Nick Deeds | MLB Trade Rumors

The Opener: Doubleheader, McKenzie, Beltway Series

By Nick Deeds | April 24, 2025 at 8:52am CDT

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

1. Doubleheader in Kansas City:

Yesterday’s game between the Rockies and Royals was postponed due to weather and will be made up today in a doubleheader. The makeup game will take place immediately after the previously scheduled game, which is set to begin at 1:10pm local time. According to Anne Rogers of MLB.com, fans who have tickets to today’s game are welcome to attend both games while fans who had tickets to yesterday’s game will receive a credit for the value of their tickets that can be applied to tickets and suite rentals, though they’ll need to purchase tickets for today’s game in order to attend the doubleheader.

Today’s first matchup is between Rockies righty German Marquez and Royals ace Cole Ragans. Marquez had his last fully healthy season in 2022 and so far this year the rust has showed; he’s been torched for an 8.27 ERA in four starts. He’ll look to get things back on track against Ragans, who finished third in AL Cy Young award voting last year and has started his 2025 season with a 3.58 ERA and a phenomenal 36.8% strikeout rate. Game 2 features Colorado rookie Chase Dollander making his fourth career MLB start against veteran Michael Lorenzen, who has pitched to a 4.57 ERA in 21 2/3 innings of work this season.

2. Will McKenzie be traded?

The Guardians made the tough decision to designate righty Triston McKenzie for assignment earlier this week. The news was simultaneously surprising and in some ways a long time coming, as McKenzie last pitched a full season in back in 2022 and has largely been ineffective since then. Despite his 5.46 ERA in 97 1/3 innings over the past three years, however, McKenzie is still just 27 years old and looked like a potential front-end starter back in 2022. He avoided surgery following a 2023 UCL injury but has never recaptured his pre-injury form.

McKenzie is nearing the point where he’ll need to be placed on waivers to be claimed by any of the league’s other 29 clubs, so if the Guardians hope to work out a trade involving their talented but struggling righty, they’d need to do so soon. Any acquiring club would need to be willing to commit an active roster spot to McKenzie, who is out of minor league options. He’s being paid $1.95MM this year and has two additional seasons of club control.

3. Beltway Series sweep on the line:

The Orioles have been among baseball’s most disappointing teams this year, with a 9-14 record that puts them dead last in the AL East. That’s been even more apparent during this week’s Beltway Series against the Nationals, where they’ve dropped the first two games in the three-game set. Washington is hardly a powerhouse, sitting two games below .500 and 6.5 games back of the Mets in the NL East, but they’ll nonetheless enter tonight’s game (scheduled for 6:45pm local time) with a chance at a sweep. Talented southpaw MacKenzie Gore will be on the mound for D.C. after looking excellent in his first five starts of the year. He’ll be facing fellow southpaw Cade Povich, a former top prospect who has struggled to a 6.38 ERA in is first four starts of the 2025 campaign.

Poll: Should Spencer Torkelson’s Breakout Be Believed?

By Nick Deeds | April 23, 2025 at 2:05pm CDT

Not long ago, Spencer Torkelson seemed to be out of time. The Tigers first baseman was selected first overall in the 2020 draft to plenty of fanfare, and he instantly became a consensus top-5 talent in the minor leagues. A disappointing rookie season in 2022 tempered those massive expectations, but a strong second half in 2023 caused many around the league to think the following year would be Torkelson’s season to shine. That didn’t happen either, as the slugger was once again a below-average hitter overall and wound up optioned to the minors for much of the year. When the Tigers signed Gleyber Torres to push Colt Keith over to first base, it seemed like a bad omen for 25-year-old’s future in Detroit.

Spring Training changed all of that, as the club’s entire outfield mix save Riley Greene wound up on the injured list. That opened up enough roster spots for Torkelson to have a real shot at the Opening Day roster, and he made the most of the opportunity by hitting .340/.389/.680 in 55 plate appearances during camp. Spring stats only count for so much due to the less competitive environment, however, and Torkelson would need to show out in actual major league games if he was going to turn his career around. So far, he’s done just that. Torkelson has not only been the Tigers’ best hitter this year, but he’s been one of the top hitters in the majors.

Across 24 games this year, the slugger has slashed an excellent .273/.377/.591 with a wRC+ of 176. It’s enough to have made him the 12th-best qualified hitter in the major leagues to this point in the year. It’s early enough in the season that the leaderboard still looks fairly unusual; just ahead of Torkelson with a 177 wRC+ is veteran outfielder George Springer, who it goes without saying is unlikely to maintain a .444 BABIP all season long. While there’s plenty of reasons to be skeptical of small-sample performances, many of them don’t apply to the 106 plate appearances Torkelson has taken to this point in the year.

Torkelson’s BABIP is .309, which is the highest of his career but well within the range of expected outcomes for a hitter and not substantially higher than the .285 BABIP he posted last season. The fact that Torkelson is hitting the ball on a line (17.7% line drive rate) more often than last year (15.1%) surely helps his outcomes on balls in play, as well. His 26.4% strikeout rate is also a tick lower than last year’s 27.6%, but none of these are the most encouraging signs regarding Torkelson’s start to the 2025 campaign. The most exciting news here is that he’s not only resumed crushing the ball at the level he was during the 2023 season, but that he’s paired it with newfound patience at the plate.

The 25-year-old is swinging less than ever, at just 44.3% of his pitches. Torkelson’s swing rates both inside and outside of the strike zone are lower than ever, and that newfound patience has allowed him to not only draw walks at a phenomenal 13.2% clip but also make more contact when he does swing. His 10.2% swinging strike rate this year is the lowest of his career, and he’s making contact on 52.2% of pitches he swings at outside of the zone after putting the bat on just 40.6% of those same pitches last year.

That more judicious approach at the plate has allowed Torkelson to rediscover his titanic power after posting a paltry .155 ISO last year. He has seven homers and seven doubles already this year, and that power is backed up by his underlying numbers: he’s managed a phenomenal 17.7% barrel rate that would be by far the highest of his career if maintained over the full season and is nearly triple last year’s 6.1% clip, and 50.0% of his balls have been considered hard hit, good for a 95mph exit velocity or higher.

All of this is extremely impressive, and if Torkelson can keep anything close to this going for the full year, he’ll have finally tapped into the potential scouts saw in him half a decade ago as an amateur. Over his final 300 plate appearances in 2023, Torkelson hit .238/.320/.506 with a wRC+ of 125. His 26.7% strikeout rate was more or less identical over that stretch to this year’s figure. His 16.6% barrel rate and 52.2% hard-hit rate weren’t far off, either. Those numbers are all close enough to serve as a reminder that Torkelson’s first 100 plate appearances this year don’t guarantee his future production will be close to as impactful, although his 2025 numbers do have a few key advantages over his second-half numbers in 2023.

For one thing, Torkelson’s line drive rate is three points higher while his soft contact rate is nine points lower this season. Those figures could help to explain the huge difference in BABIP, which sat at just .262 during his final 300 trips to the plate in 2023. His discipline is also noticeably improved, as he walked 10.0% of the time during that stretch, nearly four points lower than this year. If Torkelson’s improved plate discipline holds up and he continues to make soft contact this sparingly, it’s not hard to imagine him being able to keep up this level of production over the long haul.

What do MLBTR readers think of Torkelson’s hot start? Is this finally the year he puts it all together and looks like the dominant offensive force he was always expected to be, or will this prove to be another flash in the pan like his late 2023 production? Have your say in the poll below:

How will Spencer Torkelson finish the year?

While he won't hit this well all year, the improvements are legitimate enough to make him a well-above average hitter going forward. 66.14% (2,324 votes)

He'll sustain this breakout fully and emerge as one of the league's top hitters. 20.43% (718 votes)

His hot start should not be believed, and he'll regress to his career norms. 13.43% (472 votes)

Total Votes: 3,514

The Opener: Kurtz, Puk, Seager, Leclerc

By Nick Deeds | April 23, 2025 at 8:31am CDT

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. Kurtz to make MLB debut:

It’s an exciting day for fans of the Athletics. Top first base prospect Nick Kurtz is poised to make his big league debut during tonight’s game against the Rangers, scheduled for 7:05pm local time. Kurtz, 22, was the club’s first round pick, No. 4 overall, in last year’s draft and has done nothing but rake in pro ball. Though he has just 32 minor league games under his belt, he’s hit an incredible .336/.432/.689 in that time. That production follows a remarkable career at Wake Forest, where he batted .333/.510/.725 in his three seasons with the Demon Deacons.

Now, Kurtz will get the opportunity to prove himself in the majors for an A’s team that has stumbled out the gate to a 10-13 record but already has plenty of exciting offensive talent. Kurtz needs to be added to the 40-man roster today, although the club already has a vacancy so only a corresponding active roster move will be necessary to add him to the mix. With Kurtz bursting onto the scene at first base, the A’s will give breakout slugger Tyler Soderstrom and designated hitter Brent Rooker time in the corner outfield to get the trio of sluggers into the lineup.

2. Puk seeking additional opinions:

Diamondbacks southpaw got an MRI on his ailing elbow yesterday, and the news on that front appears to be worrisome. While manager Torey Lovullo didn’t give much of a concrete update to reporters, he did note that Puk is seeking additional opinions (link via Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic). That’s a foreboding update given that Puk is dealing with elbow inflammation. Acquired at the 2024 trade deadline, Puk has given the D-backs a sensational 1.78 ERA in 35 1/3 innings dating back to last July. The former No. 6 overall pick has fanned 40% of his opponents with the Snakes against a 5.1% walk rate. Jalen Beeks is the only lefty in the Arizona pen at the moment with Puk out of commission, though both Joe Mantiply and Kyle Nelson are in the mix as depth options at Triple-A.

3. Seager, Leclerc undergoing testing:

A pair of notable injuries occurred during yesterday’s game between the Rangers and Athletics. Texas shortstop Corey Seager exited early with tightness in his right hamstring, while A’s right-hander Jose Leclerc exited after just seven pitches due to shoulder soreness. Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News), that Seager is set to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of his hamstring ailment. The news appears more worrisome for Leclerc. A’s skipper Mark Kotsay told reporters (including MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos) that while the righty is set to undergo additional testing, the injury seems to be “more of a strain than soreness.”

An injured list stint for their player would be a frustrating development for both clubs; Seager has been the Rangers’ best player since signing a ten-year, $325MM contract prior to the 2022 season. If he needs an IL stint, the Rangers would likely bring utilityman Ezequiel Duran back into the fold after recently optioning him to Triple-A.

Leclerc, meanwhile, was signed to a hefty one-year deal ($10MM) to serve as star closer Mason Miller’s primary set-up man. That hasn’t come to fruition early in the year, though perhaps some of Leclerc’s struggles — six runs on 13 hits and five walks in nine innings — can be attributed to this shoulder injury. The right-hander’s average fastball is sitting at a career-low 94.2 mph — down 1.1 mph from 2024 and down 2.6 mph from its peak.

Casey Lawrence Elects Free Agency

By Nick Deeds | April 22, 2025 at 9:49pm CDT

April 22: Seattle announced on Tuesday that Lawrence cleared waivers and was outrighted back to Triple-A Tacoma. According to the MiLB.com transaction log, he elected free agency. There’s a decent chance he’ll re-sign with the Mariners on another minor league deal, as he did after electing free agency last week.

April 20: The Mariners announced this morning that they’ve designated right-hander Casey Lawrence for assignment. Right-hander Sauryn Lao was selected to the roster to replace Lawrence on the 40-man and active rosters.

Lawrence, 37, is a journeyman who has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons. After signing with the Blue Jays as an undrafted free agent back in 2010, the right-hander spent years climbing up the minor league ladder before finally reaching the majors during the 2017 season. He struggled to a 6.64 ERA with a 5.08 FIP in 78 2/3 innings of work for the Jays and Mariners over the next two years before heading overseas to pitch for Nippon Professional Baseball’s Hiroshima Carp in 2019. Lawrence posted a 4.80 ERA in 110 2/3 innings of work for the Carp and did not pitch professionally during the 2020 season.

He resurfaced in Toronto during the 2021 season and has oscillated between the majors and Triple-A in the years since then, with a 6.62 ERA and 6.12 FIP across 50 1/3 innings between the Blue Jays, Cardinals, and Mariners. His most recent stint in Seattle has seen the right-hander post five innings of three-run (two earned) ball, though he’s failed to strike out any of the 20 batters he’s faced. The Mariners will have one week to work out a trade involving Lawrence or pass him through waivers, and if he goes unclaimed he’ll have the option to either accept and outright assignment back to the minor leagues or elect free agency in search of a better deal elsewhere.

Lawrence’s departure makes room for Lao on the active and 40-man rosters. Signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic back in 2016, Lao was initially signed as a corner infielder but converted to pitching after struggling to hit at the High-A level. He made his first pitching appearances in 2023 and looked good enough to reach the Double-A level, and last year dominated Double-A to the tune of a 1.90 ERA in 20 relief appearances before getting promoted to Triple-A. The inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League was not kind to Lao, as he surrendered a 5.22 ERA in 29 1/3 innings of work. That was his last work in a Dodgers uniform, as he elected minor league free agency and signed with Seattle.

He’s made three abbreviated starts for Seattle so far at Triple-A, and looked good in doing so with a 2.00 ERA and a 21.2% strikeout rate against a walk rate of just 3%. Lao figures to serve as a long man for the Seattle bullpen, offering bulk relief to the club now that Lawrence is off the roster and Emerson Hancock has taken up a rotation job. Lao figures to be especially important for the Mariners in the coming days after the club went 12 innings against the Blue Jays last night, only five of which were handled by starter Logan Gilbert.

Poll: Can The Twins Still Bounce Back?

By Nick Deeds | April 22, 2025 at 4:10pm CDT

The 2024 season ended in heartbreaking fashion for Twins fans. Despite Minnesota looking all but locked into a playoff spot at the start of September, a brutal 9-18 record combined with a shocking 17-8 surge for the Tigers was enough to leave Twins players on their couches back home come October. While a fourth-place finish in the AL Central was tough to swallow, the team’s core of talent was largely set to remain in place for 2025, providing some reason for optimism that a team that was held back from the playoffs by one terrible and injury-filled month could turn things around and contend again.

Unfortunately, that hasn’t come to pass. The Twins made were largely inactive for the majority of the offseason, with only minor additions to the roster like the signings of Ty France, Danny Coulombe, and Harrison Bader. In a division where rival clubs made notable additions or reunions (e.g. Gleyber Torres, Jonathan India, Jack Flaherty, Michael Wacha) it was fair to wonder if Minnesota had done enough to keep up. So far, it seems they did not. The Twins are 7-15. That’s the third-lowest win percentage in all of baseball ahead of only the lowly White Sox and Rockies.

A rotation that’s thrown the third-fewest innings in the majors this year with a subpar 4.30 ERA is one factor, but the biggest culprit is a lineup that’s hit just .211/.282/.338 with a wRC+ of 82. That’s 18 points worse than league average and leaves Minnesota with the fifth-worst offense in the league. Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner have been bright spots, but the latter is now on the injured list. Meanwhile, players like Edouard Julien, Ryan Jeffers, and Trevor Larnach have failed to perform. Shortstop Carlos Correa has followed last year’s outstanding .310/.388/.517 performance with a .194/.256/.319 slash line in 78 plate appearances. Royce Lewis has yet to play a game, owing to a hamstring strain.

Dire as things may look, the Twins aren’t even 15% of the way through their season; perhaps it’s too soon to make any grand pronouncements about a club with what looks to be a solid core on paper. After all, the aforementioned Tigers of last season suffered an 8-18 stretch from June 5 to July 4 that featured an even lower winning percentage than Minnesota’s current record, and they went on to fight their way back into contention even after trading away four veterans — including the previously mentioned Flaherty — at the deadline.

That’s not the full story, of course. While the 162-game schedule is a marathon, a major checkpoint is approaching much more quickly: trade season. The trade deadline is 100 days from today. The Twins would have to play at a 91-win pace from now on to even make it back to .500 in time for the All-Star break. It’s anyone’s guess if the club would consider parting ways with major pieces under team control like Pablo Lopez or Jhoan Duran, but even shipping out rental pieces like France, Coulombe, Willi Castro and Harrison Bader would surely stifle the club’s attempts to contend.

The most important x-factor for the Twins, as is the case most years, will be player health. Lopez is expected back from the injured list later this week to help out the rotation, while the lineup figures to receive reinforcements when Wallner and Lewis are activated next month. If those key players make it back healthy and effective within the next few weeks, that could spark a turnaround. By the same token, a setback for any of those players or a long-term injury for another key player could wind up being a nail in the coffin for a team that has given itself very little margin for error with such a dismal start.

What do MLBTR readers think the future holds for the Twins? Will the club be able to get healthy and bring playoff baseball back to Minnesota, or are the Twins staring down a second consecutive disappointing finish? Have your say in the poll below:

How will the Twins fair the rest of the year?

The Twins will continue to lose and finish the season well below .500. 46.78% (1,401 votes)

The Twins will bounce back to post a decent record, but it won't be enough to get back to October. 40.00% (1,198 votes)

The Twins will fight their way back into playoff contention. 13.22% (396 votes)

Total Votes: 2,995

The Opener: Braves, Bello, MLBTR Chat

By Nick Deeds | April 22, 2025 at 8:51am CDT

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

1. Who’s starting in Atlanta?

The Braves had to unexpectedly place Spencer Strider on the injured list yesterday when he suffered a hamstring strain while playing catch. Strider had been slated to make his second start of the season today against the Cardinals and right-hander Andre Pallante. It’s a frustrating problem to have, particularly at a moment where depth starters like AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep are unavailable after making starts at Triple-A within the past few days.

That leaves the club likely to be forced to go with a bullpen game today; righty Scott Blewett tossed 43 pitches his last time out for the Orioles and could perhaps be counted on for two or three innings of work. Recently recalled right-hander Michael Petersen last pitched on Thursday, so he could throw multiple innings as well. If Atlanta decides they need another potential multi-inning option, they could turn to southpaw Dylan Dodd, who has pitched in relief this year but has plenty of experience as a starter. Dodd pitched an inning of work on Sunday and could give the Braves a multi-inning look from the left side, though a roster move would be needed to call him up from Triple-A.

2. Bello to make season debut:

Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello was slowed by shoulder soreness in camp and ultimately began the season on the injured list alongside Lucas Giolito and Kutter Crawford. In the meantime, the Red Sox have had to cycle through depth options like Richard Fitts, Sean Newcomb, and Hunter Dobbins to piece together starts at the back of their rotation. Fortunately, a bit more certainty is on the way, with Bello slated to be activated for this evening’s game against the Mariners. Seattle is likely to counter with young right-hander Bryce Miller. Opposite Miller, Bello will look to build on the steady production he has offered the Red Sox over the past two years, when he posted a 4.37 ERA and 4.36 FIP across 58 starts. The righty looked good in the second half last year, with a 3.47 ERA over his final 13 starts.

3. MLBTR chat today:

Each MLB team is now around 15% 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 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: Will Alec Bohm Turn Things Around?

By Nick Deeds | April 21, 2025 at 5:45pm CDT

The Phillies have enjoyed a solid enough start to their season to this point. Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos are all off to hot starts, the starting pitching has largely looked as strong as ever despite the absence of Ranger Suarez, and the late-inning dominance of both Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm has made the losses of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez look manageable. Despite those positives, however, Philadelphia has fallen behind the Mets in the early going. Much of that is due to New York sporting the best pitching staff in baseball to this point in the year. While in theory the Phillies’ superior offensive numbers should help to balance that out, hot starts by most of the lineup’s key players have been negated in part by the deep struggles faced by outfielder Brandon Marsh and third baseman Alec Bohm.

Marsh was placed on the 10-day injured yesterday after going without a hit through the first two and a half weeks of April, but there’s no evidence of a physical explanation for Bohm’s struggles. The 28-year-old has slashed just .193/.211/.261 with a wRC+ of 30 that indicates he’s been 70% worse than league average at the plate so far this year. Those numbers have come in 90 plate appearances. It’s not a sample size at which most offensive stats have stabilized, but a month of production is still a significant chunk of the season. Adding fuel to the concerns surrounding Bohm is the fact that the infielder fell off a bit in the second half last year after strong early-season production. He slashed just .251/.299/.382 in 204 plate appearances after the All-Star break last year. Putting those two stretches together, Bohm is left with a set of nearly 300 plate appearances where he’s posted a lackluster 71 wRC+.

That sort of performance would not be acceptable for an everyday third baseman on a playoff contender. That’s especially true of Bohm given that he’s neither a top-notch defender nor a meaningful contributor on the bases. While some defensive metrics liked Bohm’s work at third base last year as demonstrated by his +5 Outs Above Average, there’s plenty of reason to view that figure as a bit of an outlier. Bohm’s been one of the worst defenders in baseball this year with -3 OAA already, and he’s been below average in every season of his career outside of 2024. Meanwhile, he’s never stolen more than five bases in a season or produced positive baserunning value in a full campaign according to Fangraphs’ BsR metric.

With so much emphasis on Bohm’s bat, the silver lining here is that there’s some encouraging signs in his underlying production this year. Specifically, Bohm’s batted ball metrics look quite good despite the complete absence of results. His 51.4% hard-hit rate is nearly seven points higher than his career average and six points above last year’s mark. He’s also sporting an 8.3% barrel rate that’s well above his career norms and in line with what power hitters like Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena offered last year. The only noticeable flaw in Bohm’s batted ball data is that he’s hitting it on the ground too often; his 50% groundball rate would be his highest since 2021, leaving him with a career-worst 20.8% line drive rate and a flyball rate down nearly four points from last year.

In addition to Bohm’s struggles with elevating the ball to this point in the year, he’s suffered from a steep decline in plate discipline. Bohm struck out in just 14.8% of his plate appearances in each of the last two years, so this season that figure jumping to 17.8% is at least somewhat notable. More concerning than that, however is his shockingly low 1.1% walk rate. Bohm has draw just one walk to this point in the season; not only is that by far the fewest of any hitter with as many plate appearances as Bohm this year, just 15 other hitters in the whole sport with even half of Bohm’s 90 trips to the plate haven’t drawn at least two walks yet. A look under the hood suggests that Bohm is swinging at fewer strikes (65.7%) than ever before in his career while swinging outside the zone more often (27.5%) than he did last year.

Those numbers are both still relatively close to his career norms, so perhaps Bohm’s walk rate can get back to something closer to normal over a larger sample size. If he can do that and start elevating the ball a bit more often, it’s easy enough to see him rebounding to be a solid contributor this year. It remains an open question, however, as to whether or not he’ll get that opportunity. After all, Edmundo Sosa has plenty of experience at third base and has gotten off to a scorching start this year with a .414/.438/.552 slash line. That’s come in a sample of just 32 plate appearances and is heavily inflated by a massive .571 BABIP, but if the Phillies fall further behind the Mets in the standings while Bohm continues to struggle, making a switch is hardly unthinkable. There’s also the trade deadline over the horizon, where the Phils might have options to upgrade on Bohm, with Nolan Arenado rumors likely to ramp up again between now and then.

How do MLBTR readers think things will play out with Bohm? Will he still be the starting third baseman in Philadelphia at the end of the year? And will he have bounced back to put up numbers more in line with his career 101 wRC+? Have your say in the polls below:

Will Bohm still be the Phillies' starting third baseman at the end of the year?

No 50.94% (1,442 votes)

Yes 49.06% (1,389 votes)

Total Votes: 2,831

Will Bohm finish the year an above average (101 wRC+ or higher) hitter?

No 63.74% (1,596 votes)

Yes 36.26% (908 votes)

Total Votes: 2,504

The Opener: Arraez, Carpenter, Phillies, Mets

By Nick Deeds | April 21, 2025 at 8:21am CDT

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

1. Arraez collision aftermath:

A scary incident happened at last night’s game between the Astros and Padres, as Luis Arraez had to be carted off the field following a collision with Houston second baseman Mauricio Dubon. Arraez remained down on the field for several minutes, but the Padres thankfully announced that he was in stable condition after he was transported to a local hospital. He returned to the Padres’ clubhouse last night, and while he remained in Houston overnight for observation, it appears as though he’s avoided any severe injuries. Arraez is expected to join his teammates in Detroit for their series against the Tigers later today if he’s remained well overnight. The Padres can rely on a combination of Yuli Gurriel and Gavin Sheets at first base for any games Arraez misses.

2. Carpenter nursing hamstring issue:

Tigers slugger Kerry Carpenter exited last night’s game against the Royals due to soreness in his hamstring. Carpenter is set to be evaluated further today to determine his status, but if Carpenter is out of commission for more than a day or two that could be a major concern for his team. Manuel Margot, Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, and Wenceel Perez are all already on the injured list, leaving the club’s outfield depth stretched significantly. Brewer Hicklen is the only player on the 40-man roster who could be called up to replace Carpenter, though Hicklen would likely serve in a bench role with Justyn-Henry Malloy getting more reps in the starting lineup. Non-roster options in Triple-A include Ben Gamel and Akil Baddoo, both of whom are hitting well.

3. Series Preview: Phillies @ Mets

The Phillies are headed to Queens for a clash between the NL East’s two best teams that’s scheduled to begin at 7:10pm local time. The only clubs with winning records in the division at the moment, Philadelphia (13-9) currently trails New York (15-7) by two games. Right-handed workhorse Aaron Nola is poised to take the mound for Philadelphia and will look to get his season on track after stumbling to a 6.65 ERA in his first four starts. Meanwhile, Mets righty Tylor Megill will look to build on his hot start (1.40 ERA). Southpaw Cristopher Sanchez (2.96 ERA) and righty Griffin Canning (3.43 ERA) are set to square off tomorrow, and the series will wrap on Wednesday with Phillies ace Zack Wheeler (3.73 ERA) and Mets southpaw David Peterson (3.27 ERA) on the mound.

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Cherington, Myers, Steer

By Nick Deeds | April 20, 2025 at 3:49pm CDT

The Pirates have gotten off to a difficult start in 2025. The club is 8-15 overall, leaving them in last place in the NL Central and six games back of the division-leading Cubs. While the club’s pitching staff is right around league average by measure of ERA and top-six by FIP, an offense that has produced a wRC+ of just 70 to this point in the year. Despite those struggles on offense, general manager Ben Cherington told reporters (including Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) before Friday’s game that external solutions to the lineup are unlikely, though the team is always open to exploring deals.

“It’s April. Most teams are going to rely on the players that are inside the organization,” Cherington said. “We certainly have an eye out and already we have an eye outside the organization. We will keep an eye on things. We keep having conversations, but trades don’t usually happen this soon. We’ve got to rely on the guys that are here….We are going to get healthier. And then over the course of the season if we do what I believe we will do, then they’ll be opportunities to add to it at some point.”

Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales, and Endy Rodriguez are all currently on the injured list, robbing the Bucs of three players expected to operate in starting or regular roles this season. Perhaps their returns will be enough to get Pittsburgh on track, yet the Pirates will also need several of their healthy but struggling regulars to start heating up.

Rockies Place Victor Vodnik On Injured List, DFA Evan Justice

By Nick Deeds | April 20, 2025 at 1:23pm CDT

The Rockies announced a flurry of bullpen moves this morning headlined by the club placing right-hander Victor Vodnik on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Zach Agnos was selected to the roster to replace him and will make his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. Meanwhile, left-hander Evan Justice was designated for assignment to make room for Agnos on the 40-man roster.

Vodnik, 25, made his MLB debut back in 2023 and emerged as an intriguing bullpen piece for the Rockies last year. He pitched to a 4.28 ERA in 73 2/3 innings, good for an above-average 110 ERA+ due to the fact that he calls Coors Field home. His 4.18 FIP was also slightly above bar when adjusted for ballpark, and he generated grounders at an impressive 54.4% rate that helped to make up for his lackluster 20.3% strikeout rate and inflated 11.3% walk rate. All of that was enough to make Vodnik one of the more impressive relievers in the Rockies’ bullpen last year, and after picking up nine saves in 2024 he figured to be in the conversation for the closer job once again this year.

That’s not how things have played out so far, as Vodnik has scuffled badly so far this season. While his 4.50 ERA isn’t markedly higher than last year’s figure, his peripherals have fallen off massively. Most notably, he’s walking an unacceptable 17.1% of his opponents while his groundball rate has dipped to just 42.9%. While these struggles have occurred in just nine appearances, Vodnik’s 6.52 FIP and 7.26 xERA are difficult to ignore. It seems as though Vodnik’s issues with finding the strike zone were at least enough to convince the Rockies to give him some time to reset on the injured list. If the issue is only a short-term issue and simply an opportunity for Vodnik to get sharp before returning to the big league bullpen, he could be back in the fold early next month. It’s possible a longer stay could be required as well depending on the severity of the injury, but no firm timetable for Vodnik’s ailment has been announced to this point.

Replacing Vodnik on the club’s roster is Agnos, a tenth-rounder from the Rockies’ 2022 draft. The 24-year-old hurler was primarily a hitter in college but converted to pitching upon being drafted. After a strong 2023 season where he mowed down hitters at Single-A Fresno to the tune of a 2.06 ERA with a 30.8% strikeout rate, Agnos followed that up with an even more dominant showing at the High-A and Double-A levels last year. He struck out 31.3% of opponents while showing off a 1.38 ERA, including a 1.95 ERA with the team’s Hartford affiliate. That was all more than enough to earn Agnos a call-up to Triple-A to start 2025, and so far he’s picked up right where he left off with a 2.25 ERA and 32.3% strikeout rate in eight innings of work. That exciting production will now get a chance in the majors, albeit with the challenge of calling Coors Field home attached as well.

Making room for Agnos on the 40-man roster is Justice. The southpaw did not appear in the majors this year but has had brief stints with Colorado in each of the past two campaigns. A fifth-rounder selected by the Rockies back in 2021, Justice has just 7 2/3 innings of work at the big league level during which he’s surrendered a 8.22 ERA and 5.08 FIP. The lefty has walked (9) more batters than he’s struck out (8) while also allowing 14 hits in ten appearances. The Rockies will have one week to try to work out a trade involving Justice or else attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he manage to get through waivers unclaimed, the Rockies would then have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues to serve as non-roster depth going forward.

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