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Pirates Place Tim Mayza On 15-Day IL, Recall David Bednar

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The Pirates have placed left-hander Tim Mayza on the 15-day injured list due to a lat muscle strain in Mayza’s throwing shoulder.  Former closer David Bednar has been called up to take Mayza’s spot on the active roster.

The biggest news here is the return of Bednar, who served as the Pirates’ closer for the majority of the 2022-24 seasons. An All-Star in both 2022 and ’23, Bednar posted a 2.27 ERA and 2.49 FIP with a 30.6% strikeout rate in those two years. Things took a turn for the worse last year, though, as Bednar struggled to a 5.77 ERA with a 4.80 FIP in 57 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate dipped to just 22.1%, and his walk rate ballooned up to 10.7%. The Pirates stuck with their man for the majority of last year despite his struggles, but eventually pulled him from the closer role in late August of last year.

That led to plenty of questions about if he would be a trade or even non-tender candidate this winter, but Bednar ended up not only remaining in the organization but also in the mix for saves entering 2025. Unfortunately for both the Pirates and the right-hander, he surrendered four runs (three earned) on four hits (including one homer) and two walks while striking out just one over his first three appearances, only one of which saw him record an out before being pulled. He was optioned to the minors on April 1 as a result of this poor performance after months of attempts to try to get the 30-year-old right. There’s no obvious injury or decline in velocity to point to as an explanation for his struggles, and perhaps that’s why it’s not a surprise that he dominated Triple-A hitters with five scoreless frames and seven strikeouts against zero walks.

Bednar’s return to the majors was seemingly at least partially spurred on by how dominant he looked during his brief stay in the minors, but it’s unclear what role he’ll fill for the Pirates now that he’s back in Pittsburgh. Manager Derek Shelton discussed Bednar’s return with reporters (including those with the Associated Press) earlier this afternoon, but did not offer any concrete plans for the righty.

“We’re kind of pitching to what we think the leverage is and what we feel the matchup is, but excited to have him back,” Shelton said, as relayed by the AP. “He went down, he pitched really well. He handled himself really well. I think we’ve said all along we’re a better bullpen with David Bednar in it. It’s nice to have him back.”

Shelton went on to suggest there’s some fluidity to the Pirates’ plans regarding Bednar, which makes sense given their uncertain bullpen situation. Pittsburgh’s relief corps is a roughly average group by ERA and FIP when compared to the rest of the league, but more advanced metrics like SIERA and xFIP consider the Pirates to have a bottom-ten bullpen in the sport. The late innings are particularly uncertain for the club, with Dennis Santana currently serving as the club’s closer despite a 14.7% strikeout rate after a knee issue sent the scuffling Colin Holderman to the injured list earlier this month.

The uncertainty in the bullpen just got worse for Pittsburgh, as the loss of Mayza is a fairly significant one. The 33-year-old signed an MLB deal with the organization back in February and has looked like one of the club’s best relievers in the early going with a 2.89 ERA and 3.35 FIP in seven appearances. A disastrous first half in Toronto tanked Mayza’s 2024 numbers, but he’s generally be a very reliable middle relief arm over the years with a 3.43 ERA and a 3.48 FIP since the start of the 2021 season. While losing the southpaw certainly hurts, Caleb Ferguson and Ryan Borucki both remain available as left-handed relief options for the Pirates in addition to long relief arm Joey Wentz.

Poll: Can The Giants Sustain Their Hot Start?

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When the Giants completed their 19th game of the 2021 season four years ago, they were 12-7, two games behind the reigning World Series champion Dodgers for the NL West lead. After four straight seasons with losing records, few expected a Giants club that was largely unchanged from the year prior to find any sort of success even after their solid start to the season. Even fewer expected what would actually come to pass, as San Francisco improbably went on to win 107 games and squeak out a division title over L.A. by just one game.

Flash forward to this year, and the Giants are 13-6 after their 19th game of the season and even closer to the once again reigning World Series champion Dodgers in the standings, sitting just half a game back. For fans in San Francisco who were jaded by the three seasons of mediocrity since that magical 2021 campaign, the Giants’ start has been a huge breath of fresh air. Scorching hot starts from outfielders Jung Hoo Lee and Mike Yastrzemski have helped carry the offense to the third-highest total of runs scored in the majors entering play today. Logan Webb has continued to play his part as a perennial candidate for the Cy Young award. The bullpen’s sterling 1.89 ERA is the second-best figure in all of baseball.

Those are encouraging signs, and there’s an argument that the team figures to get better in some areas. Willy Adames hasn’t begun to hit yet after signing the largest contract in franchise history. LaMonte Wade Jr. certainly won’t hit .102 all year, and even if he did continue to flounder, top prospect Bryce Eldridge could eventually be called upon to fill his shoes at first base. The rotation’s lackluster ERA (4.80) is nearly a full run higher than its FIP (3.90) and SIERA (4.00); Justin Verlander and Jordan Hicks almost certainly won’t continue running ERAs north of 6.00.

Projection systems have begun to generally buy into San Francisco’s hot start. FanGraphs gives the Giants a 51.3% chance to make the postseason with a projected record of 86-76, a massive step forward from their preseason projections (81-81, 28.5% postseason chance).

That’s not to say there are no potential red flags, of course. The rotation has looked rough outside of Webb. The rest of the group figures to bounce back from rough starts to at least some extent, but Robbie Ray’s velocity is at its second-lowest mark ever and he’s walking nearly 18% of his opponents. Could this version of Ray, a 42-year-old Verlander or Hicks serve as a credible No. 2 starter for a playoff team? That could be asking a lot. Meanwhile, the bullpen is currently outperforming both its FIP and SIERA by nearly a run and a half.

The biggest obstacle for the Giants if they want to maintain their current success, however, is the landscape of the NL West. Their excellent 13-6 record is good for only third place in the division and just one game ahead of the fourth-place D-backs (who’d won five straight and seven of their past eight). Arizona, San Diego, and especially L.A. entered the season not just as projected contenders, but potentially dominant clubs. Their own starts to the season have done little to change those expectations, and while the Giants have pulled off some impressive series wins against clubs like the Yankees and Astros, they’ve yet to play a single game against their own division.

Their first big test in that regard will be a two-game set against the Padres at the end of the month. The Giants will be in Arizona for the first time about a month from now, and they won’t face the Dodgers until mid-June. Perhaps being able to save difficult matchups against division rivals for later in the season will allow the Giants to build enough of a cushion to sustain themselves through the trade deadline, when they can add reinforcements. A stretch of 13 straight games against the D-backs and Dodgers in mid-September presents a potentially formidable roadblock late in the season.

How sustainable do MLBTR readers believe San Francisco’s hot start to be? Will they be able to exceed preseason expectations that they’d finish around .500, or perhaps even make it to October? Have your say in the poll below:

How will the Giants finish the 2025 season?
The Giants will miss the playoffs, but exceed expectations and finish with a winning record. 45.54% (1,347 votes)
The Giants will make the playoffs. 38.37% (1,135 votes)
The Giants will finish .500 or worse. 16.09% (476 votes)
Total Votes: 2,958

The Opener: Diamondbacks, Prospect Debuts, Pitchers’ Duel

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As the 2025 regular season continues, here are a few things we’ll be keeping an eye on this weekend:

1. Diamondbacks heating up:

Arizona got out to something of a slow start this year, quickly falling to fourth place in the crowded NL West with a 5-6 record. They’ve caught fire since, however, winning seven of eight games — including each of their past five. Their next test will come in the Friendly Confines, as the team is headed to Chicago for a three-game set against the Cubs that begins at 1:20pm local time this afternoon.

Today’s matchup will see right-hander Corbin Burnes try to right the ship after struggling to a 5.28 ERA in his first three starts with Arizona. Chicago counters with Colin Rea, who began the season in the bullpen but has moved into the rotation following Justin Steele’s injury. Rea struck out five Dodgers across 3 2/3 innings of one-run ball in his first start last week and will continue to stretch out as he shifts back into a starting role. Saturday will see Burnes’ co-ace, Zac Gallen, try to recover from his own uneven start to the season (4.64 ERA) opposite Cubs youngster Ben Brown. Sunday’s series finale will be a battle of mid-rotation veterans as Merrill Kelly takes on Jameson Taillon.

2. Top prospect debut for Twins:

The Twins are reportedly poised to promote top infield prospect Luke Keaschall to the majors prior to today’s game in Atlanta, which begins at 7:15pm local time. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to bring Keaschall into the fold. A consensus top-60 prospect in the sport, the 22-year-old has gotten off to a decent start at Triple-A with a .261/.379/.348 slash line in 14 games. The 2023 second-round pick posted a fantastic .303/.420/.483 slash line last year between the High-A and Double-A levels. Plate discipline and plus contact skills are Keaschall’s calling cards. He’s walked in 13.6% of his professional plate appearances against just a 17.5% strikeout rate.

Keaschall has split most of his time between second base and center field during his time in the minors, though he has experience at first and third base as well. His MLB debut will come amid a rash of injuries for the Twins, who have sluggers Matt Wallner and Royce Lewis on the injured list while shortstop Carlos Correa and utilityman Willi Castro are facing day-to-day maladies. Fellow infielder Jose Miranda was optioned to Triple-A after getting out to a bleak .167/.167/.250 start in his first 36 plate appearances.

3. Brewers change it up at third base:

The Brewers are also set to bring up a promising young talent from their system. Caleb Durbin, acquired from the Yankees in exchange for Devin Williams this offseason, is reportedly headed to the big leagues in place of struggling infielder Oliver Dunn, whom the Brew Crew already formally optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Durbin doesn’t come with the same level of national fanfare that Keaschall brings, but Milwaukee will hope he can make an impact all the same.

A compact speedster standing at 5’7″, Durbin has elite bat-to-ball skills and strong plate discipline but lacks power. He’s hitting .278/.316/.481 on the young season and is fresh off a 2024 campaign that saw him slash .275/.388/.451 with a 13.1% walk rate and tiny 9.9% strikeout rate in 406 plate appearances across three minor league levels (Class-A, Double-A, Triple-A). Brewers third basemen are batting .150/.188/.233 this season, so it’s a low bar to clear for Durbin as he looks to cement his place in the Brewers’ long-term plans.

4. Pitchers’ duel in Texas:

The Dodgers and Rangers are meeting in Arlington for a three-game series this weekend, and Game 1 of the series (scheduled for 7:05pm local time) will feature two of the league’s most talented pitchers. Texas is sending Jacob deGrom to the mound, and the soon-to-be 37-year-old hurler will look to get his season back on track after three uncharacteristic starts where he’s posted a pedestrian 4.30 ERA while striking out just 20.6% of his opponents. There’s no need for a bounceback from Dodgers star Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who has begun the season with a dominant 1.23 ERA and a 33.7% strikeout rate in four starts.

Poll: When Should The Marlins Trade Sandy Alcantara?

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While this year’s trade deadline is still more than three months away, there’s perhaps no more obvious trade candidate in the game right now than Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara. The 2022 NL Cy Young award winner, Alcantara missed last season due to Tommy John surgery but is back in action with Miami this year. While he was out of commission, the Marlins tore the roster that made the playoffs in 2023 down to the studs, trading everyone from Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to Trevor Rogers and Jesus Luzardo. With no end in sight to the rebuild and Alcantara controlled through the 2027 season, it would be a complete shock if the Marlins held onto him until his contract came to a close.

Whenever the Marlins trade Alcantara, he’s sure to be an extremely sought-after commodity. The right-hander’s 4.70 ERA in three starts this year is far from impressive, but his peripherals have looked better. He’s generating grounders at a phenomenal 65.1% clip with a 3.86 FIP and a 3.91 xERA despite his lackluster 19% strikeout rate and 12.7% walk rate. Those strikeout and walk figures will become concerning if they hold up over a larger sample size, but unless that comes to pass, it seems fair to expect the righty to return to his previous dominant form. Since his full-season debut in 2019, Alcantara has posted a 3.33 ERA with a 3.71 FIP, a 51% grounder rate, and a 21.4% strikeout rate against a 7.1% walk rate.

Those numbers don’t hold a candle to his Cy Young season, where he posted a 2.28 ERA and 2.80 FIP in a campaign that led MLB with 8.0 bWAR, but it’s still clearly front-of-the-rotation caliber production overall. Perhaps even more enticing to teams than Alcantara’s rate production is his status as a true workhorse in a game where arms capable of pitching deep into games on a regular basis have become vanishingly rare. Alcantara hasn’t posted less than 184 2/3 innings in any of his four full seasons, and his 858 1/3 innings of work from 2019 to 2023 were second only to Gerrit Cole. That sort of volume would have value even if Alcantara was a league-average pitcher, given the increasing difficulty with which teams are forced to piece together their rotations.

He’s also appealing from a financial point of view. He is making $17MM this year and next year, less than half of what some other ace pitchers get. Then there’s a $2MM buyout on a $21MM club option for 2027.

Given his ace-level upside, workhorse reputation, years of control, and affordable contract, Alcantara’s status as one of the most valuable trade chips in the sport is unlikely to change. That gives the Marlins the ability to stay flexible with their plans regarding the prized righty. Reporters Will Sammon of The Athletic and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald have suggested that the Marlins have not yet decided if they’ll trade Alcantara at all this season. Alcantara himself tells Jackson that he wants to stay in Miami but is aware that he has no say in the matter. “I’m [just] a player,” he said. “If they want to trade me for a bag, they can trade me.” While the righty eventually getting moved appears to be something of a fait accompli, the Fish would still have two full seasons of team control to market if they opted to move him this offseason instead.

Of course, teams will likely be willing to pay a higher premium for Alcantara at the deadline, when they’d have him available for three pennant races and he wouldn’t be competing with a free agent market rich in rotation talent like Dylan Cease, Zac Gallen, and Framber Valdez. Unless the 8-10 Marlins are able to make a surprise surge into contention for an NL Wild Card spot this summer or Alcantara’s performance declines enough that lucrative trade offers start to dry up, it’s hard to see the club getting more value out of their star by waiting for the offseason. With that said, another year of information regarding their prospects and young players could allow them to make more informed decisions about which areas of the roster to target improvements for in the return package.

Could the Marlins benefit from moving Alcantara even earlier, as they did with Arraez last May? Such a decision wouldn’t give Alcantara much of an opportunity to prove he’s healthy and back to his usual form, but the extra few months of starts could be very attractive to clubs like the Yankees, Cubs, and Padres that are dealing with injury woes in their rotation already. What’s more, it’s not impossible to imagine a team like the Astros (Valdez), Twins (Pablo Lopez), or Royals (Seth Lugo) that is currently attempting to compete winding up on the outside of the playoff picture come July and marketing their own top starters. That would give potential suitors for Alcantara alternative options they surely wouldn’t have available to them this early in the calendar.

When do MLBTR readers think the Marlins should start trying to trade Alcantara? Would jumping the market and opening up the bidding now allow them to maximize their asset, should they wait to see if Alcantara can re-establish himself more before putting him on the market this summer, or could waiting even longer to deal him this offseason be the best course to take? Have your say in the poll below:

When should the Marlins trade Sandy Alcantara?
Start listening to offers right away, before alternatives hit the market. 48.14% (3,189 votes)
Wait until closer to the trade deadline in hopes he improves his results. 38.91% (2,578 votes)
Don't trade him at all. Hold and try to compete. 7.74% (513 votes)
Hold off for the offseason to see how the current crop of prospects develops. 5.21% (345 votes)
Total Votes: 6,625

The Opener: Quero, Hancock, Pirates, Nationals

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As the 2025 season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Quero to make MLB debut:

The White Sox are poised to promote top catching prospect Edgar Quero to the majors for his big league debut. A corresponding 40-man roster move will be necessary to bring Quero up from the minors, so the club will have to either designate a player for assignment or transfer one of their players to the 60-day injured list, though they have no obvious candidates for the latter.

Quero, 22, is a consensus top-100 prospect who’s gotten off to a hot start at Triple-A, with a .333/.444/.412 slash line in 63 plate appearances. That solid bat is the main attraction when it comes to Quero, as he’s regarded as a below-average defender behind the plate and a lackluster baserunner. Even so, the switch-hitter’s knack for contact, impressive plate discipline, and power potential make him an intriguing prospect even if Kyle Teel is the more well-regarded of Chicago’s two touted catching prospects. (Teel, conversely, is out to a rough start in Charlotte, slashing .196/.328/.393 with a 31.3% strikeout rate.) Quero’s first game will come against the Athletics in Chicago, and is scheduled for 1:10pm local time.

2. Hancock returning to majors:

Mariners right-hander Emerson Hancock has one MLB start under his belt this year, and it could hardly have gone worse. When he faced the Tigers on March 31, Hancock was shelled for seven hits (including a home run) and a walk in an outing that saw him record just two outs. He ultimately surrendered six runs and walked away with an ugly 81.00 ERA and 27.01 FIP before being optioned to the minors. With George Kirby still on the injured list and Seattle in need of a fifth starter, Hancock gets an opportunity for redemption today against the Reds in Cincinnati. The former No. 6 overall pick has been as a serviceable depth starter for the Mariners in the past, with a career 4.71 ERA in 15 starts entering this season. He also has a solid Triple-A track record — a 3.46 ERA in 19 starts/104 innings pitched. Will he be able to turn things around this afternoon?

3. Tensions high in Nationals, Pirates finale:

It’s been a rough series between the Pirates and Nationals. On Tuesday, a fastball got away from right-hander Mitch Keller and struck shortstop Paul DeJong in the face, breaking his nose and sending him to the injured list. That was followed by a wild outing from Nationals reliever Jorge Lopez, who hit Bryan Reynolds before another pitch got away from him and ran up-and-in on veteran Andrew McCutchen, who was forced to dive to the ground to avoid being plunked. That incited a benches-clearing incident that ultimately ended with Lopez being ejected (video link).

As noted by Jessica Camerato of MLB.com, Lopez apologized for the situation after the game and McCutchen’s own postgame comments suggested that he does not believe the pitch from Lopez was intentional. Still, benches-clearing incidents typically leave both teams on high-alert for potential issues for the remainder of the series. It also remains to be seen whether Lopez will be further disciplined by the league beyond his ejection.

The Opener: Strider, Schmidt, Rockies

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As the 2025 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Strider to return from IL:

The Braves officially welcomed right-hander Spencer Strider back from the injured list earlier this morning in preparation for his start against the Blue Jays later today. It will be Strider’s first big league start in just over a year after he underwent UCL surgery in April of last year, causing him to miss nearly the entire 2025 season. The righty was among the very best pitchers in baseball from 2022 to 2023, with a 3.36 ERA, a 2.43 FIP, and a 37.4% strikeout rate in 318 1/3 innings of work.

During the 2023 campaign, Strider led the majors in strikeouts and wins while leading his league in FIP en route to a fourth-place finish for the NL Cy Young award. A performance on that level would go a long way to helping the Braves, who have stumbled out of the gate to a 5-12 start, get back into the race for the playoffs. Strider’s first opponent will be Toronto right-hander Chris Bassitt, who has looked excellent through his first three starts of the season with a microscopic 0.98 ERA in 18 1/3 innings.

2. Schmidt to return from IL:

Strider isn’t the only righty returning from the injured list today. The Yankees are expected to activate right-hander Clarke Schmidt from his own IL stint. Schmidt opened the season on the shelf due to rotator cuff tendinitis, but the issue was a fairly mild one as he’s back in action after just a couple of weeks. That’s great news for a Yankees rotation that lost ace righty Gerrit Cole to Tommy John surgery before the season even began and will also be without reigning AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil for at least the majority of the first half. Marcus Stroman recently went on the injured list as well due to a knee issue, leaving the Yankees with a patchwork rotation that features Carlos Carrasco, Will Warren, and Allan Winans alongside Max Fried and Carlos Rodon.

Schmidt should help stabilize things in his age-29 campaign. The righty made just 16 starts last year due to injury but was brilliant in those limited appearances, with a 2.85 ERA and a 26.3% strikeout rate across 85 1/3 innings of work. The right-hander’s first start back from the injured list will come at Yankee Stadium against the Royals. His opponent will be southpaw Kris Bubic, who excelled in a relief role last year and has found great success after moving to the rotation so far, with a 0.96 ERA and 2.59 FIP across 18 2/3 innings of work.

3. Rockies youngster to make MLB debut:

When the Rockies placed Kris Bryant on the injured list yesterday, they selected the contract of catcher Braxton Fulford to replace him on the roster. The 26-year-old was a sixth-rounder in the 2021 draft but spent the majority of last year at the Double-A level. With just 15 games of experience at Triple-A, Fulford had yet to make his big league debut. That’s set to change, however, as manager Bud Black told reporters (including MLB.com’s Andres Soto) last night that Fulford will make his big league debut in today’s game against the Dodgers. Assuming Fulford is starting behind the plate, he’ll catch longtime Rockie German Marquez in the first MLB game of his career. Currently, Fulford is the third catcher on the Rockies’ roster alongside Jacob Stallings and Hunter Goodman, but it’s possible a strong performance out of the gate could earn him more playing time going forward.

Braves Activate Spencer Strider

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April 16: Strider has been activated ahead of his start against the Blue Jays this afternoon, per a team announcement. Right-hander Zach Thompson was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

April 13: Prior to today’s game against the Rays, the Braves announced that the club had optioned right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver to the minor leagues. In the short-term, the move made room for righty Michael Petersen to join the club. More important than that move, however, is the impending shift in the rotation Smith-Shawver’s departure portends. As noted by multiple reporters, including David O’Brien of The Athletic, Smith-Shawver’s departure from the active roster will make way for the highly-anticipated return of right-hander Spencer Strider to the rotation on April 16 against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

Strider, 26, hasn’t pitched in just over a year after undergoing internal brace surgery on his UCL early last season. The right-hander has just two full MLB seasons under his belt, in 2022 and ’23, but in that time he posted a 3.36 ERA with a 2.43 FIP and a 37.4% strikeout rate. Those incredible stats were enough to get Strider a second-place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting, an All-Star appearance, and a fourth-place finish in NL Cy Young voting across the two seasons, and the decorated fireballer now figures to return to lead Atlanta’s rotation once again now that he’s healthy. It couldn’t come at a better time, as the Braves have struggled badly out of the gate with a 4-11 start to open the season. Those struggles are due in large part to a rotation that has lost Reynaldo Lopez for much of the 2025 season to shoulder surgery and has seen reigning NL Cy Young winner Chris Sale scuffle to a 6.63 ERA in 19 innings of work across his first four starts this season.

Strider’s long-awaited return to the big league mound means the end of Smith-Shawver’s stint in the rotation to open the year. The right-hander was generally serviceable for Atlanta across three starts, with a 4.61 ERA that clocks in just below league average and a 4.16 FIP. While Smith-Shawver’s 26.2% strikeout rate in those starts was solid, a 12.3% walk rate raised enough concerns that the club has opted to stick with Bryce Elder in the rotation despite his ugly 7.20 ERA in two starts against the Dodgers and Rays. That leaves Elder to pair with Grant Holmes at the back of the club’s rotation for the time being, though Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, and Dylan Dodd all remain available at Triple-A as potential rotation options if Elder fails to improve.

Strider may not be the only reinforcement the Braves are getting from Triple-A this week. O’Brien suggests that “all signs are pointing to” an impending call-up for outfielder Alex Verdugo, who was signed to a $1.5MM deal three weeks ago but has spent that time in the minor leagues catching up after missing most of Spring Training. It’s possible he would’ve spent the entire month of April at Triple-A, but things changed when Jurickson Profar was suspended for 80-games due to a failed PED test. That’s left the Braves to try and get by with Jarred Kelenic, Stuart Fairchild, and Bryan De La Cruz in the outfield corners while Ronald Acuna Jr. heals up after suffering a torn ACL last May.

Verdugo should help to bolster that outfield mix somewhat, giving the Braves a more proven veteran to handle left field in place of Profar while he serves his suspension. While he posted a lackluster 83 wRC+ with the Yankees last year, he had been a consistently league average bat for the Red Sox in each of his four seasons with the club prior to that, hitting .281/.328/.444 (105 wRC+) overall during his time in Boston. Whether Verdugo will ultimately join the Braves in Toronto for their series against the Blue Jays or instead be called up next weekend for their series against the Twins remains to be seen, but O’Brien indicates that Verdugo’s return to the majors appears to be imminent.

DJ Herz To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

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Left-hander DJ Herz has decided to undergo Tommy John surgery, according to a report from TalkNats. Herz was recommended for Tommy John surgery in late March but the report suggests he sought second and third opinions before ultimately deciding to go under the knife. The procedure is likely to keep Herz out of commission through at least the first half of the 2026 campaign, though no specific timetable for his return is likely to be announced until after his surgery.

Herz, 24, was an eighth-round pick by the Cubs back in 2019. While in Chicago’s organization, Herz flashed huge strikeout stuff and fantastic results in the lower minors, including a 40.4% strikeout rate between Single-A and High-A back in 2021. It was always held back by lackluster control and paired with poor results at higher levels of the minors, however, such as when he posted a 20.9% walk rate and an 8.24 ERA in nine starts in his first taste of the Double-A level back in 2022. The lefty’s second stint with Double-A Tennessee went better, though his results still didn’t jump off the page: A 3.97 ERA in 14 starts, with a 14.1% walk rate.

Despite those potential red flags, the Nationals saw enough in Herz to trade for him as part of the package for Jeimer Candelario at the 2023 trade deadline. The southpaw made his big league debut last year and looked quite good in doing so. Across 19 starts in the majors, Herz pitched to a roughly average 4.16 ERA (97 ERA+), but struck out an excellent 27.7% of batters faced while walking a much more palatable 9.4% of opponents. His 8.0% barrel rate allowed was somewhat elevated, leading to an elevated home run rate, but even with that flaw Herz’s peripherals looked excellent. His 3.71 FIP was fourth among rookies with at least 80 innings of work last year, his 3.77 SIERA was sixth, and his 3.26 xERA was second to only Paul Skenes.

It was quite the impressive debut for the young southpaw, though one flaw was Herz’s inability to pitch deep into games. Just four of his 19 starts saw him throw 90 pitches or more, and he failed to complete five innings in eight of his starts. Herz’s overall results in his rookie season were more than enough to put him in the conversation for a regular rotation job with the big league club this year, but any plans for him to join the rotation were scuttled when he struggled during Spring Training with a 6.52 ERA, an 8.2% walk rate, and an 18.4% strikeout rate. Those numbers came in a sample of just 9 2/3 innings, but the results were ugly enough that the Nationals made what seemed like an easy decision to option Herz to the minors.

That option was quickly rescinded in favor of placing him on the injured list, however, suggesting that he had sustained an injury during big league camp. That injury proved to be a tear in his UCL, and Herz will now go under the knife and miss all of 2025, plus at least some of the 2026 season. Fortunately for the Nationals, the club has plenty of other young arms to rely on while Herz is out, including fellow lefties MacKenzie Gore and Mitchell Parker. One other name to watch this year is righty Cade Cavalli, who has been out of commission in recent years due to his own Tommy John surgery rehab but figures to be ready to pitch in the majors at some point this year for the first time since 2022.

The Opener: Jackie Robinson Day, Injured List Placements, MLBTR Chat

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As the 2025 regular season continues, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day today:

1. MLB celebrates Jackie Robinson Day:

Today is Jackie Robinson Day around baseball, which means all 30 teams will be wearing Robinson’s 42 on their jerseys and caps. The day commemorates the Hall of Famer’s historic breaking of MLB’s color barrier back in 1947 and celebrates his phenomenal career, which saw him win Rookie of the Year and MVP honors within his first three years as a big leaguer. By the time he retired following his age-37 season, Robinson was a .309/.411/.474 hitter across ten seasons with the Dodgers and had collected 1563 hits, 141 homers, and 200 steals across just 1416 games.

Aside from today’s uniforms commemorating Robinson league-wide, Jason Foster of MLB.com highlights a number of other events celebrating Robinson, including a minor league game between the Clearwater Threshers and Palm Beach Cardinals at Holman Stadium in Vero Beach, Florida, where Robinson once played Spring Training games with the Dodgers. MLB games around the league will also feature a pregame tribute video to Robinson produced by MLB Network.

2. Pirates, Mets IL placements incoming:

The Pirates and Mets are expected to make roster moves today after it was reported last night that Pittsburgh catcher/first baseman Endy Rodriguez and New York center fielder Jose Siri are ticketed for the injured list. Rodriguez suffered a laceration on his right index finger that requires stitches, while Siri is dealing with a fractured tibia.

For the Pirates, Billy Cook would seem like the most logical choice to help cover first base in Rodriguez’s absence, given that Joey Bart and Henry Davis are already on the roster. However, Bart is currently day-to-day with an injury of his own and Cook is hitting rather poorly at Triple-A to start the year. The same goes for non-roster slugger DJ Stewart, who was in the mix for the club’s first base job during Spring Training before ultimately failing to make the Opening Day cut. For the Mets, Siri’s departure could simply mean that Jared Young joins the roster as the only position player on the 40-man not already in the majors or on the injured list. If the club is looking for extra help in center, non-roster veterans like Rafael Ortega and Jose Azocar could be options.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

Each MLB team is now around 10% of the way through their season, and some expected contenders like those in Atlanta and Baltimore have struggled while more surprising teams like the Giants and Angels have done quite well for themselves. There’s still plenty of baseball left to go. If you have questions about which starts to believe in or are already looking towards July’s trade deadline then MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered in a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Poll: Should The Nationals Have Been More Aggressive This Winter?

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The Nationals lost 91 games in 2024 but entered this winter with an arrow that was seemingly pointed upwards. Key young players like CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore took steps forward, while others like James Wood and Dylan Crews made their big league debuts. Between those positive signs for the future and the onerous Patrick Corbin contract finally coming off the club’s books, it was widely speculated around baseball that the Nationals could be a player in the upper echelons of free agency for the first time since their rebuild began in 2021. They instead opted for a much more reserved approach in free agency.

Fan speculation that the club could attempt to enter the Juan Soto bidding to pair their former superstar with the package of youngsters they acquired for him back in 2022 was always farfetched, but the club’s passive winter went beyond not taking a swing at free agency’s top dog. Rather than pursue a big bat at first base like Pete Alonso, GM Mike Rizzo and his front office swung a trade for Nathaniel Lowe and signed Josh Bell. Alex Bregman would’ve made plenty of sense as an addition at third base, but the club opted to take low-cost fliers on Paul DeJong and Amed Rosario instead.

That measured approach to upgrading the lineup carried over to the pitching staff as well. The Nats didn’t appear interested in a mid-rotation veteran like Nick Pivetta or a potential ace like Jack Flaherty who could lead the pitching staff, even when both lingered on the market into February. They settled on depth options like Michael Soroka and Shinnosuke Ogasawara behind their stable of young arms. Even pricey one-year relief arms like Kenley Jansen and Jose Leclerc signed by other clubs looking to take a step forward toward contention were eschewed in favor of non-tendering and then re-signing Kyle Finnegan.

None of those depth moves were necessarily bad on paper, and some of them have worked out so far. Finnegan has looked good in his return to the club’s closer role to this point. It’s hard to argue with Lowe’s .250/.339/.500 slash line as a massive upgrade over what Joey Meneses and Joey Gallo offered D.C. last year. Rosario has looked solid in the utility role he found some success in with the Rays last year. Despite those early successes, the club’s mostly passive offseason frustrated some fans in the nation’s capital. The Nats are just 6-9 to this point in the year and stand little hope of overcoming titanic teams like the Mets and Phillies as presently constructed.

Of course, that well may have been true even if the team had splurged on higher-profile free agents. The Phillies have been one of the NL’s biggest juggernauts for years now and show little sign of slowing down. The Mets added Soto to a team that already made the NLCS. Even with a shocking 4-11 start in Atlanta opening the door to contention a bit more for the Nationals, they’d have a steep hill to climb to get back to the postseason this year. Club owner Mark Lerner suggested to Barry Svrluga of the Washington Post back in February that the gap between where the Nationals stood entering the winter and the league’s playoff-caliber clubs was too big to justify a significant outlay.

“When Mike calls me in and says, ‘We really need to think about it,’ for next winter, we’ll talk about it,” Lerner told Svrluga. “Right now, he doesn’t think — and I agree with him: There’s no point in getting a superstar and paying him hundreds of millions of dollars to win two or three more games.”

Lerner went on to highlight the club’s decision to sign Jayson Werth to a seven-year, $126MM deal prior to the 2011 season, suggesting that they signed Werth when the club was “right on the cusp” of finding success. That comparison is a somewhat questionable one, however. The 2010 Nationals actually posted a worse record than the 2024 club, losing 93 games, and the Nats finished with a lackluster 80-81 record in Werth’s first year in D.C. before taking off in 2012 thanks in part to the arrival of Bryce Harper.

By contrast, players like Wood, Gore and Abrams are already in place with the club and finding success in the majors. Slow starts this year for Crews and Luis Garcia Jr. highlight the inconsistencies that come with a team built around young talent, but proven veterans would help to paper over those struggles and create a more well-balanced roster. Perhaps that wouldn’t be enough to get the Nationals back to the postseason this year, but a record better than the one the team produced back in 2011 would’ve been within reach. A win total in the low-to-mid 80s can even be enough to squeak into the playoffs in the era of 12 playoff teams, as demonstrated by clubs like the Marlins, Royals, and Tigers in recent years.

What do MLBTR readers think about the Nationals’ decision to hold off on ramping spending back up? Should they have moved more aggressively to exit their rebuilding phase this winter, or were they wise to wait for their young players to develop more before committing to a win-now approach? Have your say in the poll below:

Did the Nationals have the right approach this offseason?
Yes, waiting for the club's young players to develop more was the smart choice. 55.10% (1,371 votes)
No, a more aggressive offseason would've benefited the team. 44.90% (1,117 votes)
Total Votes: 2,488

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