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Dodgers Notes: Gonsolin, Snell, Ohtani

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The Dodgers are set to get some rotation reinforcements this week, as manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Mike DiGiovanna of the Associated Press) yesterday that right-hander Tony Gonsolin is expected to return from the injured list to start Wednesday’s game against the Marlins.

It will mark Gonsolin’s first appearance on a big league mound in nearly two full years. The right-hander last pitched on August 18, 2023 (against the Marlins, coincidentally) but surrendered ten runs on five homers in 3 1/3 innings of work after having pitched through arm troubles for weeks. That final difficult start capped off a six-start stretch where Gonsolin surrendered an 8.01 ERA in 30 1/3 innings of work, so it’s not hard to see the impact Gonsolin’s woes had on his effectiveness. The right-hander was placed on the IL after that mid-August start and underwent Tommy John surgery on September 1.

He missed the entire 2024 season as a result of his rehab despite flirting with the possibility of a late-season return, and entered Spring Training fully healthy and ready to battle for a rotation job this spring. Unfortunately, the injury bug once again bit him when he was hit with a bout of back tightness late in the spring. That led to another season started on the injured list, but now he looks poised to finally get back on the major league mound as a starting pitcher. That’s the role he held for the entirety of his best season in the majors, when he made the 2022 NL All-Star team on the back of a 2.14 ERA in 130 1/3 innings of work across 24 starts.

Whether he’ll keep that role long-term or move to the bullpen at some point this year remains to be seen. It wouldn’t be a shock to see a strong performance keep Gonsolin in the mix for starts all year long, but he does have some big league experience as a reliever and the Dodgers’ on-paper rotation is extremely crowded when anything close to fully healthy. When the club’s rotation mix is firing on all cylinders, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, Dustin May, and Roki Sasaki all seem likely to be ahead of Gonsolin on the organizational depth chart. With that being said, the Dodgers’ rotation mix is far from healthy at the moment, so Gonsolin should get a reasonably long runway as he looks to earn a more permanent spot on the starting staff.

Speaking of those rotation injuries, Roberts provided reporters (including ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez) with an update regarding Snell on Friday. Per Roberts, an MRI Snell underwent earlier in the week revealed “no new findings” beyond his previously-known shoulder inflammation. The manager added that he believes the club has “dodged a bullet” by shutting Snell down before the injury became more serious. The southpaw was set to receive an injection to help battle the inflammation but has yet to begin a throwing program. That leaves a timetable for his return to action somewhat murky, though Roberts suggested that the lack of structural damage leaves the door open for a somewhat quicker return to action.

Barring further setbacks, it seems as though Snell should at least be back on a big league mound before Ohtani. The two-way superstar threw his first bullpen session since returning from paternity leave yesterday, as relayed by MLB.com’s Sonja Chen. After not throwing last Saturday during his absence, Ohtani played catch rather than throw off the mound on Wednesday and limited his bullpen session yesterday to just 31 pitches, but he’s expected to resume his regular schedule of light mound work on Wednesdays and a full bullpen session on Saturdays this coming week.

While it’s good that Ohtani has resumed throwing, it appears that there’s been little progress in terms of his actual readiness of MLB games. He’s still limited to just fastballs and splitters for the time being, and won’t advance to facing live hitters until he’s utilizing his entire pitch mix. Club GM Brandon Gomes discussed Ohtani’s slow-going rehab with reporters (including Chen) yesterday, calling it “a week-by-week process.”

“We have a general sense, we’ve got to make sure that he’s feeling good and we’re being smart so we can’t lose the offensive side of it as well,” Gomes said, as relayed by Chen. “In a lot of these rehabs, you kind of set a date and work backward. I think on this one, you’re moving forward, because it’s a one-of-one type thing.”

While the Dodgers floated the month of May as a potential timeline for Ohtani’s return during the winter, Ohtani’s pitching build up was paused prior to L.A.’s series against the Cubs in Tokyo. That pushed back his timeline, and while no dates have been floated for his return since then it seems likely that he’ll resume pitching in the majors again at some point in the second half.

Poll: Should Nick Pivetta’s Hot Start Be Believed?

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Right-hander Nick Pivetta languished for quite some time on the free agent market after he turned down a Qualifying Offer from the Red Sox in search of a multi-year deal. The 32-year-old wound up being one of the final pitchers to come off the board this winter. He ultimately signed with the Padres on a four-year, $55MM pact that comes with some protection for the club against Pivetta undergoing significant elbow surgery. That relatively low-cost deal seemingly wouldn’t have been difficult for another club to beat this offseason, and so far Pivetta has made the rotation-needy clubs who passed on him look foolish.

In his first five starts this year, Pivetta has pitched to a 1.20 ERA across 30 frames. He’s struck out 27.0% of his opponents, walked just 6.3%, and made it through seven full innings in the majority of his appearances. For years, Pivetta has been viewed around baseball as a potential breakout arm with electric stuff despite never quite putting it together across a full season in the majors, with a career 4.66 ERA and 4.30 FIP. That led the Phillies to deal him to the Red Sox back in 2020, and that led Boston brass to shuffle Pivetta between the bullpen and rotation during the 2023 season. Even his best seasons with the Red Sox from 2021 to 2024 saw him pitch to a middling 4.33 ERA and 4.20 FIP. Could the veteran’s long-anticipated breakout have finally arrived in his first year with San Diego?

The possibility cannot be dismissed out of hand. After all, Pivetta’s success has come in spite of two his his five starts coming against the Cubs, who sport the NL’s best offense and the most runs scored in all of baseball to this point in the calendar. His first start against Chicago was a lackluster one, with three runs allowed in three innings of work, but his second time facing the club saw him strike six batters out while walking just one with one run allowed in six innings of work. Combine that with the seven scoreless innings he twirled against the Tigers and their own top-10 offense in the sport so far, and it’s hard to say Pivetta has coasted through an easy schedule so far this year.

With that being said, there hasn’t been much in the way of drastic changes. Pivetta’s 27.0% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate this year are both better than his career norms, but weaker than last year’s figures of 28.9% and 6.3% respectively. His fastball velocity also remains virtually unchanged from last year, when he posted a fairly pedestrian 4.14 ERA and 4.07 FIP across 145 2/3 innings of work. That lack of tangible change is a potential red flag that suggests this dominance won’t continue, as are Pivetta’s .205 BABIP allowed, 88% strand rate, and 2.9% home run-to-fly ball ratio.

All of those figures as well out of line with not only Pivetta’s career norms but what can be expected for MLB hurlers in general. Pivetta’s HR/FB is particularly noteworthy, however, as home runs have been the righty’s primary bugaboo throughout his career. Pivetta has allowed the fifth highest number of home runs since he arrived in the majors back in 2017 among all pitchers. Among those with at least 800 innings of work since then, Pivetta’s home run rate is also the fifth-highest, while his home run-to-fly ball ratio is ninth-highest. The long ball has always been what’s held Pivetta back throughout his career, but he’s allowed just one home run in his first five starts.

While this year’s level of home run suppression is all but impossible to imagine being sustainable, the underlying metrics do suggest that Pivetta has done better than usual in terms of keeping the barrel off the ball. His 8.1% barrel rate so far this year would be the lowest he’s posted in any season since 2018 if maintained over a full season, and he’s currently sporting a 37.8% hard-hit rate that would be his lowest since 2019. Combine that with the lowest average exit velocity and highest infield fly ball rate of his career, and it’s not hard to see why Pivetta’s allowing less home runs than ever. Regression back to the mean must be expected, but there’s at least some signs that the veteran could allow fewer homers this year than he has in any of his previous full seasons of work.

On yet another hand, there are generally more home runs in the warmer months. It’s perhaps not a coincidence that Pivetta’s career splits form a sort of bell curve, with his ERA lower in the spring and fall but higher in the summer. He has a career 4.01 ERA in March/April, then 4.34 in May, 4.66 in June, 5.11 in July, 6.02 in August, then 3.84 in September/October. As the weather heats up, all pitchers have a harder time keeping the ball in the park, which could be especially noteworthy for Pivetta.

Do MLBTR readers believe in his strong start or is the right-hander going to come back down to Earth eventually? Have your say in the poll below:

How will Nick Pivetta finish the year?
Pivetta will continue to dominate and enjoy the best season of his career in 2025. 53.18% (1,287 votes)
Pivetta will regress to the mean and post a season similar to those he posted from 2021 to 2024. 46.82% (1,133 votes)
Total Votes: 2,420

The Opener: Ragans, Mets, Pitchers’ Duel

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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 headed into the weekend:

1. Ragans nursing groin issue:

The Royals swept their doubleheader against the Rockies yesterday, but the pair of wins came at a cost when southpaw Cole Ragans was pulled from his start after just three innings due to left groin tightness. The lefty is set to undergo additional testing today to determine the severity of the issue, at which point we’ll likely know more about if he’s going to miss significant time or be back on the mound in relatively short order. Ragans has pitched to a lackluster 4.40 ERA across his six starts this season, but the underlying metrics look phenomenal nonetheless as he’s struck out 35.9% of his opponents while walking just 7.0%, leaving him with a 2.69 FIP. That wouldn’t be easy production to replace at the front of the rotation, though Luinder Avila and Noah Cameron are in Triple-A and already on the 40-man roster as potential depth options.

2. Will the Mets’ streak continue?

The Mets have won seven games in a row, giving them an 18-7 record overall that’s good for the best in baseball. They hold a relatively commanding five-game lead over the Phillies in the NL East currently that’s all the more impressive given the early point in the calendar, and at 6:45pm local time this evening they’ll go for eight straight wins when they take on the Nationals. Right-hander Kodai Senga will be on the mound and looking to build upon a brilliant first four starts this year during which he’s posted a 0.79 ERA and a 2.89 FIP while striking out 23% of his opponents. Opposite Senga on the mound will be Nationals righty Jake Irvin, who has offered D.C. solid mid-to-back of the rotation results so far with a slightly above-average 3.68 ERA across five starts but a somewhat lackluster 4.66 FIP in 29 1/3 innings of work.

3. Pitchers’ duel in Los Angeles:

A match-up between two of the league’s top starters is always intriguing, but tonight’s game between the Pirates and Dodgers in L.A. figures to stand out even among other potential pitchers’ duels. At 7:10pm local time, Dodgers righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto will take the mound opposite Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes. The two most talented rookie pitchers in all of baseball last year are now emerging among the early potential front-runners for this year’s NL Cy Young award. Yamamoto has put the shoulder injury that cost him much of his debut season entirely behind him as he’s posted a microscopic 0.93 ERA in five starts, pairing it with a 2.02 FIP and 35.2% strikeout rate. Skenes, meanwhile, is building on last year’s dominant NL Rookie of the Year campaign with a 2.87 ERA, a 2.00 FIP, and 25.4% strikeout rate in his own five starts to this point in the season.

Poll: Can Willson Contreras Get Back On Track?

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When the Cardinals announced over the offseason that they were moving Willson Contreras to first base, it came as something of a surprise given that they we just two years into a five-year deal they gave him to fill the shoes Yadier Molina had stood in for the past 19 years. Signing a bat-first catcher to replace one of the best defenders in baseball history behind the dish was a bold move, and while Contreras hit an excellent .263/.367/.468 (129 wRC+) in his first two seasons as a Cardinal, his tenure behind the plate did not come without controversy. St. Louis moved him off catcher briefly during his first season with the club after complaints about his glove. Last year, he missed time with a broken arm sustained when he was hit by a swing after the organization suggested he move closer to the plate to improve his defense.

If those controversies set the table for the decision to move Contreras away from catching, the departure of incumbent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt for the Bronx this winter and the club’s two up-and-coming catchers Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages making solid cases for more playing time made the possibility that much more realistic. After all, a position change for Contreras would allow the Cardinals to make some progress on their desired youth movement without needing to pull off a trade, and there was at least a possibility that Contreras’s strong bat from his first two seasons with the club could blossom even further if he didn’t need to split his focus between hitting and catching.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things have gone so far. In 24 games this season, Contreras has slashed just .200/.269/.305 this year. That leaves him with a 62 wRC+ that’s not only well below average but also extremely uncharacteristic of him. While questions about Contreras’s defensive abilities have dogged him since the early days of his MLB career with the Cubs, his bat has never been in doubt as he’s posted above-average numbers at the plate by wRC+ in every single year of his career until now. A .258/.353/.461 (121 wRC+) hitter for his career, Contreras had elevated his game to another level since the start of the 2022 season with a .256/.367/.467 (133 wRC+) line across the past three seasons.

Has all of that changed in his age-33 season? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a catcher in his early-to-mid 30s suffered a sudden and drastic decline, although moving to first base should at least theoretically help preserve Contreras’s health. The frustrating reality of the veteran’s situation is that, while below-average offense can be acceptable behind the plate, first base is a bat-first position where he’ll need offensive results in order to stick as a regular. That’s even more true with youngsters like Alec Burleson and Luken Baker ready to step in and take their own shots at the first base job if given the opportunity.

As lackluster as Contreras’s work at the dish has been so far this year, it’s not as if all hope is lost. The veteran’s .270 BABIP this year matches his career low, and if it bounces back to something closer to his .309 career level, that would go a long way to lifting his production. Another reason for optimism is that he’s still putting the barrel on the ball fairly often. While his 9.1% barrel rate and 40.9% hard-hit rate this year are the lowest figures he’s posted in either category since 2018, they both remain solid. When combined with his top-of-the-line bat speed, it’s easy to imagine Contreras being able to generate more power than he’s shown so far.

On the other hand, Contreras is already more than 100 plate appearances into his first season as a first baseman, and he’s currently matching his career-high in strikeout rate (28.6%) and pairing that with a career-low walk rate of 6.7%. Contreras has always been a bit of a streaky hitter, as exemplified by his 2018 season where he carried a 123 wRC+ into the All-Star break before hitting a paltry .193/.282/.280 across his final 50 games, so it stands to reason that he may well be just one hot streak away from getting back to being the bat he’s shown himself to be throughout his career. Even with that in mind, the signs of declining plate discipline and reduced power are concerning. That’s especially true when combined with his age and the years of wear and tear he accumulated behind the plate.

How do MLBTR readers think the rest of the 2025 season will go for Contreras? Will he be able to bounce back and post numbers similar to what he’s offered in each of the last three seasons? Or will his first year as a first baseman be the worst offensive season of his career? Have your say in the poll below:

How will Willson Contreras perform for the rest of the year?
Contreras will rebound enough to be a roughly average hitter, but not post the impactful numbers he's offered in recent years. 41.34% (1,156 votes)
Contreras will bounce back and post a strong final line close to that of his previous seasons with the Cardinals. 34.37% (961 votes)
Contreras's down season will continue and he'll post the first below-average season of his career. 24.28% (679 votes)
Total Votes: 2,796

The Opener: Doubleheader, McKenzie, Beltway Series

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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 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?

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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

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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. 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

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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?

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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

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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:

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.

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