Angels Select Zac Kristofak
1:22PM: The Angels officially announced the selection of Kristofak’s contract. Right-hander Jimmy Herget was designated for assignment to make room for Kristofak on the club’s 40-man roster, while righty Jose Cisnero was placed on the 15-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation to clear a spot on the active roster.
Herget spent parts of three seasons in the big leagues with the Angels, pitching to a 3.28 ERA and 3.43 FIP in 92 total appearances. He was among the Halos’ most dominant relievers back in 2022 with a 2.48 ERA and 2.82 FIP in 69 innings, but struggled to a 4.66 ERA and 5.63 FIP in 29 appearances last year and hasn’t appeared in the majors this season. The Angels will have one week to either trade Herget or attempt to pass him through waivers. If Herget clears waivers and is assigned outright to the minor leagues by the club, he’ll have the opportunity to reject that assignment in favor of free agency.
As for Cisnero, the right-hander has struggled mightily in 14 frames with the Angels this season, pitching to a 7.07 ERA and 6.30 FIP so far this season after signing a big league deal with the club back in February. It’s not currently clear how long the 35-year-old veteran will be out of action, though it appears that Kristofak will take over his spot in the bullpen for the time being.
9:57AM: The Angels are set to select the contract of right-hander Zac Kristofak prior to this afternoon’s game against the Twins, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. Anaheim’s 40-man roster is currently full, meaning they’ll need to make a corresponding move to accommodate Kristofak’s selection to the roster.
Kristofak, 26, was a 14th-round pick by the Angels in the 2019 draft. The righty had his first full season in professional baseball wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and struggled at the High-A level upon his return to pitching in 2021 with a 6.14 ERA in 44 innings of work. Since then, however, Kristofak has pitched well while ascending the minor league ladder and swinging between the rotation and the bullpen. He posted a 3.82 ERA in 63 2/3 innings of work in a repeat of the High-A level the following year and was promoted to Double-A ahead of the 2023 season, when he posted a 4.07 ERA in 42 frames.
Kristofak’s 2024 season has been an impressive one, as he’s pitched to a 3.38 ERA across six appearances (three starts) in his first taste of the Triple-A level. The right-hander’s strong results are especially noteworthy considering the fact that he’s pitched in the infamously hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, which tends to offer a much more difficult environment for pitchers. That being said, Kristofak has struck out just 13% of batters faced to this point in the season, a potential red flag that helps to explain his elevated 5.09 FIP.
That the right-hander is poised to make his big league debut in the coming days is a particularly incredible feat given his harrowing past. Kristofak’s mother was murdered by his father back in 2012, when Kristofak was just 15 years old. The 26-year-old spoke to The Athletic’s Sam Blum about the tragedy back in September, and fans of any team are highly encouraged to read Blum’s piece to learn more about Kristofak’s story.
“Making the big leagues certainly won’t change what happened,” Blum wrote in the article. “But reaching that level — putting on an Angels uniform with Kristofak sewn on the back — will mean something that perhaps only Kristofak and his mother could fully understand.”
Kristofak will now get that opportunity to debut for the Angels, with whom he could be an option both out of the bullpen, where southpaw Jose Suarez has struggled to a 10.13 ERA in 16 frames as the club’s primary long reliever, or perhaps even in the rotation alongside Reid Detmers, Tyler Anderson, Patrick Sandoval, Jose Soriano, and Griffin Canning.
Phillies Designate Ricardo Pinto For Assignment
The Phillies announced that they’ve designated right-hander Ricardo Pinto for assignment this afternoon. The move opens up a spot on the active roster for right-hander Taijuan Walker, who the club activated from the 15-day injured list ahead of his start against the Padres in San Diego this afternoon.
Pinto, 30, signed with Philadelphia on a minor league deal back in February and got the call to the majors shortly after Opening Day. He’s struggled mightily in a multi-inning relief role int he majors this year, pitching to a 10.97 ERA with a 6.07 FIP in 10 2/3 innings of work across six appearances. He’s struck out just 13.6% of batters faced with the Phillies while walking 8.5%.
Given those brutal numbers, it’s hardly a surprise that the Phillies decided to pull the plug on Pinto, who first came up to the majors as rookie with the club back in 2017. Since then, he’s pitched in the Rays, White Sox, and Tigers organizations in addition to taking a sojourn overseas to pitch for the KBO’s SK Wyverns. While he’s posted a decent 4.43 ERA in 347 2/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level throughout his career, he’s never managed to pitch effectively in the big leagues as demonstrated by his career ERA of 9.07.
Looking ahead, the Phillies will have seven days to either work out a trade for Pinto or attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he clear waivers, the club would have the opportunity to assign him outright to the minor leagues, though Pinto would have the opportunity to reject that assignment in favor of free agency as a player who has previously been outrighted in his career.
Pinto’s departure from the roster makes room for the return of Walker, who has not yet made an appearance in the majors this season after starting the season on the IL due to a shoulder impingement. Walker is entering the second year of his four-year, $72MM contract with Philadelphia and enters the 2024 campaign on the heels of a decent 2023 season that saw him post a roughly league average 4.38 ERA with a 4.53 FIP in 172 2/3 innings of work. Both Walker and the Phillies are surely hoping that the right-hander will return to the form he showcased with the Mets in 2022, when he pitched to a solid 3.49 ERA (111 ERA+) with a 3.65 FIP in 29 starts.
In the meantime, the biggest question brought up by Walker’s return is what the club will do with righty Spencer Turnbull. Initially signed to act as a long reliever and swingman, the 31-year-old righty has been nothing short of dominant to this point in the season with a 1.33 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 27 innings of work across five starts. Per recent comments from club manager Rob Thomson, the club won’t decide what’s next for Turnbull until after Walker’s start tonight.
White Sox Select Brad Keller, Designate Deivi Garcia For Assignment
The White Sox announced a series of roster moves this morning, highlighted by the club selecting the contract of veteran right-hander Brad Keller. Right-hander Deivi Garcia was designated for assignment to make room for Keller on the 40-man and active rosters. Additionally, Chicago announced that right-hander Jonathan Cannon had been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte. Right-hander Prelander Berroa was recalled to take Cannon’s place on the active roster.
The news leaves Keller poised to make his White Sox debut in the coming days as he likely steps into the rotation in Cannon’s stead. The 28-year-old signed a minor league deal with Chicago in early March after lingering on the free agent market throughout the offseason following a difficult 2023 campaign. Keller was limited to just 45 1/3 innings of 4.57 ERA baseball last year due to shoulder surgery and a thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis, which MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted last month necessitated its own surgery back in October.
Surgery to correct TOS has rarely seen players return to the majors and enjoy success, with Stephen Strasburg and Chris Archer among the arms who have seen their careers impacted by the procedure in recent years. One example of a player who has returned effectively is Arizona right-hander Merrill Kelly, who stands as a prime example of the fact that not all types of TOS have the same long-term outlook. It’s not clear which type of TOS Keller went under the knife due to, though his decent 4.50 ERA in 16 innings of work at the Triple-A level across three starts this season gives reason for optimism that he could return to form as a viable back-of-the-rotation option in the majors.
Making room for Keller on the 40-man roster is Garcia, who will celebrate his 25th birthday next month. The right-hander was once a top prospect in the Yankees’ farm system and made his big league debut at just 21 years old during the shortened 2020 season, which saw him post a 4.98 ERA and 4.15 FIP across six starts in New York. Unfortunately, Garcia then struggled badly in the minor leagues over the next two seasons, with ERAs north of 6.80 in both campaigns. Garcia’s time with the Yankees came to a close in 2023, when he was designated for assignment after struggling through two relief appearances in the majors.
The White Sox took a chance on Garcia and claimed him off waivers from New York before installing him in the club’s bullpen. While he posted a strong 2.04 ERA in six appearances with the club down the stretch last year, Garcia walked more batters than he struck out and posted an ugly 6.04 FIP during that same timeframe. While Chicago retained Garcia on its roster through the offseason, the results began to match the peripherals in 2024 as the right-hander surrendered 16 runs (11 earned) in just 14 innings while walking 16.2% of batters faced.
Those major struggles were evidently enough for the White Sox to pull the plug on Garcia, who they’ll now have one week to either work out a trade for or attempt to pass through waivers. If they’re successful in the latter, they’ll have the opportunity to outright the youngster to the minor leagues where he can serve as non-roster depth going forward.
Also departing the club’s active roster is Cannon, a 23-year-old rookie who has made three starts in the majors for the White Sox so far this year. That first taste of big league action hasn’t gone particularly well for the youngster, as he’s posted a brutal 7.24 ERA in 13 2/3 innings of work despite a solid 4.04 FIP. Cannon figures to return to the Triple-A rotation and wait for his next opportunity in the majors.
In the meantime, his roster spot will go to Berroa, who figures to replace Garcia in the club’s bullpen. The 24-year-old right-hander was acquired from the Mariners in the deal that sent Gregory Santos to Seattle back in February and has just 1 2/3 big league innings under his belt to this point in his career. He’s struggled mightily to this point at the Triple-A level this season, with an 8.74 ERA across 11 appearances. Nonetheless, he’ll look to contribute to the White Sox bullpen during the middle innings alongside the likes of Jordan Leasure and Dominic Leone.
Mets Select Danny Young
The Mets announced this morning that they’ve selected the contract of left-hander Danny Young. The club had space open on its 40-man roster, so no corresponding 40-man move was necessary. That being said, the team announced that lefty Josh Walker had been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse to make room for Young on the active roster.
Young, 30 next month, was an eighth-round pick by the Blue Jays in the 2015 draft but did not make his big league debut until 2022 as a member of the Mariners. He made two appearances with Seattle that year but struggled to a 7.36 ERA with a 5.57 FIP in 3 2/3 frames before being designated for assignment by the club in August of that year. Young was promptly claimed off waivers by the Braves and posted 2 2/3 scoreless frames before once again being designated for assignment.
This time, Young passed through waivers successful and remained with the Braves organization until he was selected back to the roster the following April. The lefty made eight appearances for the Braves in 2023, pitching to a strong 1.08 ERA in 8 1/3 innings of work. Young struck out a strong 31.4% of batters faced and posted a solid 2.42 FIP with the club but nonetheless found himself released by the club following a season-ending injury, though the club promptly re-signed him to a minor league deal to allow him to rehab with the organization.
Young returned to free agency in November and found a minor league pact with the Mets shortly after the New Year. He’s once again impressed in six appearances at the Triple-A level for the club’s affiliate in Syracuse, posting a 1.13 ERA in eight innings while striking out a whopping 37.5% of batters faced. If Young is able to maintain the production he’s show in limited bursts since joining the Braves organization a year and a half ago, he’ll be a major asset to the Mets bullpen as a lefty option alongside Jake Diekman while veteran set-up man Brooks Raley is on the injured list.
Making space for Young on the club’s active roster is Walker, who made his big league debut with the Mets last year. The club’s 37th-round pick in the 2017 draft struggled to an 8.10 ERA in 10 innings of work last year but looked solid in his three appearances for the club in 2024, striking out three on one hit and one walk across three scoreless frames. Walker now figures to return to the Triple-A level for the time being, where he’ll likely act as a potential next man up for the club’s bullpen alongside the likes of Shintaro Fujinami and Cole Sulser.
Marlins Place Avisail Garcia On 10-Day Injured List
The Marlins announced a flurry of roster moves this morning, highlighted by the club placing veteran outfielder Avisail Garcia on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Outfielder Dane Myers was recalled from Triple-A in a corresponding move. The Marlins also selected the contract of right-hander Emmanuel Ramirez, with lefty Kent Emanuel being designated for assignment in the corresponding move. Craig Mish of the Miami Herald first reported that Myers and Ramirez would be joining the club, while MLB.com’s Cristina De Nicola first reported Garcia’s IL stint and Emanuel’s DFA. Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El ExtraBase first reported that Garcia was headed to the shelf with a hamstring injury.
Garcia, 33 in June, signed a four-year, $53MM contract with the Marlins prior to the 2022 season and has struggled with injuries and ineffectiveness ever since. He’s been limited to just 153 games since arriving in Miami by hamstring and back injuries, and has posted a paltry .218/.260/.322 slash line with a 61 wRC+ and -1.3 fWAR when healthy enough to take the field for the club. His 51 trips to the plate for Miami this year have been a moderate improvement over his previous work in the organization, though his wRC+ of 75 is still well below league average. While it’s not yet clear how long Garcia will be on the shelf, his previous hamstring strains with the club have typically sidelined him for about a month at a time.
Filling in for Garcia in the club’s outfield mix will be Myers, a 28-year-0ld who made his big league debut with Miami last season. Initially drafted in the sixth round of the 2017 draft by the Tigers, Myers appeared in just 22 games for the Marlins last year, slashing a pedestrian .269/.286/.358 in 70 trips to the plate. He’s struggled similarly at the Triple-A level this season with a .237/.336/.323 slash line in 107 plate appearances with the club’s affiliate in Jacksonville. Nonetheless, Myers figures to be part of the club’s rotating outfield mix alongside Jesus Sanchez and Nick Gordon, serving as a right-handed complement to the pair of lefties.
On the pitching side of things, the Marlins are set to welcome Ramirez onto the roster ahead of what will be his big league debut once he makes it into a game. The 29-year-old has spent more than a decade in the minors while pitching in the Padres, Braves, and Yankees systems but will now get his first major league opportunity with Miami after impressive with seven strong outings at the Triple-A level for the club this season. During that time, Ramirez has pitched to a 3.86 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of work while striking out a whopping 32% of batters faced. If the right-hander can keep that level of production up in the majors, he’ll surely be a major asset to a Marlins bullpen that has lackluster 4.84 ERA that’s good for the eighth-worst figure in the majors.
As for Emanuel, this is the second time he’s been designated for assignment by Miami this season. He’ll return to DFA limbo just one day after being selected back onto the roster with a 10.50 ERA in six innings of work for the club across his two stints in the majors. The Marlins will once again have seven days to either trade the lefty or attempt to pass him through waivers. If they succeed in doing the latter, Rivera will have the choice between remaining with the club as non-roster depth until and unless they decide to select him to the roster a third time or simply electing free agency in hopes of finding a better deal elsewhere.
Red Sox Designate Joely Rodriguez For Assignment, Recall Naoyuki Uwasawa
The Red Sox announced this morning that the club has recalled right-hander Naoyuki Uwasawa, whose first appearance with Boston will be his big league debut. Left-hander Joely Rodriguez was designated for assignment to make room for Uwasawa on the club’s active roster.
Uwasawa, 30, signed a minor league split contract with the Rays back in January but was traded to the Red Sox after he activated an assignment clause in his deal that obligated Tampa to deal him to any club willing to offer him a 40-man roster spot. Boston indeed added Uwasawa to their 40-man, though he began the season at Triple-A after not making the club’s Opening Day roster. Since then, the right-hander has made three starts with Worcester with a 4.80 ERA in 15 innings. While those early results have left something to be desired, Uwasawa’s 26.1% strikeout rate in the minors so far is reassuring after the righty punched out a meager 17.8% of batters faced in Japan last year.
While Uwasawa did not strike out many batters during his time in Nippon Professional Baseball, it’s impossible to deny that the right-hander was effective. Across nine seasons with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, Uwasawa posted a strong 3.19 ERA in 1,118 1/3 innings of work. While he struck out less than 20% of batters faced during his time in Japan, Uwasawa posted an ERA below 3.50 in each of the past six seasons. That includes excellent results in 2023, when he posted a 2.96 ERA in 170 innings despite the aforementioned low strikeout rate.
It’s not yet clear what role Uwasawa will occupy with the Red Sox now that he’s been promoted to the big league club. Injuries to Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock, and Nick Pivetta have left depth options Josh Winckowski, Cooper Criswell, and Chase Anderson to step into the club’s rotation alongside Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford. It’s feasible to imagine Uwasawa taking a rotation job and pushing either Anderson or Winckowski back to the bullpen, though its also possible that Uwasawa himself has been called up to be a multi-inning relief option for the club. [UPDATE: Uwasawa will indeed be used as a long reliever, manager Alex Cora told The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey and other reporters.]
Making room for Uwasawa on the club’s roster is Rodriguez, who has struggled to a 6.55 ERA in 11 innings of work this season with a 5.25 FIP. It’s a very similar line to the one the lefty posted with Boston last year, when he posted an identical 6.55 ERA in 11 frames with a 4.71 FIP. He was limited to just those 11 innings last year by oblique, shoulder, and hip injuries that cost him the majority of the 2023 season, though his repeat performance after re-signing with the club on a minor league deal this past winter seems to have been enough for the Red Sox to decide to move on from the 32-year-old southpaw.
Boston will have seven days to trade Rodriguez or pass attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he make it through waivers unclaimed, the Red Sox will have the opportunity to outright Rodriguez to the minor leagues, at which point Rodriguez would be able to choose between remaining with the organization as non-roster depth or returning to the free agent market in search of greener pastures elsewhere. Even without Rodriguez, the Red Sox bullpen figures to be well-stocked with lefty relief options. Brennan Bernardino and Cam Booser are the two southpaws currently in the club’s bullpen, with non-roster veteran Lucas Luetge and youngster Jorge Benitez among the club’s depth options from the left side.
AL Notes: Robert, Berti, Sano
White Sox fans received a positive update from GM Chris Getz regarding the status of injured center fielder Luis Robert Jr. over the weekend, with MLB.com’s Injury Tracker noting that the club believes Robert could return to the lineup in Chicago as soon as the middle of May. According to Getz, Robert’s rehab has “been really positive” as he’s progressed to both running and hitting without issue.
If Robert could be back with the big league club in as little as two weeks, that would be excellent news for the White Sox. The 26-year-old suffered a grade 2 strain of his left hip flexor three weeks ago that was initially expected to sideline him for at least at weeks, with some club officials reportedly worrying that Robert would miss the entire first half. Fortunately, the slugger appears to have avoided those worst-case-scenarios.
While Robert had been hitting a relatively pedestrian .214/.241/.500 through seven games at the time of his injury, he’ll nonetheless be an immediate upgrade to the outfield mix in Chicago upon his return even if he doesn’t regain the form that saw him finish 12th in AL MVP voting last year. The White Sox are currently relying on newly-signed veteran Tommy Pham in center field in Robert’s absence, with Andrew Benintendi and Robbie Grossman holding down the outfield corners.
More from around the American League…
- Yankees third baseman Jon Berti is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset today, according to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch. The utilityman, who the club acquired from the Marlins in a three-team trade just before Opening Day, has been shelved for two weeks due to a left groin strain. Prior to the injury, Berti had been operating as part of a platoon at third base with Oswaldo Cabrera, though the 34-year-old veteran was just 4-for-19 when he was placed on the IL. Cabrera has taken over regular duties at third base in the absence of both Berti and DJ LeMahieu, posting a respectable .258/.294/.404 in 95 trips to the plate.
- The Angels had an injury scare this weekend when Miguel Sano was pulled from Friday’s game during the sixth inning due to a bout of knee soreness. The slugger remained out of Anaheim’s lineup last night while undergoing an MRI on his knee but indicated to reporters (including MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger) that he is day-to-day and expects to avoid a trip to the injured list after the test revealed inflammation in his left knee. That Sano won’t require a trip to the IL is surely a relief for the Angels, as the soon-to-be 31-year-old has taken over the third base job with the club while Anthony Rendon is out with a partially torn hamstring. Through 71 trips to the plate this season, Sano has hit a respectable .262/.352/.361 (110 wRC+), though much of that production has been thanks to an unsustainable .441 BABIP.
NL West Notes: Glasnow, Cobb, Sewald
Dodgers right-hander exited today’s game against the Blue Jays after being visited by the team trainer and manager Dave Roberts following the sixth inning. While the circumstances of Glasnow’s departure were surely concerning for fans in Los Angeles, Glasnow told reporters (including Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register) that he was dealing with cramping in his right calf and right hand when he left the game. Glasnow added that he believed the incident was due to dehydration from unexpectedly humid conditions in Toronto this afternoon. Roberts went on to confirm to reporters (including Jack Harris of the L.A. Times) that the club does not have “any level of concern” regarding Glasnow’s health going forward.
The news surely comes as a relief for Dodgers fans, as Glasnow has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career. The righty made a career-high 21 starts with the Rays last year after pitching just 212 2/3 combined innings for the Rays between 2019 and 2022. Aside from his injury history, any injury scare for Glasnow would be particularly unwelcome for the club given the fact that he’s led the club’s rotation to this point in the season. Including today’s start, Glasnow has a 2.72 ERA in 43 innings of work across seven starts for the club this season with a 31.5% strikeout rate.
That dominance has been particularly welcome given the Dodgers’ lengthy list of starting pitching injuries. Each of Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Emmett Sheehan, and Kyle Hurt are currently on the injured list, and of that group only Buehler appears to be particularly close to returning. Fortunately, it appears that Glasnow should be fine to make his next start, remaining the club’s rotation mix alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto, James Paxton, Gavin Stone, and Landon Knack.
More from the NL West…
- The Giants recently transferred veteran hurler Alex Cobb to the 60-day injured list in the wake of the right-hander being slowed in his return from offseason hip surgery by a bout of shoulder inflammation. Per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, Cobb received a cortisone shot in his shoulder on Friday and a subsequent MRI on his shoulder showed enough improvement that the club is hopeful his discomfort will fade in the coming days. Presumably, Cobb will resume throwing once the discomfort subsides. The righty will first be eligible to return from the injured list on May 27, and manager Bob Melvin indicated last week that the a minimum stay on the shelf was a “realistic” timeline for the veteran. Cobb, 36, has pitched to a 3.80 ERA with a 3.41 FIP across 56 starts with the Giants the past two seasons.
- Diamondbacks fans received some disappointing news regarding injured closer Paul Sewald this evening, as MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert relayed that (according to GM Mike Hazen) the right-hander’s rehab process is going to be “slowed” after Sewald experienced some soreness in the aftermath of his most recent rehab appearance. Hazen added that an MRI of Sewald’s oblique showed that he’s made good progress in his recovery but that the team will be cautious to avoid aggravating the injury. Sewald, 34 next month, was acquired by Arizona from Seattle prior to last year’s trade deadline and posted a 3.12 ERA and 3.57 FIP with 34 saves in 65 appearances between the Mariners and DBacks last year. Veteran righty Kevin Ginkel has handled the closer’s role in Sewald’s absence, with Ryan Thompson and Bryce Jarvis also contributing to the late-inning mix.
NL Central Notes: Wicks, Junis, Carlson
The Cubs are in for their second bullpen game in as many days tomorrow, as Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune was among those to relay that left-hander Jordan Wicks has been scratched from his scheduled start tomorrow due to forearm tightness. Right-hander Hayden Wesneski will start the game in Wicks’s place just three days after pitching 2 1/3 scoreless frames against the Astros Thursday afternoon.
It’s not currently clear how serious Wicks’s injury is or if a stint on the injured list will be required, but a lengthy absence would be a major blow to the Cubs. The club’s first-round pick in the 2021 draft, Wicks has pitched solidly for the Cubs through five starts this season, posting a roughly league average 4.70 ERA and a much stronger 3.25 FIP in 23 innings of work. An trip to the shelf for Wicks would further exacerbate Chicago’s early-season injury woes. Hurlers Justin Steele, Kyle Hendricks, Drew Smyly, and Julian Merryweather are all currently on the injured list (though the former may be back soon) while the positional corps has lost both Seiya Suzuki and Cody Bellinger from its outfield mix.
The laundry list of injuries has left the Cubs somewhat thin in terms of rotation options, with both Ben Brown and now Wesneski stepping in to make starts after previously pitching out of the bullpen for the big league club. Chicago signed veteran right-hander Julio Teheran to a minor league deal in earlier this month, and the 33-year-old righty and lefty Thomas Pannone among the club’s top non-roster depth options for the rotation.
More from the NL Central…
- Brewers right-hander Jakob Junis suffered a scary incident earlier this week when he was struck by an errant fly ball during the club’s pregame workouts prior to a game against the Pirates in Pittsburgh. Fortunately, Junis is back traveling with the team and spoke to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel yesterday. The right-hander noted that he underwent an MRI and CT scan, both of which came back clean, before he was released from the hospital. Now that he’s back with the team, it appears Junis is set to continue rehabbing from the shoulder impingement that has cost him most of the season to this point. Per MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, Brewers manager Pat Murphy recently indicated that the club may look to bring Junis back into the fold as a reliever rather than build him up to start. It’s something of a surprise given the recent injuries suffered by lefties DL Hall and Wade Miley, though it’s possible that a multi-inning relief role could allow the Brewers to maximize Junis’s innings in the short-term.
- Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson has missed the entire season to this point after suffering a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder just before Opening Day. Fortunately, however, it appears that the 25-year-old could be nearing his season debut. According to MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Carlson is set to begin a rehab assignment in the near future if he comes out of a hitting session today pain-free. The return of Carlson would be most welcome for St. Louis, as the club recently optioned struggling youngster Jordan Walker to the minor leagues. With Carlson and Tommy Edman both on the injured list, that’s left the club to rely on Michael Siani and Alec Burleson as major contributors to the outfield mix alongside Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan.
Orioles Outright David Banuelos
The Orioles announced this afternoon that catcher David Bañuelos has accepted an outright assignment to the minor leagues and was assigned to Triple-A Norfolk. Bañuelos had previously been designated for assignment earlier this week in a flurry of roster moves that saw top prospect Jackson Holliday optioned back to the minor leagues.
Bañuelos, 27, was a fifth-round pick by the Mariners in the 2017 draft and was traded to the Twins in a minor deal that winter. He reached the Triple-A level in Minnesota late in the 2021 season but stalled out at the level with a wRC+ of just 70 in 295 trips to the plate at the level with the Twins between 2021 and 2022. Those deep struggles at the plate saw Bañuelos demoted back to Double-A for the 2023 season. He hit well in his return to the level with a .270/.369/.526 slash line in 48 games but did not remain with the Twins after hitting minor league free agency this past winter.
Instead, Bañuelos took a minor league pact with the Orioles and entered the season as upper-level catching depth behind the club’s big league tandem of Adley Rutschman and James McCann. It didn’t take long for Bañuelos to get the call to the big leagues this season, appearing in just two Triple-A games before his contract was selected earlier this month. While Bañuelos remained on the roster for two weeks, he ultimately made just one plate appearance in the majors, flying out in his lone big league at-bat. The 27-year-old was then designated for assignment to make room for outfielder Ryan McKenna on the club’s 40-man roster.
Now that Bañuelos has cleared waivers and accepted an assignment to the Triple-A level, he’ll continue to be among the club’s top options for a depth catcher at the big league level alongside fellow minor league signing Michael Perez. With no catchers besides Rutschman or McCann on the 40-man roster, it’s easy to imagine Bañuelos making his way back to the majors with the Orioles in the event that either member of their catching tandem suffers an injury at some point this season. In the meantime, he’ll remain in Triple-A as non-roster depth.