mend with a right shoulder strain, the Tigers felt comfortable enough in his ability to return this season that the righty was acquired from the Guards at the deadline.  Shoulder problems have limited Sewald to only 15 1/3 innings this season, and he has a 4.42 ERA over his last 55 MLB frames with Cleveland and Arizona during the 2024-25 campaigns.
  • Turning to another pitcher on the Tigers‘ 60-day injured list, Reese Olson has started a throwing progression as he works his way back from his own right shoulder strain.  Ramping up throwing work now might give Olson a chance at making a playoff roster — he was placed directly on the 60-day IL on July 28, so he is only eligible to return for the last couple of games of Detroit’s regular-season schedule.  Even the slightest setback would almost surely shut Olson down for 2025 entirely, and even if healthy, it remains to be seen if the Tigers would entrust a playoff roster spot to a pitcher coming off such a long layoff.  Olson has pitched well as a starter over his three seasons in Motown, but would likely be used as a reliever in the playoffs since he doesn’t have enough time to fully rebuild his arm strength.
  • Guardians outfielder Will Brennan underwent a sports hernia surgery to correct a lingering groin injury, according to MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins.  Brennan’s 2025 season was already over due to a Tommy John surgery back in June, but even after the TJ procedure and his latest surgery, Brennan is expected to be ready for the start of Cleveland’s spring camp in February.  The outfielder played in 252 games with the Guardians in a part-time capacity in 2023-24, but after starting 2025 in the minors and then getting injured, Brennan appeared in just six MLB contests this year.

Brewers Place Nick Mears On 15-Day Injured List

Prior to yesterday’s 5-2 win over the Pirates, the Brewers placed right-hander Nick Mears on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 2) due to back tightness.  Right-hander Carlos Rodriguez was called up from Triple-A Nashville to take Mears’ spot in Milwaukee’s bullpen.

Mears had a 5.20 ERA over 107 1/3 career innings heading into the 2025 season, including a 7.30 ERA in 12 1/3 frames for Milwaukee after the Brewers acquired him from the Rockies prior to the 2024 trade deadline.  In the latest example of the Brewers getting results from an unheralded pitcher, Mears has stepped up as a reliable member of the bullpen this year, posting a 3.42 ERA over 52 2/3 frames.  His 21.3% strikeout rate is subpar, and Mears has allowed a lot of hard contact that has been mitigated by a .225 BABIP.  On the plus side, his tiny 5.0% walk rate is excellent, and Mears has one of baseball’s best chase rates due in large part to his outstanding slider.

The numbers would look even better if Mears hadn’t allowed three runs in his last game, as the righty was hit hard over an inning of work in the Brewers’ 10-8 loss to the Phillies on September 1.  It is fair to assume that Mears’ bad back played in a role in that rough outing, and the injury may have been lingering for a while, as Brew Crew manager Pat Murphy first mentioned that Mears was dealing with back problems in late July.

A club official told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy that Mears may be able to return after just a minimal 15-day absence, though back injuries tend to have an uncertain timeline.  Even if Mears isn’t out for too long, he is now the fifth Brewers reliever to hit the IL in the last weeks.  Closer Trevor Megill, DL Hall, Grant Anderson, and Shelby Miller are all also sidelined, and in Miller’s case, his season has been ended by a UCL sprain that will likely require Tommy John surgery.

Murphy provided some other injury updates Friday, telling McCalvy and company that Anderson is slated to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment today.  Megill hasn’t pitched since August 24 due to a flexor strain, but he has started throwing bullpen sessions and the club has set September 16 as a tentative target date for the closer’s return.

The Brewers have baseball’s best record and a pretty comfortable 5.5-game lead in the NL Central, so they have some luxury in waiting out this spate of bullpen injuries.  The chief priority is to have as many healthy pitchers as possible heading into the playoffs, so if Mears or anyone else needs an extra few days to recover, Milwaukee will be as risk-adverse as possible.

Kenta Maeda Plans To Pitch In Japan In 2026

In an appearance on TV Tokyo’s “Sports Real Live” show (Japanese language link from Yahoo Japan), Kenta Maeda said that he is leaving North American baseball behind at the conclusion of the 2025 season.  Maeda revealed that he initially made his decision after signing his two-year, $24MM deal with the Tigers that that would be his final contract with a Major League team, and he is hoping to continue his career in Japan with a Nippon Professional Baseball club in 2026.

Maeda (who turns 38 in April) began his pro career with eight seasons with the Hiroshima Carp before being posted for MLB clubs, and signing an incentive-heavy eight-year, $25MM deal with the Dodgers back in January 2016.  Maeda’s stint in North America has seen him suit up in nine Major League seasons, with the 2022 campaign missed entirely since he was recovering from a Tommy John surgery.

After struggling badly in the first year of his Tigers contract, a move to the bullpen didn’t change Maeda’s fortunes this year, and Detroit released the right-hander in early May.  He then joined the Cubs on a minor league contract before being released in early August, quickly landing with the Yankees on another minors deal.  Over 76 1/3 Triple-A innings this season, Maeda hasn’t shown any of his old form, posting a 6.25 ERA for New York and Chicago’s top affiliates.

During the TV Tokyo interview, Maeda said his family has been living in Japan during his year in the minors, in order to have some stability while Maeda has now bounced around to multiple teams.  His recent on-field results (or lack thereof) had no bearing on his decision, as Maeda stated that he would’ve returned to Japan after 2025 if he’d been a 20-game winner at the big league level.

Since it doesn’t look like the Yankees will be calling Maeda up in September, his MLB resume could be closed after 226 games (172 of them starts) with the Tigers, Twins, and Dodgers over parts of nine seasons.  Maeda has a 4.20 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate, and 7.8% walk rate over 986 2/3 career innings in the regular season, as well as a 3.24 ERA across 41 2/3 career postseason frames with Minnesota and Los Angeles.

Though his final act in Detroit didn’t go well, Maeda was generally a very effective pitcher in the majors.  He had a 3.87 ERA during 589 innings in L.A., with the Dodgers using Maeda both as a starter and as a reliever, though Maeda made it known that he preferred rotation work.  A trade to the Twins prior to the 2020 season gave Maeda a full-fledged starting job, and he responded with a runner-up finish in AL Cy Young Award voting, posting a 2.70 ERA in 66 2/3 innings during the pandemic-shortened season.  He wasn’t as effective during a 2021 campaign that was cut short by his Tommy John procedure, though Maeda returned in solid form (4.23 ERA in 104 1/3 IP) for Minnesota’s AL Central-winning team in 2023.

Cubs To Call Up Kevin Alcantara, Option Owen Caissie

The Cubs will replace one outfield prospect for another on Monday, as ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reports that Kevin Alcantara will be called up from Triple-A Iowa and Owen Caissie is being sent back to Triple-A.  No further transaction is needed since Alcantara is already on the 40-man roster.

Alcantara made his Major League debut last September, appearing in three games for the Cubs right at the very end of the 2024 season and getting one hit in 10 plate appearances.  This remains Alcantara’s only big league exposure, as he has spent the entirety of the 2025 campaign in Iowa.  After hitting well in 35 Triple-A games in 2024, Alcantara has kept it going this year, with a .266/.349/.470 slash line and 17 home runs over 430 plate appearances this season.

A regular on top-100 prospect lists for a few years now, Alcantara was 71st on Baseball America’s preseason ranking and 90th on MLB Pipeline’s list.  Despite his solid numbers this year, Alcantara actually dropped out of both outlets’ midseason top-100 updates, though both BA and Pipeline each still have the outfielder ranked fifth within the deep Chicago farm system.  The biggest red flag is his 29.8% strikeout rate at Triple-A, as his power potential and hard contact ability is mitigated by the large amount of swing-and-miss in his game, and evaluators also note that Alcantara is only really productive against fastballs.

It seems likely that Alcantara would’ve received a longer look in the majors by now if he wasn’t on a team so deep in outfielders.  Between Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Ian Happ, and Seiya Suzuki (as a part-time OF and regular DH) all staying healthy and productive, only four other players have received any time in the Wrigleyville outfield during the 2025 season.  Utility players Willi Castro, Jon Berti, and Vidal Brujan each got a handful of games in the outfield, and Caissie made seven appearances on the grass during the 11 overall games of his first Major League call-up.

Caissie received 25 PA, and hit .208/.240/.375 while starting six of his 11 games.  The lack of playing time wasn’t a surprise given the crowded nature of Chicago’s outfield, yet the rather quick demotion adds to the question about why exactly Caissie was even called up in the first place.  Alcantara brings more defensive versatility since he can play center field, whereas Caissie is a corner outfielder.

Using top prospects as bench depth isn’t exactly ideal, though the Cubs are somewhat stuck (if that’s the correct term) between their twin desires of having their minor leaguers play every day, and also having the best active roster possible.  As limited as these cameos have been, giving Alcantara or Caissie some experience in the big leagues could be beneficial in advance of their possible inclusion on a playoff roster, or if an injury did arise to one of the Cubs’ outfield regulars.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

Mark P

  • Am I tempting fate by starting a live chat when teams could very easily still be making moves on the eve of the roster expansion?  I sure am! What might be an interrupted edition of the Weekend Chat begins now!

Tigers

  • Odds Kevin McGonigle gets called up tomorrow?

Mark P

  • Basically zero.  The Tigers’ GM already said it isn’t happening, and calling McGonigle up past Triple-A entirely doesn’t seem realistic.

bmcferren

  • Ketel Marte the top target to bat cleanup for the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2026?

Mark P

  • I find it unlikely that Marte will be dealt anywhere, let alone to a Pittsburgh team that will find his contract too pricey

Mike Trout

  • Poll: Do I get to 400 HR’s this season?

Mark P

  • He only has 20, so Trout surely won’t hit 380 home runs in just a month.  Not even Judge or Jakob Marsee could do that.

    Real answer: Trout has 398 career homers, so despite the major slump he’s currently in, he’ll surely go yard twice more before the year is out.

Padres and Preller

  • Padres look to be going with what they have. SS and starting pitching huge holes and no moves when better options available. Has ownership told AJ to go with what he had and no more $ available for roster improvement?

Mark P

  • There’s still some time for Preller to add a player (and interrupt my chat) before the 11pm CT deadline, and he could still make adds after today for players who just wouldn’t be playoff-eligible.

    Kiner-Falefa really seemed like the kind of player that would be a good fit in San Diego, however.  Would’ve been an easy fit into shortstop with Bogaerts out.

romorr

  • So the Orioles just signed Basallo, and now have a hot Trevor Rogers to consider. What does that contract look like at the end of the year?

Mark P

  • Rogers is eligible for free agency after the 2026 season, making him a very interesting extension candidate for Baltimore.  Don’t forget — Rogers pitched poorly and battled injuries from 2022-24, making his impressive numbers this year all the more spectacular.

    This could make Rogers more open to signing a long-term deal and locking in some money now while his value is at its highest.  He might have an eye towards a very lucrative free agent deal next offseason, but the possibility of a lockout could make Rogers prefer getting some security now rather than deal with the added obstacle of labor unrest when he’s a free agent.

  • Now that the O’s have finally gotten the ball rolling on contract extensions, it opens up a whole new line of intriguing possibilities for future expenditures.

Read more

Royals To Promote Carter Jensen

With rosters expanding to 28 players tomorrow, the Royals have already announced the moves they “anticipate” making, as per the club’s wording.  First baseman/outfielder Jac Caglianone will be activated from the 10-day injured list, righty Luinder Avila will be called up from Triple-A, and catching prospect Carter Jensen‘s contract will be selected from Triple-A.  Kansas City will need to subtract someone from the current 26-man roster to make space for the entire trio, but the Royals already have 40-man roster space available to accommodate Jensen.

Freddy Fermin was traded to the Padres at the deadline, and the Royals have since been using veteran Luke Maile as the backup catcher behind Salvador Perez.  Because Perez will get his share of DH days to keep his bat in the lineup, Jensen should get a decent amount of playing time behind the plate in his first taste of MLB action.  The expanded September roster allows the Royals some flexibility in keeping three catchers around, and Maile’s playing time is probably going to diminish since Jensen is a bigger future priority.

Jensen hit well enough (.292/.360/.420 in 308 PA) in Double-A ball to earn his first promotion to Triple-A earlier this summer, and he has taken it up a notch since arriving in Omaha.  Jensen has hit .288/.404/.647 in 184 Triple-A plate appearances, with already 14 home runs to show for his brief time at the top rung of the minor league ladder.  This kind of performance is hard to overlook, and it has earned the Kansas City native a late-season look with his hometown team.

A third-round pick for the Royals in the 2021 draft, Jensen is ranked 69th on MLB Pipeline’s list of baseball’s best prospects, and he sits 88th on Baseball America’s top-100 ranking.  Evaluators like Jansen’s ability to get on base, and his 2025 numbers suggest he has started to tap into his raw power.  Jensen has a good eye at the plate, but it is worth noting that his strikeout rate has shot upwards during his brief time at Triple-A.  As a catcher, Jensen has a plus throwing arm and his framing ability has been improving, and both Pipeline and BA feel he can be a solid defender.

The Royals will surely exercise their $13.5MM club option on Perez for 2026, but that will also be Perez’s age-36 season, so the longtime face of the franchise will have to slow down at some point.  Beyond Jensen, Blake Mitchell is another top-100 prospect who just advanced to high-A ball this season, and Ramon Ramirez is another young backstop in the system playing at the A-ball level.

Unsurprisingly, rival teams checked in on these young catchers prior to the trade deadline, but K.C. instead pivoted by moving Fermin.  Jensen is the first of this trio to make it to the Show, so he’ll get the first crack at trying to establish himself as a big leaguer.  He’ll retain rookie eligibility heading into 2026, and thus due to Prospect Promotion Incentive eligibility, the Royals could earn an extra draft pick if Jensen stays on the active roster for the entire 2026 campaign.

A former top prospect in his own right, Caglianone will return after a left hamstring strain cost him about five weeks on the injured list.  Caglianone hit only .147/.205/.280 in his first 161 PA in the majors, so this IL stint can perhaps act as a refresh for the outfielder’s rookie year.  It remains to be seen how many at-bats Caglianone will receive for a Royals team that is fighting for a playoff berth, since deadline acquisition Mike Yastrzemski has stepped into Caglianone’s right field spot and been on a tear since arriving in Kansas City.

Brewers Sign Luis Urias To Minor League Contract

The Brewers have signed infielder Luis Urias to a minor league deal, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.  Urias will report to Triple-A Nashville for what will be his second stint in the Brewers organization.

The veteran signed a $1.1MM free agent deal with the Athletics last winter, and Urias banked an extra $300K in bonus money by making at least 300 plate appearances in an A’s uniform.  In 330 PA, Urias hit .230/.315/.338 with eight home runs while getting mostly regular action at second base, with a handful of starts at third base as well.

Since the A’s are well out of playoff contention and wanted to give playing time to younger talent, the team opted to designate Urias for assignment last week and then released him after he cleared waivers.  There is only around $180K remaining on Urias’ salary, and the A’s will cover whatever remains of that total, minus the portion of the prorated MLB minimum salary that will be paid by the Brewers for however much time Urias spends on the active roster.

While he’ll start his Brewers return in Nashville, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Urias back up in Milwaukee before too long.  Joey Ortiz is expected to return from his hamstring strain pretty soon, but a veteran like Urias may be a preferable depth option over rookie Anthony Siegler on the Brew Crew’s bench.  Urias could also get some time at third base in place of Caleb Durbin, even though Durbin has been reinforcing his spot in the lineup with some hot hitting as of late.  Bringing Urias back before September 1 makes him eligible for the postseason, and the league-leading Brewers certainly are already thinking about October roster plans.

A veteran of eight MLB seasons, Urias enjoyed his two best years as a regular with Milwaukee in 2021-22.  He hit .244/.340/.426 over 1042 plate appearances while getting close to everyday playing time as a third baseman and shortstop in 2021, and then in more of a utility role at those two positions plus second base in 2022.  A dropoff at the plate in 2023 led the Brewers to trade Urias to the Red Sox at the deadline, and his bat didn’t fare much better during his time in Boston or with the Mariners in a part-time role in 2024.