Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Mariners’ Bryce Miller Out Four To Six Weeks With Elbow Inflammation

By | at

8:03pm: Booth relays this evening that, according to Mariners GM Justin Hollander, Miller met with elbow specialist Dr. Keith Meister today and received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his ailing elbow. Miller won’t throw for the next two weeks, and Booth suggests that Miller could return to the Mariners in four-to-six weeks.

11:50am: The moves have now been formally announced by the team. Miller has been placed on the 15-day IL, retroactive to June 7, with elbow inflammation. Evans has been recalled from Tacoma and will indeed start tonight’s game.

9:00am: The Mariners are placing righty Bryce Miller back on the 15-day injured list, reports Tim Booth of the Seattle Times. Fellow right-hander Logan Evans will be summoned back from Triple-A Tacoma to make tonight’s start against the D-backs in his place.

Miller was out for most of May due to inflammation in his right elbow. The Mariners hoped a cortisone injection would calm down the pain and allow Miller to reclaim his spot in the rotation, but that clearly didn’t pan out. The 26-year-old Miller made two starts between IL stints and was rocked for eight runs on 11 hits and a pair of walks with only four strikeouts in nine innings. Between that pair of dismal outings and a another pair of clunkers that preceded his original IL stint, Miller has yielded 19 runs over his past 18 frames.

In some respects, Miller has seemed off all season. He posted a solid 3.52 ERA and 24% strikeout rate in his first six starts of the season but did so while walking nearly 15% of his opponents. That’s a huge departure from Miller’s excellent 5.7% walk rate in 2023-24, the first two seasons of his big league career. His average fastball has also dipped this year, falling from 95.2 mph in 2024 to 94.5 mph in 2025. He’s also allowing hard contact and line drives at the highest rates of his career.

From 2023-24, Miller posted a 3.52 ERA, 23.4% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate in 311 2/3 innings, cementing himself among Seattle’s long-term rotation plans in the process. Prior to this year, he’d been as durable as one can hope from a starter in today’s game. Miller skipped a couple starts in 2023 due to a series of blisters on his pitching hand, but this pair of IL placements due to elbow inflammation are the first two IL stints for actual arm injuries in either the big leagues or the minors. He started 31 games in 2024, 29 in 2023 (25 in MLB, four in Triple-A) and 26 in 2022.

There’s no immediate timetable on Miller’s absence. Given the rocky results and the inefficacy of the most recent cortisone injection, it seems fair to expect he could be sidelined for longer than the 19 days he missed on his last IL stint. The team will presumably have more information in the near future — if not when the IL placement is formalized today then in the days ahead.

In the meantime, the 24-year-old Evans will get another look in the big leagues. It’s well earned. A 12th-round senior sign out of Pittsburgh who commanded just a $100K draft bonus in 2023, Evans has quickly proven to be one of the more notable late-round steals in recent memory. He skyrocketed through the Mariners’ system last year and pitched so well that there was talk of a potential call to the big leagues just a year after he was drafted.

That didn’t come to pass, but Evans entered the year considered among the top 10 prospects in an absolutely stacked Mariners farm system and received his first call to the big leagues in late April. He’s since made six starts in the majors and posted a 2.83 ERA in 35 innings. His 17.4% strikeout rate is well below average, but his 6.9% walk rate is strong and his deep six-pitch arsenal gives opposing hitters a variety of average or slightly better offerings to keep in mind while facing him. Both Baseball America and MLB.com tout him as a high-probability fourth starter and note that his 6’4″ frame is that of a prototypical innings eater.

Evans will join Bryan Woo, Luis Castillo, George Kirby and Emerson Hancock in the Seattle rotation for the time being. Woo and Castillo have both been excellent this season. Kirby missed the first eight weeks of the year with shoulder inflammation and stumbled out of the gate but has looked sensational over his past two starts, logging a flat 3.00 ERA with a 17-to-1 K/BB ratio in 12 innings. Hancock has made nine very good starts (combined 3.26 ERA in 49 2/3 innings) and two terrible starts (combined 13 runs in 5 2/3 innings), balancing out to a lackluster 5.04 ERA.

Logan Gilbert, arguably the Mariners’ top starter, has been on the shelf since late April due to a flexor strain but is expected back soon. He’s made two rehab appearances already and is scheduled to make a third — and, per Booth, perhaps final — rehab start for Tacoma tonight.

Mets Sign Travis Jankowski To Minor League Deal

By | at

The Mets signed veteran outfielder — and former Met — Travis Jankowski to a minor league deal, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. The Excel Sports client will head to Triple-A Syracuse for the time being.

Jankowski was placed on waivers by the Rays earlier this month. He went unclaimed and elected free agency, as is his right as a player with more than more than three years of service (more than eight, in Jankowski’s case). His time with Tampa Bay, during which he batted .244/.286/.289 in 49 plate appearances, gives him at least some level of big league action in 11 consecutive seasons.

Though he crossed eight years of MLB service during that Rays stint, Jankowski has never been a regular in the majors. He played a career-high 131 games with the 2016 Padres but did so in a limited, part-time role (383 plate appearances). He’s never topped the 387 plate appearances he logged with the 2018 Padres and has a total of 805 plate appearances over the past seven MLB seasons.

Jankowski is a career .236/.318/.305 hitter. He has negligible power and a league-average strikeout rate but draws plenty of walks, runs well and can play solid defense at all three outfield positions. He’s a nice fourth or fifth outfielder who’ll head to Triple-A and see if an opportunity opens up with the Mets’ big league squad, where Brandon Nimmo, Tyrone Taylor and Juan Soto are currently the main outfield options.

Both Jared Young and Starling Marte can technically play in the outfield, but they have four combined appearances on the grass this season. Outfielders Jose Siri and Jesse Winker are currently on the injured list (although the latter has primarily been a designated hitter). Jeff McNeil is effectively the Mets’ fourth outfielder at the moment. He’s logged 96 innings in the outfield, including 49 in center.

Jankowski was with the Mets back in 2022 but went just 9-for-44, with all nine of those hits being singles. That came out to a .167/.286/.167 batting line, but he could find himself with the opportunity to make a more lasting impression this time around, should the Mets incur an outfield injury or opt to move McNeil back to second base on a full-time basis.

Orioles Designate Emmanuel Rivera For Assignment, Option Heston Kjerstad

By | at

The Orioles announced a number of roster moves today. Outfielder Cedric Mullins and infielder Jordan Westburg have both been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. In corresponding moves, the club has optioned outfielder Heston Kjerstad and designated infielder Emmanuel Rivera for assignment. The O’s also announced that outfielder Jordyn Adams, who was designated for assignment last week, has been sent outright to Triple-A Norfolk. The 40-man roster count drops to 38.

Kjerstad, 26, was the No. 2 overall pick back in 2020, though that selection represented a bit of draft-day creativity; he was generally viewed as a mid-first-round talent but signed with the O’s on an underslot deal at No. 2 overall, leaving Baltimore some extra money to pursue over-slot bonuses with others further down the line — the aforementioned Westburg and top prospect Coby Mayo among them.

The Orioles have given Kjerstad looks in each of the past three seasons now, but the 2025 campaign is the first where he’s been given a real run at anything close to regular playing time. It didn’t go well. Despite being largely shielded from left-handed pitching, the lefty-swinging Kjerstad hit just .192/.240/.327 with four homers, a 3.6% walk rate and a 26.9% strikeout rate in 167 turns at the plate. He’s improved his overall contact rate relative to 2023-24, but he’s chasing off the plate at borderline egregious levels (38.4% chase rate) and still swinging through pitches too often.

Kjerstad finds himself at something of a crossroads with the Orioles. He’ll still have one more minor league option remaining beyond the current season, but he’s now struggled to establish himself in three separate seasons. Colton Cowser is locked into one outfield spot long-term. Tyler O’Neill has an opt-out clause in his three-year contract that he does not presently appear likely to take (although a big finish to the season can always change that). Mullins is a free agent at season’s end, as is Ryan O’Hearn, which could open some outfield/designated hitter playing time. However, the O’s have prospects like Enrique Bradfield Jr., Jud Fabian, Vance Honeycutt and Dylan Beavers rising through the system — any of whom could also factor into those competitions for playing time.

It’s arguable that Kjerstad hasn’t really gotten a fair audition. He’s totaled 314 MLB plate appearances across three seasons and always been either platooned or had the specter of someone returning from the IL to take his spot and push him back to Triple-A Norfolk.

Other clubs might have given him a more traditional everyday opportunity, but the Orioles tend to prioritize matchups more than most and have frequently brought in veteran outfielders who’ve cut into Kjerstad’s potential playing time (e.g. O’Neill, Ramon Laureano, Dylan Carlson, Eloy Jimenez, Austin Slater). They make no secret about their endeavors to stockpile as much depth as possible, which positions them well for injuries but also results in scattershot opportunities for young players like Kjerstad, Mayo and since-traded prospects like Kyle Stowers, Connor Norby and Joey Ortiz.

For now, Kjerstad will head to Norfolk and look to get his swing back on track. However, he has little left to prove against Triple-A pitching. Kjerstad has played 132 games there, taken 591 plate appearances, and mashed at a .299/.382/.541 clip.

As for Rivera, he originally came to the O’s as one of those previously mentioned depth grabs. Baltimore claimed him off waivers last August, enjoyed a productive run of 27 games down the stretch, and tendered him a $1MM contract over the winter. Rivera never seemed likely to replicate the .364 average on balls in play or 22.2% homer-to-fly-ball ratio he logged with the O’s in 2024, however, and his offense has plummeted back down to his career norms in 2025. He’s taken 76 plate appearances and batted .232/.303/.275 — not far off his lifetime .243/.306/.363 slash in the majors.

The 28-year-old Rivera’s hard-contact numbers completely eroded this season. He’s a surehanded defender at the hot corner and has also played some first base in the majors. However, he’s out of minor league options, so the O’s couldn’t simply send him down. He’ll first need to clear waivers. Given his lack of track record and options, he could well pass through unclaimed, though he’s affordable enough that a team seeking short-term help at the hot corner could look to him as a stopgap between now and the trade deadline.

MLB rules stipulate that a player can be in DFA limbo for a maximum of one week, and waivers are a 48-hour process, so Rivera will be traded or placed on waivers within the next five days. If he clears, he’ll presumably accept a minor league assignment, as he did when the O’s passed him through waivers earlier this spring. Rejecting in favor of free agency would mean forfeiting the remainder of his $1MM guarantee, as Rivera does not have the five years of service needed to reject an outright assignment and retain his guaranteed salary.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

By | at

Steve Adams

  • Good afternoon! Sorry to not open this up for early questions or preview it in this morning’s Opener. We’re all working on slightly different schedules today with Anthony off for a few days — and today, in particular, with Darragh and me recording the podcast this morning — so I wasn’t sure exactly when it’d get underway! We’ll start a bit early and go for an hour or a bit more, as usual.

Guards Ball

  • What is the guardians plan at the deadline? Buy, sell some rentals or even controllable relievers, or stand pat?

Steve Adams

  • This is a boring part one of the answer, but it’s emblematic of modern baseball in a three Wild Card era: they won’t make that final call anytime soon. Most teams don’t pick a lane until there’s less than a week until the deadline. Cleveland is certainly a team that tends to wait. They’re only a game back in the Wild Card standings, so I don’t think they’re going to engineer a huge sale, barring a total collapse. I could see them listening on Carlos Santana regardless, since they could just plug Manzardo in at 1B.
  • I expect that they’ll be open to various situations that’d net them controllable outfielders or starting pitching options. The rotation depth there is not what it once was, and the gears at their pitching factor have slowed a bit recently — in part due to injuries.

Chris Young

  • I’m thinking of trading Adolis Garcia and Tyler Mahle to the Braves for Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Strider: What are your thoughts on my trade proposal?

Steve Adams

  • Cannot fathom the Braves giving up Strider in that deal
  • Or in general

Luis Rengifo

  • Do I have trade value at all?

Steve Adams

  • Sure. The contact skills are still good, and he’s hitting plenty of line drives. Overall quality of contact profile is poor, but he’s never been someone who hits the ball super hard with consistency even when he’s been at his best.

    I don’t think Rengifo’s going to fetch the Angels any kind of significant prospect haul, but they’re not going to make him a QO, he’s a free agent at season’s end, and the Angels aren’t going anywhere this season, so I fully expect him to be moved. It’ll probably be a modest return, but that’s not a bad thing. They got Ryan Zeferjahn in that type of return, and he’s a genuinely interesting bullpen piece for them now

Dave Dombrowski

  • will I be in the market for a player like jarren duran?

Steve Adams

  • I imagine two-thirds of the league will ask the Red Sox about Jarren Duran. And Wilyer Abreu. And probably Ceddanne Rafaela, too.

    The Red Sox have a lot of good outfielders, especially with Roman Anthony up.

    Duran’s going to cost something significant and something close to MLB ready. For the Phillies, maybe Mick Abel-plus. That sort of thing. (With the “plus” also being quite significant … not like, Abel plus some 18-year-old lotto tickets)

Judgement

  • Aaron judge.

Steve Adams

  • Hear he’s P good at this baseball thing, yes.

KC42

  • Still confused on the Braves decision to DFA Kimbrel after one inning when they still run out Montero on a daily basis. Kinda a slap in the face to an Icon to not even let him throw at Truist. AA has been questionable since the WS run.

Steve Adams

  • Braves fans don’t like to hear it, but the World Series run was kind of just Anthopoulos throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and all of it somehow simultaneously sticking. Even he probably has to be in shock about how well all of those moves worked out.

    I agree to an extent that he’s done a lot of weird things since. There have been a lot of great moves. Sale/Grissom is one of the best trades in recent memory. Risky, sure, but great self-evaluation of Grissom and a well-timed move since he lost all trade value quickly thereafter. Paying a ton of money to buy low on Kelenic? Like $30MMish once you factor in luxury taxes… less so. Paying nearly $3MM to rent Rafael Montero was wild.

  • That’s the reason they’re keeping Montero over Kimbrel, though. They took on a notable chunk of his salary, while Kimbrel just got his prorated base for a day.

    Kimbrel’s minor league numbers look nice, but his velo is now below average and the command hasn’t been great even in AAA.

Joshua

  • Would Michael Soroka be a sneaky good trade candidate for a variety of contending teams? His era through 5 innings during his starts is just over 3.00, he has experience as a reliver and has excelled there, and is a FA to be so there is no long term money attached to him.

Steve Adams

  • Yeah. I don’t like Soroka as a starter but I loved him as a reliever in the offseason and thought he could’ve cashed in on a nice two-year deal that way. He almost certainly could have, I should say, but clear he wanted to start and that was going to limit his earning more. If it keeps going well, maybe gets the nice multi-year this winter.

    Teams might be wary of trading for a guy who prioritized starting as a free agent, and then immediately plugging him into a bullpen, but Soroka had to know that was a strong possibility when he signed on with the Nats. And he’s a professional who’d be getting a chance to chase a ring, so I’m sure it’d be fine.

    Broadly — yes, go get Soroka. Put him in the ’pen. He was really impressive as a reliever last year and I still think that’s his best role.

  • To the point you made, it’s not just that his results dip after five innings. He destroys opponents the firs time through the order and immediately turns into a pumpkin
  • .148/.175/.262 first time through a lineup
    .263/.311/.509 second time through
    .400/.483/.680 third time through
  • (2025 only there, I should clarify)

Steve

  • Are the TWINS still up for sale?

Steve Adams

John

  • Denzel Clarke. Enough said

Steve Adams

  • Guy is like peak “Superman” Pillar levels of fun to watch in the outfield

Seb

  • Do you believe the A’s will be selling or buying at the trade deadline?

Steve Adams

  • Selling short-term pieces, open to adding big leaguers who can be controlled several more years.

Astros fan

  • Why did this site go down for a week

Steve Adams

  • That… has never happened? Not sure what issue you ran into. Email through our contact form if you’re having some sort of problem

Joe

  • Adrian Houser for Nick Frasso. Who says no?

Steve Adams

  • If the Dodgers wanted Houser they could’ve just signed him for like a $2MM base

Front Row

  • Any guesses about a Hader to the Padres type deal at this year’s deadline. An impact player traded away by a contending team?

Steve Adams

  • Yandy/Brandon Lowe/Fairbanks from the Rays
    Peralta from the Brewers
    Clase from the Guardians, I suppose, but I think that’s more a fantasy that fans of other teams have than something Cleveland will do … but there will probably be a few rumors to that effect even if there’s minimal fire backing said smoke

Aaron,esq

  • Does Chris Sale get traded?

Steve Adams

  • We talked about this on the podcast we recorded this morning (cheap plug!).

    I tend to think ATL will go into the deadline with the mindset of “We’re keeping him. We’re trying to win in 2026,” but offers will escalate to the point where they have to give real thought to it — kind of similar to the Twins with Jose Berrios several years back.

    If he’s healthy, I can definitely see a team making the Braves bite the bullet.

    Again, it’s boring to say “it’s too early to definitively say yes or no right now,” but that’s the reality. For the time being, yes, I find it eminently plausible even though the Braves would tell you right now “We’re not thinking like that.”

BC

  • Do IKF and Bednar have much value? Should I trade them?

Steve Adams

  • Not a ton for IKF, but a contending team will at least want him for a utility role. Or his old pals in the Bronx could use a second baseman!

    Bednar has looked great since his recall from Triple-A … 30-to-3 K/BB ratio in 20 2/3 innings, 2.61 ERA, sub-2.00 FIP and SIERA.

    Every contending team should want Bednar, and his stock is trending way up again.

Aaron

  • Is Stanton coming back this week?

Steve Adams

  • If not this week, probably next. He’s on a rehab assignment starting today. Of course, given his injury history, we can’t just assume he gets through it setback-free

Earl Scheib

  • Do you think this absolutely horrible season forces Colorado’s ownership to consider selling or at least completely replacing the front office? I can still see envision Dick Monfort rationalizing the whole thing away.

Steve Adams

  • I have long since given up assuming that anything will snap Dick Monfort back to reality.

Brewers 3B/SS

  • Will Bo Bichette be available at the deadline?  If so, what package could the Brewers put together that would be fair for the rental?

Steve Adams

  • I doubt Bichette’s available. The Jays are firmly in playoff contention right now, and even if they’re several games back of a spot, they have a front office/GM that probably feels like turnover is coming if the team doesn’t win.

    You could maybe get more than the value of a potential QO by trading Bichette, but you’d really punch a hole in your 2025 chances. Unless the Jays are like 10 back of a playoff spot, I think he’s staying.

  • Brewers wouldn’t be a good fit anyway, unless Toronto is eating like all of the salary.

Martras

  • I’ve seen an increasing expectation the Twins might look to acquire more starting pitching at the deadline, but I don’t see it. By the time the deadline rolls back around, Lopez should be close to returning and #5ish rotation depth is still strong for the Twins. I don’t see any appetite for their ownership to spend, either. What is your take?

Steve Adams

  • Generally agree. If they have more injuries or if Lopez/Matthews are going to be out awhile past the deadline, I could see them going after a Heaney or someone, just to avoid a situation like they had last year where they’re trying to stay afloat in a playoff race but running out three rookie starters (Woods Richardson, Festa, Matthews). But if they think they’re 2-4 weeks out from a Lopez return, if Zebby’s back by then and if the rest of the staff is healthy, I don’t know that they’ll be making aggressive pushes for SP help.

    Lots of “ifs” there, though.

AJ Preller

  • What will I have to give up to get Ramon Laureano? Can I pry him away mid June without a overpay?

Steve Adams

  • I just wouldn’t target/prioritize Laureano. He has decent numbers in a small sample this year, but the recent track record is bad, his K’s are up there, the defense isn’t what it once was and he’s not even hitting lefties well — he’s just BABIP’ing hard against righties (with some unexpected right-on-right pop). In general, I’d aim higher.

    But, as you’d expect after seeing me rattle off that glowing review — I don’t think the cost of acquisition would be all that high, no. Haha.

Wook

  • Brady House…July 1st call up?

Steve Adams

  • Anytime at this point wouldn’t surprise me too much.

Christian Walker

  • Am I living up to my contract even though negative war?  Is negative war for first baseman the new norm?

Steve Adams

  • I feel like it should go without saying that hitting .207/.269/.350 is decidedly not living up to a $20MM salary. K’s and chase way up, walks and power down. Not a great combo, but he’s still hitting the ball hard when he makes contact and still plays a good 1B defensively

JimmyKrakKorn

  • Is Clase The starting centre fielder in Toronto next year and Varsho moves to Left. We will need a lead off hitter when Bo Bichett moves to the Dodgers

Steve Adams

  • I don’t think Clase can/will hit, and even if he did, I’m not taking Varsho out of CF for him (or almost anyone else). Let him play LF and keep Varsho in center.

Dana Brown

  • A lot of buzz around Miguel Ullola. He isn’t listed in top 100 prospects but could he be a center piece in a trade for a top line SP or bat?

Steve Adams

  • I assume you’re talking locally in Houston? Ullola’s having a nice season in terms of his ERA and strikeout rate, but he’s walking almost 15% of his opponents in Triple-A. I don’t think he’s a centerpiece for a substantial deadline upgrade. But hey, only takes one team that loves him and thinks they can make some tweaks to bump his command a grade or two.

Redneck Rampage

  • Is Misiorowski coming up to Milwaukee a precursor to a Brewer trade? There’s a whole lot of pitchers up there even without Woodruff.

Steve Adams

  • Doubt it. The Brewers just view their Triple-A arms as an extension of the big league rotation. They had Quinn Priester lined up but have been getting good use of him as a bulk arm following openers with good success.

    They’re going to get innings for all of Misiorowski, Henderson, Patrick, Priester, etc. down the stretch. I expect that they’ll trade some starting pitching at the deadline, even if they’re contending (Civale/Quintana most likely, but they’ll get big offers on Peralta) and maybe narrow the group thusly post-deadline.

Friars

  • Have the Padres considered trading for Harrison Bader?

Steve Adams

  • The Twins are five over .500, +37 run differential and currently hold a Wild Card spot.

Binky

  • So when a player gets DFA’d what’s the benefit to the player in choosing FA and 1 minute later resigning a minor league deal vs instead of just accepting AAA right from thr get go.

Steve Adams

  • New opt-out language, different salary terms, the brief ability to see if anyone else will put you directly on a MLB roster elsewhere.

Defense wins Championships

  • Kimbrel makes sense for the Angels, right?

Steve Adams

  • Kimbrel feels like a very Angels move, if only because they love rolling the dice on former stars.

    Any team seeking bullpen depth (which is most of them) could sign Kimbrel — Braves included.

jed hoyer

  • Does a team take a chance on half a season of Julio Urias?

Steve Adams

  • Nope

Vladdy Jr

  • Is it possible that I’m just not a slugger?  Yes I hit the ball hard, but I can’t seem to get the launch angle for homers on the regular.  And how bad does my 500 million contract look if I’m good for only 25-30 home runs a year?

Steve Adams

  • Vlad hit .323/.396/.544 with 30 homers last year. If he’s “just” a 25-30 HR bat with those kinds of rate stats, they’ll be fine.

@Tayyyburrr

  • Does Julio Urias, Bauer or Wander ever play in MLB again?

Steve Adams

  • Nope

BB-STC

  • Assuming that he won’t be traded this year, what does Paddack’s next contract look like?

Steve Adams

  • Good command, sub-par K% and SwStr%. Average-ish velo. Two TJs under his belt. I’d have a hard time seeing anything past Taillon’s 4/68, and I’d probably take the under in years and AAV. Something in Eflin’s 3/40 range, perhaps?

Sad Reds Fan

  • Hunter Greene would be a Cy Young candidate if he could stay healthy and that makes me sad

Steve Adams

  • I have no great feedback other than to say, yes he would, and that’s understandable.

Kyle

  • After 3000Ks, is Clayton Kershaw unanimous HOF’er? Or will some writer hold playoffs against him

Steve Adams

  • I never expect anyone to get in unanimously, because some caveman writer will leave his ballot blank or like, only vote for one guy or something stupid. And then never own up to it.

    But it doesn’t matter. Kershaw’s a slam-dunk first ballot HOF

Kyle

  • Do you think the players will want to address in the next CBO the problem of clearly Ready prospects being held down until the summer to avoid them winning a full year via ROY?

Steve Adams

  • That wrinkle in and of itself is a product of the ROY rules which were designed to prevent Kris Bryant/Vlad Jr. situations where teams hold players down for 15 days to buy a whole year of service.

    This next iteration of service manipulation wasn’t hard to foresee. We were writing about how teams in situations like the O’s at the time could hold Rutschman (then a prospect) down until July or August even when they’re ready on Opening Day or mid-May for just this purpose.

    Maybe they’ll try to address this, sure, but clubs will find another way to try to game the system then. It’s only natural.

Thinking Cap

  • Any reason why Brendan Rodgers is still with the Astros & hasn’t been DFA’d? Highest K% of his career by far!

Steve Adams

  • I don’t really get what they’re doing there. He has 28 PA in the past month. He’s not hitting on the rare occasions they do use him. It’s not quite Austin Wynns/Reds level of non-usage, but it’s not far off. At a certain point — and I’d say we’re there — move on and make better use of the roster spot.

Josh Elliott

  • I watched most of a Guardians game about a week or so ago.  3 questions.  Is Angel Martinez available?  Can he play LF?  Would the Padres be able to get him without giving up Salas/De Vries?  Thank you!

Steve Adams

  • I assume you must’ve caught a good Martinez game, but there haven’t been many of them. He has a .257 OBP and the ninth-highest chase rate on balls off the plate among the 239 MLB hitters with 150+ PAs this year. That’s not the sort of upgrade I’m targeting. I’m surprised the Guardians are sticking with him.

Carl

  • Speaking of Kimbrel, he is a hall of famer?

Steve Adams

  • 440 saves, career 39 K% — I expect he’ll get in.

Backstops

  • How would you rank the following young catchers in projected career value: Henry Davis, Hunter Goodman, Alejandro Kirk, Logan O’Hoppe

Steve Adams

  • In the reverse order you listed them

Red Sox fan

  • Does Salas and De Vries get Duran

Steve Adams

  • Padres aren’t doing that
  • (But, yes, if the Padres actually offered that, I imagine the Red Sox would say “Um… ok?”)

Harry Ford

  • What tier of player could I return the Mariners if they put me on the block?

Steve Adams

  • He’s basically an MLB-ready, 55- or 60-FV catching prospect. He could rightly be the return for the overwhelming majority of players available at this year’s deadline.

    Jerry Dipoto also just unleashed a lengthy and largely unprompted ode to how much the org loves Harry Ford and how they think both he and Raleigh can coexist on the same roster long-term, so while I doubt he’s expressly untouchable, I also don’t think it’s necessarily likely that he’s traded.

Kyle

  • If the Pirates do trade Skenes, even if next year, is the return even bigger than Soto’s? Assuming health stays of course

Steve Adams

  • They won’t this year, but yes, it would be a larger return than Soto either this year or next.

J2F

  • Looks like Mil just promoted Misiorowski. Once Chandler gets the call, which one would you prefer for fantasy purposes?

Steve Adams

  • Chandler because the Pirates will keep him up. The Brewers will keep shuttling guys up and down all year as the situation necessitates. Need some length in the bullpen because Misiorowski went 5 innings but the game ran into the 11th? Misiorowski is going to get optioned.
  • Also, Chandler’s just the more highly regarded prospect. But the roster machinations in Milwaukee vs. Pittsburgh make it an easier call even if you think Chandler is overrated and/or Misiorowski is underrated.

Claude Hopper

  • What constitutes an acceptable return for Freddy Peralta? They would need a starting corner infielder and a top 5 organizational prospect IMO, especially considering Freddy’s salary.

Steve Adams

  • I would agree with something along those lines, yeah. “top 5 organizational prospect” feels too nebulous. The Mariners’ No. 5 prospect and the Angels’ No. 5 prospect are wildly different things.

    Two clear-cut 50 FV or better prospects (basically top-100 guys), or one plug-and-play young infielder and a 50 FV prospect seems like a good starting point.

baseball gods laugh and laugh

  • Who wouldn’t Salas and De Vries get?

Steve Adams

  • I mean the two of them on their own might not get Skenes. And the Yankees or Mariners aren’t tanking their contending seasons by trading Judge or Raleigh in order to get two teenagers
  • But generally, yes, trading Salas+De Vries is a good recipe to get 99% of the league haha

LFGM

  • What do you see the Mets doing at the deadline? I look and I see a pretty complete team, but definitely need a BP arm

Steve Adams

  • Yeah, every contender is always in the mix for more bullpen help. Mets could use a lefty, in particular.

Seebs

  • What did they used to call and oblique injury? Between that and hamate bones it’s like players and trainers are inventing new maladies.  I’m old fashioned – give me hedge trimmer or coolers of deer meat injuries

Steve Adams

  • Haha, I’ve been working MLBTR since not terribly long after the days of Clint Barmes’ trip to the 15-day venison list, and I remember oblique and hamate injuries even back then.
  • Back in the 60s-70s, they probably called oblique injuries “big deal, your side hurts, play through it” and then released the guy after the season because his numbers tanked
  • Alrighty, I’ve got to call it this week. I’m on X @Adams_Steve if you have more questions.

    If you want more opinions from the MLBTR team, you can learn about our Front Office subscription package and sign up here. In addition to ad-free viewing on the site and in the app, you’ll get weekly analysis/opinion columns from Anthony Franco and myself, a weekly mailbag column from Tim Dierkes, weekly fantasy baseball chats and columns with Nicklaus Gaut, two weekly subscriber-only chats (one with Anthony, one with me) where your odds of getting a question answered are considerably higher, direct Q&A opps with Darragh McDonald, access to our Contract Tracker, our Agency Database, our GM Tracker, our team-by-team Offseason Outlook series and forthcoming team-by-team Trade Deadline Outlook series and more. It all starts at $2.99/month.

    Thanks everyone, and enjoy your week!

Latest On Dodgers’ Rotation

By | at

10:00PM: Roberts provided a few more updates on the pitching staff in today’s meeting with reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times).  Snell and Glasnow will throw bullpen sessions tomorrow, and Sheehan will make another Triple-A rehab start this week with the aim of going four innings deep into the game.  “If he can do that, then he’s sort of going to be a viable conversation” for an activation from the IL, Roberts said.  Matt Sauer has also joined the team in San Diego on the taxi squad, and could be officially recalled if the Dodgers need a fresh arm for the remainder of their series with the Padres.

10:30AM: Right-hander Tony Gonsolin became the latest Dodgers pitcher to hit the injured list over the weekend, but an MRI to evaluate his ailing elbow showed that his surgically repaired ulnar collateral ligament is intact, writes Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Manager Dave Roberts said there’s no timetable yet for Gonsolin to resume throwing. An exact diagnosis of his injury remains unclear.

Even with the uncertain outlook, it’s a sigh of relief for the Dodgers that Gonsolin isn’t facing renewed damage in that UCL. Another tear would’ve sidelined him more than a year and possibly kept him out through the end of the 2026 season. That’d likely have ended Gonsolin’s Dodgers tenure, as he’s owed a raise on a $5.4MM salary this offseason and is only under club control through the 2026 campaign. Any injury that threatens to wipe out significant time in 2026 would result in a non-tender.

The 31-year-old Gonsolin’s return from his 2023 Tommy John procedure has been a mixed bag. He’s pitched in seven big league games this year, looking sharp out of the gate (2.81 ERA, 21-to-4 K/BB ratio in his first 16 innings) before stumbling over his past four trips to the mound. Since May 18, Gonsolin has faced the Angels, Mets (twice) and Yankees. He’s surrendered a combined 15 runs in 20 innings and served up 20 hits with an ugly 17-to-14 K/BB ratio. A whopping seven of those hits have been home runs.

Gonsolin is one of eight starting pitchers on the injured list — a number that doesn’t even include Shohei Ohtani, who’s still working his way back toward a return to the mound. Front-line arms like Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell have barely pitched this year and are on the 60-day IL at the moment. Touted young arms like Emmet Sheehan, River Ryan, Kyle Hurt and Gavin Stone opened the season on the injured list — the first three recovering from 2024 Tommy John procedures and the latter on the mend from a shoulder operation that’s likely to cost him the entire 2025 season. Prized young right-hander Roki Sasaki has been out for a month now due to a shoulder impingement.

At the moment, the Dodgers have a healthy Yoshinobu Yamamoto atop the rotation. He’s followed by franchise icon Clayton Kershaw, right-hander Dustin May and southpaw Justin Wrobleski. Veteran José Ureña is working a multi-inning role in the bullpen but has extensive experience as a starting pitcher. Rotation options down in Triple-A and already on the 40-man roster include Landon Knack, Bobby Miller, Nick Frasso and Matt Sauer. Frasso and Miller have struggled in the minors this year. Knack has been hit hard in seven big league starts. Sauer has been sharp in Triple-A and looked solid in a swingman role during limited MLB time.

Even with that laundry list of injuries, however, general manager Brandon Gomes downplayed his team’s need to go out and acquire starting pitching ahead of next month’s trade deadline. Chatting with Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Gomes stated: “With the information we have, and where the guys are now and progressing, the expectation is we will have all we need in-house.”

There could be some gamesmanship at play there, of course. It’s also notable that those comments came before Gonsolin’s placement on the injured list. Further injury troubles or setbacks for any of their on-mend-arms in the next six weeks can always heighten the need for outside help.

As things stand, the Dodgers do appear to have some near-term help on the horizon. The aforementioned Sheehan is about 13 months removed from his Tommy John surgery and is already on a minor league rehab assignment. He’s made three starts — one in the Rookie-level Complex League and two in Triple-A — and tallied nine innings of one-run ball with 14 strikeouts and just one walk (plus another plunked batter).

Sheehan tossed 57 pitches in his most recent outing on June 7. He’ll presumably need at least one more rehab start — very likely another couple — before he’s an option to rejoin the big league club, but Sheehan is a former top-100 prospect and is still just 25 years old. The right-hander’s 96.3 mph average fastball is actually up a bit from his pre-surgery levels, though it’s worth bearing in mind that he’s still effectively throwing short stints and thus not running into any velocity decline as he turns a lineup over two or three times. Regardless, his rehab work is encouraging, and Sheehan could be an option to help the big league staff before the end of the month.

Royals Outright Thomas Hatch

By | at

TODAY: Hatch cleared waivers and was outrighted to the Royals’ Triple-A affiliate, as per the righty’s MLB.com profile page.

JUNE 5: Between games of today’s doubleheader, the Royals made a roster move. Left-hander Cole Ragans, the scheduled starter for the second game, has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Right-hander Thomas Hatch has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move. The club’s 40-man roster count drops from 40 to 39.

Hatch was only added to the 40-man roster earlier this morning. The Royals wound up using five relievers to cover three innings, but Hatch wasn’t among them. He was always going to be a relatively short-term addition, though it’s not clear whether a turnaround this quick was the plan or whether yet another sensational start from rookie Noah Cameron forced the team’s hand. Cameron today became the second pitcher in MLB history to pitch at least six innings and allow one or fewer runs in the first five starts of his big league career, joining the late Fernando Valenzuela in that regard (stat via Sarah Langs and the MLB Network research department).

The 30-year-old Hatch signed a minor league deal with Kansas City over the winter. He’s appeared in parts of four big league seasons (not including today) and pitched 69 innings with a 4.96 ERA, a 19.7% strikeout rate, a 10.7% walk rate and a 46.9% grounder rate. He’s also spent time in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and looked to be headed to the Korea Baseball Organization this past offseason, before concerns surrounding his physical exam caused the Doosan Bears to void their one-year deal.

Health hasn’t been an issue for Hatch in 2025, even with that offseason medical snag. He’s started 10 games for the Royals’ Triple-A squad in Omaha and pitched to a 4.59 ERA with slightly below average strikeout marks (20.8%) and solid command (8.6% walk rate). Hatch was torched for eight runs in one start back on April 15 but has since rattled off seven starts with a 3.68 ERA.

Now that he’s been designated for assignment, Hatch will be traded or placed on waivers within five days. Waivers are a 48-hour process, so his DFA will be resolved in a maximum of one week. If he clears waivers, he’ll stick with the Royals as a depth option, given that he lacks the requisite three years of MLB service or prior outright assignment to reject in favor of free agency. Hatch will collect big league service time and pay for his quick promotion today and for however long he’s in DFA limbo, so even he’s immediately placed on waivers and clears, he’ll still add three days of service and more than $12,500 in pay without throwing a pitch — not a bad few days.

Nats Notes: Nuñez, Chapparo, Williams

By | at

The Nationals announced last night that infielder Nasim Nuñez was optioned to Triple-A Rochester after the game. A corresponding move wasn’t announced, but the Washington Post’s Andrew Golden reported not long after the Nuñez move that fellow infielder Andrés Chaparro is being called up for the first his first big league look of the 2025 season.

Nuñez has had a bizarre tenure with the Nats so far. Washington originally selected him out of the Marlins organization in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft, scooping him up primarily due to his defensive prowess at shortstop. Nuñez stuck on the roster all season in 2024, appearing in only 51 games and taking only 78 plate appearances, during which he batted .246/.370/.262 with no home runs. A double was his lone extra-base hit on the season. It’s rare that a team can roster a player all season with such limited usage, but the Nats were firmly in rebuild mode last year and thus could make it work.

The 2025 season has played out similarly. Nuñez, now 24, has appeared in only 23 of the Nationals’ 53 games since his recall from Rochester in early April. He’s averaged less than one plate appearance per game in that time, taking 49 turns at the plate and hitting .186/.271/.233. Nuñez has one year and 58 days (1.058) of MLB service time dating back to Opening Day 2024 but still has only 127 major league plate appearances despite never landing on the injured list.

For a player who’d never played in Triple-A at the time of his selection in the Rule 5 Draft, that lack of reps feels particularly problematic — at least from a developmental standpoint. Nuñez hadn’t even hit well in two seasons of Double-A ball.

Virtually no scouting report on Nuñez has suggested he comes with substantial upside at the plate, but being limited to a total of 158 plate appearances between the majors and (briefly, earlier this season) his first taste of Triple-A work doesn’t give Nuñez much of a chance. He’s gone 15-for-18 in stolen base attempts (many as a pinch-runner) and indeed graded out as a plus defensive shortstop.

The Nationals have effectively been carrying Nuñez as a designated pinch-runner/late-inning defensive upgrade for more than a year. He was on the active roster for the entire month of May and received all of eight plate appearances. Seldom do players in today’s game find themselves used with this level of infrequency. The move back down to Triple-A should give Nuñez some much-needed reps in the batter’s box.

In his place, the Nats will summon the 26-year-old Chaparro, whom they acquired from the D-backs last summer in exchange for veteran reliever Dylan Floro. Chaparro opened the season on the injured list due to an oblique strain but has been hot since his activation in early May. The righty-swinging slugger has played in 20 games and totaled 82 plate appearances with Rochester this year, slashing .296/.390/.606 with six homers, four doubles, a 12.2% walk rate and a 24.4% strikeout rate.

Chaparro made a brief big league debut last year, getting into 33 MLB games and slashing .215/.280/.413 with four home runs. He played third base previously in both the D-backs and Yankees systems, but the Nats have used him exclusively at first base and designated hitter in both Triple-A and the big leagues.

There should be opportunity at both spots in the majors. Designated hitter Josh Bell has at least posted passable numbers as a left-handed hitter in 2025, but the veteran switch-hitter has posted a disastrous .051/.178/.103 batting line in 45 plate appearances when swinging from the right side of the dish. Nathaniel Lowe’s splits at first base aren’t quite that pronounced, but he’s still hit very poorly in lefty-versus-lefty situations.

It’s feasible that Chaparro could find himself with a bigger role sooner than later. Bell has been a disappointment after signing a one-year deal in free agency and will be a DFA candidate before long if he can’t improve his overall .179/.274/.342 line on the season. Lowe is a trade candidate, though the fact that his bat has tanked after a strong April showing doesn’t do his market any favors.

One other area where many Nats fans might hope to see some change would be in the rotation, where righty Trevor Williams has struggled, but it doesn’t sound as though there’s anything planned on that front just yet. Asked about the security of Williams’ spot in the rotation after another rough start yesterday, manager Davey Martinez told the Nats beat: “Yeah, he’s in our rotation” (link via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com). Martinez cited Williams’ pitch count as a reason that he was hooked after 4 1/3 innings, but he’d also allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits.

The 33-year-old Williams, who signed a two-year deal worth a guaranteed $14MM over the winter, has averaged fewer than five innings per start in 2025. He’s only completed six innings twice in 13 starts this year. He’s currently sitting on an ugly 5.91 earned run average, and over his past eight starts, Williams has been torched for a 6.41 ERA with just a 16.3% strikeout rate.

Williams’ 5.91 ERA is nearly three times the 2.03 mark he posted last year in nearly the same sample of work (66 2/3 innings in 2024; 64 innings in 2025). He never seemed likely to sustain last year’s success, which was buoyed by an 80% strand rate, career-low 4.2% homer-to-fly-ball ratio, and a .267 average on balls in play (second-lowest mark of his career, behind 2018’s .261). The extent to which he’s regressed has been a surprise, however. The fluke pendulum has swung the other direction on Williams’ strand rate, going from abnormally high to abnormally low — just 60.4% in 2025. That’s more than 12 points below both the league average and Williams’ career mark.

It’s not all bad luck, though. Williams didn’t have much margin for error with an 88.9 mph average fastball last year, but he’s on even thinner ice now with a “heater” that’s sitting 87.6 mph on the year. An already poor 9.4% swinging-strike rate has fallen to 8.4%. Williams is giving up more contact, particularly within the strike zone, and opponents have seen notable upticks in their average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate against the veteran righty.

Unless Williams can turn things around, it’s hard to see how he can hang onto that rotation spot long-term. MacKenzie Gore is finally breaking out as one of the sport’s premier arms, and rotationmates Mitchell Parker, Jake Irvin and Michael Soroka have all been at least serviceable, albeit unspectacular.

Williams is aided by the fact that there’s very little depth that’s pushing for his spot. Lefty DJ Herz is already out for the season due to Tommy John surgery. Josiah Gray won’t be back from his own UCL repair until late in the season, at best. Shinnosuke Ogasawara is on the minor league injured list, as is top prospect Jarlin Susana. Other depth arms like Andry Lara and journeyman Adrian Sampson have struggled this year as well.

Former top prospect Cade Cavalli is a notable exception, as he’s in a tear in Triple-A during his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. Cavalli has a 1.52 ERA and 30-to-6 K/BB ratio over his past 23 2/3 innings. The longer the now-26-year-old Cavalli continues to excel, the tougher it’ll be to maintain the status quo at the back of the staff.

Mariners Designate Leody Taveras For Assignment, Outright Casey Lawrence

By | at

The Mariners announced that they have recalled outfielder Dominic Canzone from Triple-A Tacoma. In a corresponding move, fellow outfielder Leody Taveras has been designated for assignment. The M’s also announced that right-hander Casey Lawrence, who was designated for assignment a couple of days ago, has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A.

Seattle somewhat surprisingly claimed Taveras off waivers earlier this year, despite him being owed about $3.73MM at the time of that move. Seattle had been hamstrung financially throughout the offseason, with ownership providing the front office a reported $15-16MM to try to add as many as three bats to the lineup. Presumably, ownership was emboldened by a hot start to the season and gave the green light to a buy-low opportunity on Taveras while both Victor Robles and Luke Raley were on the injured list.

Simply put, it hasn’t worked. At the time of his DFA in Texas, Taveras was hitting just .241/.259/.342 with a career-worst 28% strikeout rate and exit velocity and hard-hit numbers. The switch-hitter’s batted-ball metrics have improved, but the bottom-line results have only gotten worse.

In 98 plate appearances with the M’s, Taveras has posted an anemic .174/.198/.272 batting line with a 27.6% strikeout rate. He’s cut down on his chase rate and been more aggressive within the strike zone, but the Mariners, who’ve dropped 10 of their past 14 games and fallen 2.5 games back of the Astros in the AL West, apparently don’t feel they have the luxury of waiting to see if the improved approach and stronger contact eventually manifest in better production.

Taveras will be placed on waivers or traded within the next five days. If he clears waivers, he’ll surely accept an outright assignment to Tacoma, as he doesn’t have enough service time to reject an outright and retain the remainder of his salary. As of this writing, he’s still owed about $2.86MM of this year’s $4.75MM salary. Any team that claims Taveras would be responsible for that sum, but they’d also gain control over the switch-hitting speedster through the 2027 season.

Taveras gave the Rangers two solid years from 2022-23, slashing a combined .264/.311/.400 with plus defense and the flexibility to play any of the three outfield positions. Even in a down year in 2024, when he batted .229/.289/.352, he provided value on the basepaths and with the glove. Perhaps that track record, plus the encouraging trends in his plate discipline and batted-ball quality, would be enough to get him a look elsewhere. The Royals reportedly had interest in claiming Taveras last time he was on waivers but balked at the $3.73MM he had left to be paid out. By the time he hits waivers, the remaining commitment to him will be nearly $1MM less than the first time he was on waivers.

In place of Taveras, Canzone will get another opportunity to prove he can be a piece of the puzzle at T-Mobile Park. He hit just .196/.271/.381 in 188 plate appearances with the Mariners last year and went hitless in three plate appearances earlier this season. The 27-year-old is having a big year in Triple-A, however, mashing at a .296/.360/.564 clip with 13 home runs, a 9.1% walk rate and a 21.3% strikeout rate. He’s batting .382/.488/.529 with as many walks as strikeouts across his past nine games.

As for Lawrence, this is just the latest trip around the Seattle-Tacoma DFA carousel for the journeyman right-hander. He’s now had five different stints with the Mariners in 2025 alone. The soft-tossing 37-year-old has pitched 15 innings with a flat 3.00 ERA for the Mariners this year, plus one lone 2 2/3-inning appearance for the Blue Jays, wherein he allowed three runs.

Overall, Lawrence has 17 2/3 MLB frames with a 4.08 earned run average on the season. His 8.8% strikeout rate is as low as you’ll find, but he’s walked only 1.3% of opponents. The Mariners are effectively utilizing Lawrence and fellow journeyman Jesse Hahn as 41st and 42nd members of their 40-man roster, selecting them to the majors when they need an extra arm for some length and then designating them for assignment and passing them through waivers to bring back an optionable arm as needed.

It’s a tumultuous way to earn a living in some respects, but the team has been upfront with the righty about his role and Lawrence is clearly amenable to the setup. He’s picked up 34 days of major league service time this year — players accrue MLB pay and service while in DFA limbo and/or on outright waivers — and thus banked at least $142K in major league salary alone (which doesn’t even include his minor league pay).

Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

By | at

MLBTR's Steve Adams is hosting a chat today at 2pm CT, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers.

Steve Adams

  • Good afternoon! We'll get this going at 2pm, but feel free to submit questions ahead of time. Looking forward to it!
  • Hello! Sorry to start a couple minutes late. Let's get underway!

Marlins

  • Who on the team gets the All Star nod? Agustin Ramirez?

Steve Adams

  • I would imagine it's Kyle Stowers. They've both been good overall and cooled off recently but Stowers has been up all year. I guess you could say Ryan Weathers if he makes another six or seven really good starts between now and then, but Stowers feels likeliest to me right now

Beano

  • How low can W Adames numbers go this year? A career year repeat was out of the question, but a total bust is surprising - no?

Steve Adams

  • Yeah, it's a pretty big surprise. It's also worrying, because the main culprit I'd point to is bat speed. Adames is actually chasing less often and making more contact in the zone. His strikeout and walk rates are similar to last year. He's not suddenly hitting a ton of grounders -- though his GB% is up a slight bit, nothing major.

    He's tied for the eighth-biggest drop in bat speed, as measured by Statcast, among 175 qualified big leaguers. That's not great, obviously. He was at 73.6 mph in 2024 and is down to 71.8 mph in 2025.

    You never know precisely how healthy a player is. Maybe he's working through something that's hampering his shoulder or wrist strength. Maybe he made a tweak in his mechanics moving to a bigger park and it's having an adverse effect.

    It's impossible to say, but you're plenty justified to be concerned with the first two-plus months at this point.

Kegger

  • Do you see only rentals moving at deadline or bigger deals happening?

Steve Adams

  • There will always be some players with multiple years of team control moved. The Rays are always a team to watch here because of their constantly strong farm and their constant payroll crunches. Brandon Lowe, Yandy Diaz and Drew Rasmussen come to mind. Pete Fairbanks. The Rockies waited too long to trade Ryan McMahon, but they're so bad this year that I wonder if they'll finally listen on guys like him or Kyle Freeland
  • Marlins obviously will listen on Alcantara, but they'll want to avoid selling too low. Ryan Weathers and Anthony Bender will get looks. Jesus Sanchez, too.
  • Pirates will have David Bednar and Dennis Santana, both controlled through 2026. Bailey Falter is another one there. Nathaniel Lowe in Washington
  • Even win-now clubs looking to buy will be forced to part with some young major leaguers; that's the nature when there's a limited inventory of available players for buy-side teams to target and when teams are more reluctant than ever to trade true prospects.

Kevin in Ranger Texas

  • Idea of Texas trading Mahle or Corbin or Gray after he comes back, for a consistent hitter to help in the lineup, hopefully the guys we have now can turn it around but…. Adolis is no help, Jung has slowed, Seager has not helped out. Should we trade ? And stay in it.

Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

BENEFITS
  • Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
  • Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
  • Remove ads and support our writers.
  • Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker

AJ Smith-Shawver Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

By | at

The Braves announced Monday that right-hander AJ Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery this morning. He’ll miss the remainder of the 2025 season and a good portion of the 2026 season as well, though an exact timetable will hinge on how his recovery proceeds. Generally, it’s best to assume an absence of at least 14 months, but every rehab varies.

Smith-Shawver’s injury puts an early end to what was originally looking like a terrific rookie campaign. Though he’d pitched in the majors in both 2023 and 2024, the 22-year-old righty narrowly retained that rookie status heading into this season. He stormed out of the gate with a 2.33 ERA, 24.8% strikeout rate and 10.6% walk rate in his first 38 2/3 innings, holding opponents to two or fewer runs in six of his first seven starts.

The Nationals shelled Smith-Shawver for seven runs in three innings on May 22, however, and he departed his next start on May 29 with an injury after just 2 2/3 innings. It’s never encouraging when a pitcher departs due to elbow discomfort, and all signs in the immediate aftermath proved increasingly ominous. Smith-Shawver told reporters after the game that he’d felt a “pop” in his elbow. He was placed on the 15-day IL with a strain the same day but transferred to the 60-day IL just 18 hours later. Barely 24 hours after he’d exited with a trainer, the Braves announced that Smith-Shawver had been diagnosed with a torn ulnar collateral ligament.

With Smith-Shawver joining Reynaldo Lopez on the shelf — Lopez had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in April but could potentially return late in the year — Atlanta’s pitching depth is increasingly stretched. They currently have Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder in the rotation. That’s a solid group on paper, but Strider hasn’t looked at all like himself in his first few games back from his own UCL repair.

The depth beyond that current quintet is a bit suspect. Davis Daniel and Nathan Wiles both have solid numbers with Triple-A Gwinnett and are on the 40-man roster, but they’re both relatively soft-tossing righties who were acquired in minor offseason swaps — Wiles for cash this past spring and Daniel for recent 14th-round pick Mitch Farris (after Daniel had been designated for assignment by the Angels). Hurston Waldrep, the Braves’ 2023 first-rounder and a former top prospect, has had a disastrous season in Gwinnett. Non-roster depth arms like Ian Anderson, Zach Thompson and Jose Suarez have all already cleared waivers this season and struggled to varying levels in Gwinnett. Suarez recently landed on the minor league injured list as well.

Looking longer term, Smith-Shawver will accrue major league service time and pay while he rehabs from this morning’s surgery. He’ll finish out the season with more than a year of service time but won’t be on track for Super Two status in arbitration. It’s also notable that because he was only in the minors for 16 days earlier this year when Atlanta sent him down, he won’t exhaust what would have been his final option year if he’d been sent down later in the season. He’ll retain one more minor league option year. Smith-Shawver will be on pace for arbitration eligibility in the 2027-28 offseason and for free agency in the 2030-31 offseason (though that remaining minor league option could impact either trajectory).

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top