Red Sox Select Jack Anderson
3:24pm: These moves have now all been officially announced by the team.
1:05pm: Samaniego will be optioned to open an active roster spot, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. To open 40-man space, right-hander Johan Oviedo will be transferred to the 60-day injured list, also per Cotillo. Oviedo was recently diagnosed with a flexor strain and will be shut down for six weeks. If he’s healthy at that point, he’ll have to ramp back up. That whole process will be longer than 60 days, so it’s not a surprise that he is bound for the 60-day IL.
7:11am: The Red Sox are promoting right-hander Jack Anderson, according to Ari Alexander of 7News. Anderson is not yet on the 40-man roster, so the Red Sox will need to clear a spot for him before the move can be made official. The righty is now in line to make his MLB debut when he gets into a game with Boston.
Anderson, 26, was a 16th-round pick by the Tigers back in 2021. He was plucked from that organization by the Red Sox during the minor league phase of the 2024 Rule 5 draft and has been in his new organization for over a year now. Anderson was utilized as a pure reliever during his time with the Tigers, but since joining the Red Sox he’s gotten some looks out of the rotation. After posting a 3.58 ERA in 75 1/3 innings at Double-A last year while being primarily used as a multi-inning reliever, Anderson finished the year with two starts at Triple-A where he posted a lackluster 5.59 ERA but struck out an impressive 29.7% of his opponents.
This spring, Anderson appeared in the World Baseball Classic as a member of Team Great Britain. He struck out three and walked none in three innings of one-run ball in his lone start for them. That came against Team Mexico and a stacked lineup that featured the likes of Jarren Duran, Randy Arozarena, Jonathan Aranda and Alejandro Kirk. Anderson’s impressive showing wasn’t enough to win Great Britain the game or help them advance out of the pool stage, but he’s continued to look good since returning to Triple-A.
In his first two starts of the year at the level, he’s posted a 3.72 ERA in 9 2/3 innings of work while punching out 22.5% of his opponents. Taken together, Anderson’s last five starts (between Triple-A and the WBC) have looked rather solid. He’s pitched to a 4.43 ERA while striking out 26.1% of his opponents. He’s topped out at 77 pitches in those outings (76 this year), so he seems better suited for a multi-inning relief role in the majors, but his ability to rack up strikeouts at a solid clip should make him an interesting addition to the big league pitching staff in Boston.
Anderson’s call-up comes on the heels of a disastrous start from ace Garrett Crochet where he lasted just 1 2/3 innings before departing the game. That left Jovani Moran, Tyler Samaniego, and Ryan Watson to each handle two-plus innings of work, depleting the bullpen of long relief talent. Barring a surprise injury for Crochet, it seems reasonable to expect that Anderson will be joining the roster in place of one of those long relief arms. Samaniego is the only one of that trio who can be optioned to the minors. Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert are the only other Red Sox relievers with options remaining, and while neither pitched yesterday both have struggled in the early going this year.
The Opener: Schultz, Cruz, MLBTR Chat
Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day:
1. Schultz to make MLB debut:
The White Sox are promoting left-handed pitching prospect Noah Schultz to the majors for his big league debut today. A consensus top-50 prospect in the sport, Schultz was a first-round pick by the White Sox back in 2022. The lefty dominated the Double-A level in 28 starts between 2024 and ’25, but upon getting promoted to Triple-A last year he struggled badly with a 9.37 ERA in five starts. This year, however, he’s gotten off to a scorching start with just three runs (two earned) allowed in his first 14 innings of work and an eye-popping 40.4% strikeout rate. That was more than enough to convince the White Sox to promote Schultz to the majors, and now he’ll be tasked with facing off against the Rays and Shane McClanahan in Chicago at 6:40pm local time. The White Sox cleared a 40-man roster spot with yesterday’s trade of Lenyn Sosa to Toronto.
2. Cruz putting together impressive hit streak:
The Pirates have enjoyed a strong start to the season and are currently the class of the NL Central with a 10-6 record. The efforts of center fielder Oneil Cruz have been a big part of that success, as he’s currently slashing .345/.429/.645 with a 194 wRC+. He’s bashed five homers and swiped seven bags in just 16 games this year. Cruz has also recorded a hit in each of his past 12 games. Today, he’ll look to keep his heroics up against Miles Mikolas and the Nationals in front of the home crowd at PNC Park. The game is scheduled for 6:40pm local time and will feature Mitch Keller on the mound for the Pirates.
3. MLBTR chat today:
The regular season is in full swing at this point. Whether you’re wondering what to expect from your team this year or just trying to separate the contenders from the pretenders, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered with a live chat at 1pm CT this morning. You can click here to leave a question in advance. That same link will also allow you to follow along with the chat live when things get underway and view a transcript of the chat after it concludes.
Poll: Which Team Has Been Most Impacted By Injuries This Year?
Every year, teams that are widely expected to succeed at the outset of the season stumble due to injury woes. Teams that look strong on paper can often perform much less impressively if even one or two key players are removed from the mix, and even the very best teams can look vulnerable with a long enough string of tough-luck injuries. 2026 has been no exception to this so far, with several teams facing substantially tougher roads in the months ahead thanks to an early injury or three putting them on the back foot. Which team has it worst when it comes to the injury bug? Here’s a few of the leading contenders, in alphabetical order:
Atlanta Braves
One look at Atlanta’s list of injured players makes it easy to see why they’re in this conversation. The Braves’ injured starting pitchers would be a respectable starting rotation when taken together: Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Joey Wentz are all currently on the shelf. While Wentz is more of a back-end starter or swing man, the other four would all be in the conversation to start playoff games for the Braves alongside future Hall of Famer Chris Sale if they were healthy. In addition to the starting pitching woes, the Braves are without two key members of their lineup: catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Despite this deep group of talented players on the shelf, it can be argued the Braves haven’t been too impacted by those issues: they’re actually leading the NL East at the moment, and scorching hot starts from Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubon have helped fans to forget about the losses of Murphy and Kim.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles could be easy to overlook on a list like this given their considerable depth all over the diamond, but that depth has been tested a great deal already this year. Zach Eflin is out for the year as he faces UCL surgery, but unlike other teams on this list the rotation is the least of Baltimore’s woes. A lineup that is currently without Jordan Westburg (elbow sprain), Jackson Holliday (hamate surgery), Adley Rutschman (ankle inflammation), Tyler O’Neill (concussion), Ryan Mountcastle (foot fracture) and Heston Kjerstad (hamstring strain) has been rather resilient in the face of those many losses thanks to the team’s deep positional corps. The bullpen has not been so fortunate, as last summer’s loss of Felix Bautista has been compounded by injuries to Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge to completely upend the Orioles’ late-inning mix outside of Ryan Helsley.
Chicago Cubs
While some teams collapse under the weight of several injuries piling up, the Cubs have struggled to stomach just one major loss. Star right-hander Cade Horton looked like an up-and-coming ace with the club last year, but just two starts into what would’ve been his first season in the majors, the right-hander was sidelined for UCL surgery. That’ll leave the Cubs without their best pitcher for the entire year, all while Justin Steele is still rehabbing from his own UCL surgery last April. The loss of Horton isn’t the only injury the Cubs have faced this year, either. Seiya Suzuki missed the start of the season after getting hurt during the WBC, though he’s since returned to the lineup. Matthew Boyd is currently sidelined by an arm injury of his own, and the team’s top two bullpen additions from the offseason (Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey) have both recently gone on the injured list as well. Losing Horton might be the biggest individual blow any team has faced so far this year, though other teams surely have it worse than the Cubs when it comes to volume.
Houston Astros
The Astros have had a brutal run of injuries so far this year. Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier are both sidelined with shoulder strains. Tatsuya Imai (arm fatigue) joined them on the shelf and Cody Bolton (mid-back tightness) is also banged up. Things aren’t much better outside of the rotation. An outfield mix that was already looking thin before the season began lost its best starter in center fielder Jake Meyers to an oblique strain. The infield lost Jeremy Peña to a hamstring strain. The bullpen has also struggled badly without star closer Josh Hader, who has been sidelined by biceps tendinitis without much clarity on his timeline for a return to action. Other, smaller loses include outfielder Zach Dezenzo, lefty Bennett Sousa, and right-hander Nate Pearson. That’s on top of the continued absences of players like Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco due to surgeries underwent last season.
Toronto Blue Jays
The reigning AL champs have struggled badly with injuries all over the roster this year. The most obvious are those in the rotation, where all of Cody Ponce, Bowden Francis, Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage are currently shelved with only Yesavage likely to return any time soon. That’s left the Jays to rely on Patrick Corbin and an injured Max Scherzer in the early going. While the lineup hasn’t been quite as damaged as the rotation, there’s still been significant losses. Alejandro Kirk is in the midst of six-week absence due to thumb surgery. Anthony Santander was sidelined before the year even began by shoulder surgery. George Springer (fractured toe) and Addison Barger (sprained ankle) are facing injuries of their own. While the bullpen has remained intact, the number of injuries in the rotation and lineup have left the Jays looking very different than they would when healthy.
Other Options
Those five teams aren’t the only ones facing injury woes, of course. The Mets have an argument given that Juan Soto is probably the most impactful talent on the injured list all throughout the league at the moment, though he’ll be back in a few weeks and they lack other significant injuries. The Yankees are currently without players like Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Anthony Volpe, but those injuries were known during the offseason and the club was able to construct their roster around them. The Dodgers’ losses of Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, and Blake Snell are certainly significant, but it’s hard to say they’re being impacted too much when they have the best record in baseball. The Brewers have a strong argument for this list in the event that Christian Yelich joins Quinn Priester and Jackson Chourio on the shelf, though that isn’t yet certain. The Reds have stayed healthy in the lineup and bullpen, but the losses of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are obviously a big blow to their rotation.
Which team do MLBTR readers think has been most impacted by injuries this year? Have your say in the poll below:
Which team has been most impacted by injuries in 2026?
Mets Select Tommy Pham
April 13th: The Mets officially selected Pham’s contract today with infielder Ronny Mauricio optioned to Triple-A Syracuse as the corresponding move. Joel Sherman of The New York Post reported earlier that Mauricio would be the corresponding move.
April 12th: The Mets are planning to select the contract of veteran outfielder Tommy Pham, according to a report from Will Sammon of The Athletic. The veteran outfielder is on a minor league deal with the club, so he’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster before he officially joins the club. That shouldn’t be a major obstacle, as the Mets’ 40-man currently stands at 37 players and will move up to 38 upon the addition of Pham. That means only an active roster move will be necessary to make Pham’s addition to the roster official, which could happen as soon as tomorrow given that Sammon writes Pham is expected to meet the team in L.A. for their series against the Dodgers.
The 38-year-old veteran signed a non-roster pact with the Mets on Opening Day. He’s gotten into just four games at the Single-A level since then, but a combination of need at the big league level and Pham’s status as a veteran hitter appear to have combined to give the Mets confidence in bringing him to the majors with only minimal time to get game-ready. He’ll be joining a beleaguered outfield group that recently lost Juan Soto to the injured list due to a calf strain that figures to leave him sidelined for at least another week or two. With Soto out of commission, the Mets have been relying on rookie Carson Benge, infielder Brett Baty, and bench bats like Tyrone Taylor and Jared Young in the outfield corners.
It’s a group that hasn’t inspired confidence so far. Young has hit well so far in a 23 plate appearance sample, but he’s got just 56 MLB games under his belt since making his debut with the Cubs back in 2022. Taylor’s .211/.250/.421 (91 wRC+) slash line this year isn’t exactly encouraging, and he was last an above-average MLB hitter by wRC+ in 2022 as a member of the Brewers. Benge has been heralded as the future of the franchise in the outfield and is a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport, but he’s hitting a paltry .130/.231/.196 (33 wRC+) in 14 games to kick of his MLB career. Baty showed signs of life last year after struggling to hit in the majors for the first few years of his career but currently sports a 60 wRC+ and a 29.4% strikeout rate while playing a mostly unfamiliar position.
All in all, that’s an outfield mix that could clearly use some veteran stability. That’s surely not an insignificant part of why the Mets were generally expected to carry veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman on their Opening Day roster following several successful years in Chicago and a torrid Spring Training, but Tauchman unfortunately underwent meniscus surgery just before Opening Day that will leave him sidelined into May. With Tauchman unable to play, the Mets will instead turn to a player who lacks his recent success but makes up for it with an impressive overall resume. Pham is now set to gear up for his 13th MLB campaign and has appeared in at least 116 games in each of the league’s past eight 162-game seasons. In that time, he’s suited up for ten different clubs and sports a career 111 wRC+ in more than 1200 MLB games.
Despite that history, it’s been a while now since Pham was a consistently above-average MLB player. Since the start of the 2020 season, Pham has slashed .241/.323/384 with a wRC+ of just 96, indicating he’s been 4% worse than the league average MLB hitter in that time. With that said, he’s just a few years removed from an extremely successful stint with the Mets. After signing on with the club for the 2023 season, Pham slashed .268/.348/.472 (124 wRC+) in 79 games for the Mets before being dealt to the eventual NL-champion Diamondbacks at that year’s trade deadline. If Pham can rediscover any of the magic from the last time he suited up for Queens, that would be a huge win for the Mets. Even the roughly league average consistency Pham has become known for in recent years would be a boost for the club, however, and he should get plenty of opportunities now that he’s being recalled to the majors.
The Opener: Freeland, Olson, Astros
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Rockies’ Freeland dealing with shoulder issue:
Rockies southpaw Kyle Freeland was slated to start the club’s game against the Padres yesterday, but he was scratched due to shoulder soreness. After last night’s game, manager Warren Schaeffer told reporters (including the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders) that Freeland was day-to-day with a “tight” shoulder. Freeland has started the year with a 2.30 ERA and 3.95 FIP across three starts. Losing him would be a significant blow to the Rockies’ pitching staff, and the team would likely turn to someone like Tanner Gordon or Carson Palmquist to fill in for the veteran lefty in the event he requires a trip to the injured list.
2. Olson making history:
As noted by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Matt Olson made his 798th consecutive MLB start over the weekend. That tied him with Nellie Fox for the 11th-longest games started streak of all time, and he’ll take sole possession of 11th place with his 799th consecutive start against the Marlins this evening. It’s the longest streak baseball has seen since Miguel Tejada‘s 1,152 consecutive game streak ended nearly 20 years ago. If Olson can keep it up, he’ll be able to crack the all-time top ten next month. For now, he and the Braves will focus on squaring off against Marlins right-hander Eury Pérez (4.25 ERA in 20 starts last year) in a game scheduled for 7:15pm local time in Atlanta, where Grant Holmes (3.99 ERA in 22 appearances last year) will take the mound for the Braves.
3. Can the Astros snap their losing streak?
The Astros have dropped seven straight games amid a number of injuries to the club’s pitching staff. Tatsuya Imai, Mike Burrows and Lance McCullers Jr. are the remaining healthy members of the Opening Day rotation for a 6-10 Houston club that has lost both Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier to shoulder strains. They’ll send Burrows (3.94 ERA in 23 appearances last year) to the mound in hopes of avoiding an eighth straight loss, while the Mariners will counter with George Kirby (4.21 ERA in 23 starts last year) as he looks to build on a strong eight-inning performance against the Rangers last time out.
Blue Jays Re-Sign Josh Fleming On Minor League Deal
The Blue Jays are re-signing left-hander Josh Fleming on a minor league deal, as Mitch Bannon of The Athletic has reported. Toronto previously signed Fleming to a minor league deal in February and briefly called him up before designating him for assignment last week, at which point he elected free agency.
A fifth-round pick by the Rays back in 2017, Fleming made his big league debut in the shortened 2020 season an made a solid first impression with a 2.78 ERA across his first 32 2/3 innings of work as a rookie. That strong production was belied by weak peripherals, however, and in 2021 Fleming found himself exposed with a lackluster 5.09 ERA in 104 1/3 frames as a swing man for Tampa. Fleming stuck with the Rays for two more seasons, posting a 5.40 ERA in 22 appearances as a long reliever and spot starter. He was non-tendered by the Rays after the 2023 season and joined the Pirates on a one-year deal, where he pitched to a decent 4.02 ERA in 31 1/3 innings. He did not find his way to the majors last year and spent the entire 2025 campaign at the Triple-A level with the Mariners before joining Toronto this past offseason.
Now that Fleming is back in the organization, the lefty can be called upon to help a beleaguered Blue Jays pitching staff. Bowden Francis, Cody Ponce, Shane Bieber, Trey Yesavage, and Jose Berrios are all already on the injured list. Veteran right-hander Max Scherzer is currently pitching through forearm tendinitis but could be facing an IL stint of his own after 2 1/3 innings of eight-run baseball. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com reports that Trey Yesavage could be back in the mix next week, but for now the Blue Jays are in serious need of depth.
That’s where Fleming could come in. The soon-to-be 30-year-old southpaw turned in four innings of three-run ball in his lone long relief outing for the Blue Jays before being DFA’d. Even prior to that outing, Fleming had a 4.77 ERA and 4.65 FIP in the majors for his career. Even at Triple-A, he’s managed just a 4.18 ERA over his career. The lefty isn’t likely to offer impactful innings to the Blue Jays, but for a club desperate to eat innings with any sort of consistency Fleming could end up proving vital during this tough stretch for Toronto. Yariel Rodriguez, Lazaro Estrada, and perhaps Adam Macko are among the club’s other options who can offer multi-inning relief work or a spot start who aren’t already on the active roster or injured list.
Cody Bolton To Undergo Imaging For Mid-Back Tightness
Right-hander Cody Bolton only recently stepped into a beleaguered Astros rotation, but his spot already appears to be in danger. As noted by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, Bolton was removed from his start for the Astros today in the second inning due to what was described as “mid-back tightness.” That’s the same spot where Bolton was hit by a pitch during a spot start against the Rockies last week, and while he underwent imaging on the area in the aftermath of that incident he’s now set to undergo another round of imaging after the injury resurfaced tonight.
While the Astros haven’t said yet whether or not Bolton will require a trip to the injured list or how long he’ll be out, it certainly seems to be trending that way. Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported this evening that right-hander J.P. France is headed back to Seattle to re-join the Astros just one day after being optioned to the minors. As Rome notes, that’s only an allowable transaction if France is replacing a player on the injured list. That would certainly indicate that the Astros expect Bolton (or another pitcher with an as-of-yet unknown ailment) to require a trip to the shelf, though it’s at least possible that France is rejoining the team purely as an insurance policy against the possibility of Bolton heading to the IL.
Bolton, 28 in June, entered this year with a career 5.79 ERA in the majors but had been pitching rather well with the Astros in his limited opportunities. In 7 1/3 innings of three-run ball this year entering today, Bolton had struck out ten while walking just three. That all unraveled today, when he surrendered two runs on one hit and four walks before exiting with manager Joe Espada and a team trainer. France, 31, made his big league debut with the Astros back in 2023 and enjoyed a strong season at the back of Houston’s rotation. Since then, however, he’s pitched to a 7.31 ERA and 5.19 FIP in 32 innings of work at the big league level, including 2 2/3 innings of four-run ball earlier this year.
This potential switch comes against the backdrop of a litany of major pitching injuries for the Astros. Ace righty Hunter Brown is currently sidelined with a shoulder strain, and right-hander Cristian Javier was sidelined with the same ailment not long after. With Tatsuya Imai now back in Houston to be evaluated due to “arm fatigue,” that leaves the Astros’ rotation in tatters. If Bolton and Imai wind up on the IL, that will leave Mike Burrows and Lance McCullers Jr. as the only healthy starters on the major league roster. France could join that group, as could depth arms like Spencer Arrighetti and Colton Gordon.
Nick Pivetta Exits Start Due To Elbow Stiffness
Padres right-hander Nick Pivetta exited today’s game against the Rockies in the fourth inning, and the Padres later announced that his departure was due to “right elbow stiffness.” Additional details about the situation are not yet known, but AJ Cassavell of MLB.com notes that Pivetta’s velocity was down on his final pitch and he appeared frustrated as he exited the game with manager Craig Stammen and a team trainer. After the game, Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune relayed comments from Stammen that indicated Pivetta may undergo imaging tomorrow depending on how he feels in the morning, but offered some optimism as he suggested that “there’s a world” where Pivetta makes his next start.
Cassavell notes that Pivetta previously missed a start during Spring Training last month due to what the Padres described at the time as “arm fatigue.” He wound up missing just that one start, and it’s unclear if that ailment has any connection to this current issue. Stammen’s update after the game appears to be fairly optimistic, but any amount of time missed by Pivetta would be a real blow to San Diego. Pivetta was the team’s top starter last year, as he pitched to a 2.87 ERA in 181 2/3 innings of work across 31 starts. That sort of production is never easy to replace, but it’s even more difficult for San Diego given that Dylan Cease left for Toronto in free agency while Joe Musgrove is not yet ready to return from his October 2024 Tommy John surgery.
If Pivetta does wind up missing time due to his ailing elbow, it seems likely that the Padres will turn to either Matt Waldron or Griffin Canning to fill the void. Both are presently on the injured list but have already begun rehab assignments and are looking fairly good as they do so. Waldron seems to be the further along of the two in terms of building up his pitch count and could be the first choice to join the rotation if Pivetta is placed on the shelf. Canning is on a guaranteed MLB deal and cannot be optioned to the minors, but Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune suggests that he may not be ready to return to action until next month. If a fifth starter is needed before either Waldron or Canning is ready, JP Sears is also available at Triple-A alongside non-roster veterans like Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie.
That’s a decent amount of depth and it will be much-needed if Pivetta misses significant time. The rest of the rotation has had promising moments but comes with question marks. Michael King has gotten solid results but hasn’t looked quite as sharp as he did before his shoulder injury last season. Randy Vasquez has looked nothing short of excellent despite being more of a back-of-the-rotation arm in the past, and Walker Buehler is offering some encouraging peripherals, but German Marquez has looked over-matched so far this year with a 5.54 ERA and 7.50 FIP. The right-hander could be pushed out of the Padres’ rotation by Waldron’s return, though that of course won’t happen if Pivetta misses time and Waldron is instead filling in for the staff’s ace.
Christian Yelich Exits Game Due To Hamstring Injury
It’s been a tough few days for Brewers fans, as they’ve been swept at the hands of the Nationals this weekend. Today’s loss is the least of the club’s worries at the moment, however, as veteran star Christian Yelich exited today’s game due to an apparent injury. Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel relayed that the initial diagnosis was “left hamstring tightness,” which can be a minor day-to-day issue or prove to be a more serious injury depending on the severity of the issue at hand.
While nothing has been confirmed so far, all signs point to this injury being on the more serious side of things. Milwaukee manager Pat Murphy told reporters (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com) after the game that the team is “most likely to get bad news” regarding Yelich’s health status. An exact timeline for Yelich’s return can’t be known until imaging results come back, but it seems as though Murphy and the Brewers are expecting him to head to the injured list. Losing Yelich for a significant period would be a devastating blow for Milwaukee. The 34-year-old has looked excellent this year as the team’s everyday DH, as he entered today with a .327/.389/.469 slash line across 14 games this season.
That impressive start has been all the more important for the Brewers due to a variety of other injuries in the lineup. Budding star Jackson Chourio has yet to appear in an MLB game this year due to a fractured hand, and first baseman Andrew Vaughn suffered a hand injury of his own in the very first game of the 2026 season. That’s left the Brewers to rely on players like Brandon Lockridge and Jake Bauers as regulars in the lineup. Losing Yelich will force them to dip into their depth further, Youngster Tyler Black is off to a hot start at Triple-A this year and could be the next man up to replace Yelich in the lineup, though backup catcher and right-handed slugger Gary Sanchez could also get more opportunities with Yelich no longer in the mix at DH.
For all of Milwaukee’s struggles with injuries in the early going, they’ve been able to keep their head above water in a National League that has started the year extremely competitive. Their 8-7 record leaves them tied with the Cardinals for third place in the NL Central, but they’re just one game behind the Pirates for the division crown. If Milwaukee can stay the course in these early weeks, the eventual returns of players like Chourio and Yelich from injury should give them the boost they’ll need to remain competitive in a division that got a lot more crowded this past winter with aggressive offseasons from every NL Central club (aside from St. Louis, who fully launched their rebuild over the offseason).
Braves To Designate Martin Perez For Assignment
The Braves are designating left-hander Martin Perez for assignment, as Walt Weiss told reporters (including Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal Constitution). He’s being replaced on the active roster by southpaw Dylan Dodd, who is being recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.
Perez, 35, is now in the 15th season of his MLB career. He was signed by the Rangers out of Venezuela and made his pro debut all the way back in 2008, but didn’t make it to the big leagues until 2012. Since then, he’s spent his career pitching to more or less league average results as a back-of-the-rotation starter and swing man. He signed with the White Sox last year but spent most of the 2025 season on the injured list with elbow and shoulder issues. For the few outings Perez was able to make last year, he was effective with a 3.54 ERA and 4.24 FIP in 56 1/3 innings of work.
That wasn’t enough to get him a big league deal headed into his age-35 season, but he did latch on with Atlanta on a minor league pact. Though he didn’t initially make the team out of Spring Training, early injuries in the rotation led Atlanta to select Perez to the majors to help eat innings. He did so capably, offering 14 1/3 innings of five-run ball across three appearances for the Braves prior to his DFA. He’s struck out just six in that time, but the results when healthy lately have been solid. He’s posted a 3.46 ERA and 4.46 FIP between the White Sox, Padres, and Braves since getting traded to San Diego at the 2024 trade deadline.
Of course, that hardly makes him a true-talent 3.46 ERA pitcher at this stage of his career. Perez has a long history of volatility when it comes to his results, which has resulted in him making an All-Star appearance in 2022 while struggling to even stay within the range of league average in other years. Taken together, Perez has a career 100 ERA+ across more than 1600 big league innings and should be expected to produce more of that back-of-the-rotation, innings-eating work as long as health permits.
That could make the lefty an intriguing option for any number of teams struggling with pitching injuries in the early going. The Blue Jays, Cubs, and Astros are among the teams that have sent multiple key pitchers to the injured list in recent weeks, and any of them might be willing to roll the dice on Perez and his modest salary in the $3.5MM range. All of those clubs entered 2026 as expected contenders, but even a non-contending club like the White Sox could pick Perez up and slot him into the rotation to help stabilize their rotation after Shane Smith‘s struggles led to him being optioned to the minors this past week.
If Perez does not get plucked off waivers by another club, he could accept an outright assignment to the minors with Atlanta, where he would wait for his next opportunity with the club. Another option would be to elect free agency and test the open market. With that said, Perez might benefit from accepting an outright given that the Braves have their own pitching needs and will surely call upon him again in relatively short order if he stays with the organization.
For now, however, his roster spot will go to Dodd. The lefty has a career 5.68 ERA in the majors but posted a more respectable 3.60 ERA in 35 innings as a relief arm for the Braves last year. He figures to serve as a long reliever for Atlanta in the coming days, a role where he should prove valuable in the short-term while Atlanta uses upcoming days off in the schedule as an opportunity to utilize a four-man rotation. As noted by Mark Bowman of MLB.com, the Braves won’t need a fifth starter until April 21 given the structure of their upcoming schedule. At that point, Perez could rejoin the MLB roster if he’s still in the organization.