IL Transactions: DeLuca, Winn, Coulombe, Baddoo
Here’s the round-up of some players departing and joining the injured list on Sunday…
- The Rays placed outfielder Jonny DeLuca on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 23) due to a right hamstring strain, and called up Victor Mesa Jr. from Triple-A Jacksonville. DeLuca suffered the injury while running the bases in Friday’s 4-2 Rays victory over the Yankees, and he underwent an MRI today to determine the severity of the strain. DeLuca has hit .269/.298/.412 over 125 plate appearances while chipping in at all three outfield positions, though most of his work has some as the right-handed hitting side of a right field platoon with Jake Fraley. Both sides of that platoon are now on the IL since Fraley is recovering from sports hernia surgery, leaving Ryan Vilade, Richie Palacios, and Mesa as the top candidates to pick up the slack in the outfield.
- The Rangers placed right-hander Cole Winn on the 15-day IL due to fatigue in his throwing arm, and called up right-hander Gavin Collyer (this was the only corresponding move since Collyer was already on the 40-man roster). Winn has a 25.8% strikeout rate and 7.9% walk rate over 19 1/3 innings out of the Texas bullpen, but a lot of hard contact and an unfavorable .345 BABIP have resulted in a 5.59 ERA that is far higher than his 3.25 SIERA. While Winn’s arm issue doesn’t seem too serious, he missed significant time in both the 2024 and 2025 seasons due to shoulder and rotator cuff problems.
- The Red Sox activated Danny Coulombe from the 15-day IL prior to today’s game with the Twins, and the left-hander tossed a scoreless inning of relief in Boston’s 6-5 loss. (Left-hander Tyler Samaniego was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.) Coulombe missed a little over three weeks due to back spasms, and his 5.00 ERA over nine innings this season can be largely attributed to one very rough outing against the Yankees on April 23. Beyond that bad game, the southpaw has only allowed two runs over his other 8 1/3 frames of work.
- The Brewers announced that outfielder Akil Baddoo was activated from the 60-day injured list and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. After signing a split contract with Milwaukee during the winter, Baddoo suffered a quad strain near the end of Spring Training and has spent the entire season on the 60-day IL. The outfielder has logged some rehab games in Nashville already and will continue to bide his time until a possible call-up to the Show.
Charlie Moore Passes Away
Longtime Brewers catcher and outfielder Charlie Moore passed away on Saturday at age 72, as per a media release from the team. Moore spent 14 of his 15 Major League seasons in a Milwaukee uniform, spending only his 15th and final season with the Blue Jays in 1987.
Beginning his big league career in 1973, Moore spent his first few seasons backing up Darrell Porter at the catcher position while also getting a good chunk of playing time as a corner outfielder. Porter was traded to the Royals after the 1976 campaign, which opened up more time behind the plate for Moore over the next five seasons. The Brewers than moved Moore into more or less an everyday right field role from 1982-84 before he returned to regular catching duty in his final three seasons.
It was something of an unusual career arc for a catcher, yet Moore was a good athlete who held his own defensively as a right fielder. Reggie Jackson learned this the hard way during Game 5 of the 1982 ALCS, when Moore threw out Jackson at third base when the superstar was trying to go from first to third on a Fred Lynn single. Jackson’s Angels held a 3-2 lead at that point in the do-or-die Game 5, and Moore’s big play was a key moment as Milwaukee went on to a 4-3 victory.
The 1982 squad is still the only Brewers team to reach the World Series, falling just short to the Cardinals in a seven-game Fall Classic. Moore was a huge part of Milwaukee’s playoff run, hitting .385/.429/.462 over 44 plate appearances during that postseason.
Moore finished his career with 36 homers and a .261/.319/.355 slash line over 4483 PA and 1334 career games. He also had 51 career stolen bases, with two of them coming on October 1, 1980 when Moore also hit for the cycle. That huge all-around day made Moore the first player in modern baseball history to both hit for a cycle and steal two bases in the same game. In another historical note for Moore, the last of Henry Aaron’s MLB record 2297 RBIs was recorded when Aaaon singled to drive in Moore from third base on the final day of the 1976 season.
We at MLB Trade Rumors send our condolences to Moore’s family, friends, and many fans.
2026-27 Club Options: NL Central
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL Central, where the Cubs have a number of low-cost options to weigh.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East
Chicago Cubs
- Matthew Boyd, LHP: $15MM mutual option ($2MM buyout)
Mutual options are essentially never exercised, so Boyd will be paid the $2MM buyout and return to free agency next winter. That’ll conclude a two-year, $29MM free agent deal that worked out well. Boyd’s 3.21 ERA over 31 starts a year ago essentially paid for the contract on its own.
The second season isn’t going as planned. Boyd missed a couple weeks in April with a biceps strain and suffered a more significant meniscus injury in his left knee earlier this month. He underwent surgery that’ll keep him out into late June at the earliest. The Cubs probably aren’t keen on their end of the option.
- Hunter Harvey, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1MM buyout)
Chicago added Harvey on a one-year, $6MM deal in December. The talented but oft-injured reliever only pitched four times before landing on the injured list with triceps inflammation. Further testing this month revealed a stress reaction that’ll keep him down for a while. This will be an easy pass for the team.
- Carson Kelly, C: $7.5MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Kelly has outperformed his two-year, $11.5MM deal signed in December 2024. Initially brought in as a veteran complement to Miguel Amaya, the 31-year-old Kelly has earned the majority of the playing time. He’s a .261/.344/.421 hitter with 19 homers over his season-plus in Chicago. He’s fourth among primary catchers this season with a .381 on-base percentage. Kelly has a strong case for another two-year contract at a better annual rate than the option price, so his camp should have an easy time passing.
- Colin Rea, RHP: $7.5MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Rea, a 35-year-old swingman, is in the second season of his second stint with the Cubs. He’s clearly a favorite of skipper Craig Counsell, who also managed him in Milwaukee in 2021 and ’23. Rea pitched pretty well last season, managing a sub-4.00 ERA while starting 27 of 32 games. The Cubs had a $6MM team option for 2026, but the sides agreed to a restructured extension that guaranteed Rea $6.5MM in exchange for the righty tacking on a similarly priced club option for 2027.
Injuries again quickly pushed Rea from long relief into a back-end rotation spot. He hasn’t performed as well as he did last season, allowing nearly five earned per nine across 47 frames. Rea had consecutive quality starts against the Phillies in mid-April but has surrendered a 7.04 ERA over his past five times out.
Rea’s strikeout, walk and home run rates are all virtually identical to last season’s. There haven’t been any meaningful changes to his pitch mix or velocity. He’s essentially the same pitcher, with this year’s ERA spike mostly due to a higher average on balls in play. That’s always a risk for a pitcher like Rea who pounds the strike zone but doesn’t have overpowering stuff.
The Cubs will presumably look for a rotation upgrade or two in July that can push him back into a relief role. A buyout seems likelier than them picking up the option, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if they try to bring him back a slightly lower price given his flexibility in usage.
- Caleb Thielbar, LHP: $6MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
Chicago brought back Thilebar on a $4.5MM deal after he worked 58 innings of 2.64 ERA ball in 2025. The southpaw is making $4MM this year and will earn a $500K buyout at season’s end. He missed just under a month with a left hamstring strain and has been limited to 12 appearances. Thilebar has recorded 11 punchouts while allowing four runs (three earned) across 9 2/3 innings. The Cubs will probably pass on their end but could have interest in keeping Thielbar around for his age-40 season at slightly less money.
- Jacob Webb, RHP: $2.5MM club option (no buyout)
The Rangers surprisingly non-tendered Webb after he turned in 66 innings with an even 3.00 earned run average. Chicago signed him to a $1.5MM free agent deal that includes a $2.5MM team option for 2027. The righty has been a nice addition to Counsell’s middle relief corps, striking out a quarter of opponents with a 3.05 ERA over 20 2/3 innings. He’s getting swinging strikes and chases off the plate at career-best rates.
Webb has allowed right around three earned runs per nine in three straight seasons. His market has never really materialized, but a $2.5MM option is cheap enough that the Cubs would very likely bring him back if he keeps this pace all year.
The Cubs hold a $3.3MM club option on RHP Javier Assad. He’ll remain eligible for arbitration through at least 2028 even if the option is declined.
Cincinnati Reds
- Pierce Johnson, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Cincinnati picked up Johnson on a one-year, $6.5MM deal after the Braves bought him out. The veteran righty has allowed eight runs over 19 1/3 innings with league average strikeout and walk numbers. His 9.3% swinging strike rate is a career low. Johnson is an MLB-caliber arm but more of a middle reliever than a setup man at age 35. An $8MM option price is too rich on the Reds’ end.
- Eugenio Suárez, DH/3B: $16MM mutual option
Cincinnati brought Suárez back on a one-year, $15MM deal late in the winter. It looked like a nice bargain pickup for a team that needed offense. Suárez’s age evidently tamped down long-term interest, but he hit 49 home runs a year ago. The return has started slowly, as he hit .231/.300/.363 through 100 plate appearances before sustaining a left oblique strain that sent him to the injured list. He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville yesterday.
The Reds will also pay a $3MM buyout to released infielder Jeimer Candelario.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Luis Rengifo, 3B: $10MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Milwaukee bought low on Rengifo with a $3.5MM deal in Spring Training. He’s making a $2MM salary and due a $1.5MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option. They haven’t gotten anything close to the desired bounce back. The switch-hitting utilityman carries a .199/.262/.257 line without a home run over 150 plate appearances. Third base feels like a priority for the Brewers at the deadline, at which point they could move on from Rengifo entirely.
- Gary Sánchez, C: Mutual option
The terms of Sánchez’s mutual option were never reported. He signed a $1.75MM guarantee to return to Milwaukee as a backup catcher/part-time DH. Although Sánchez is only hitting .198, he has walked 20 times and hit five home runs in 108 plate appearances. The Brewers will eventually want a look at prospect Jeferson Quero, but William Contreras will be an offseason trade candidate with free agency looming after 2027. They could look to keep Sánchez around as a cheap #2 catcher.
Milwaukee holds a $14.5MM club option on C William Contreras for his final season of arbitration. He’ll remain under team control if Milwaukee declines.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Marcell Ozuna, DH: $16MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Pittsburgh added Ozuna late in the offseason on a $12MM deal. It didn’t make much sense at the time since it locked all of Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Spencer Horwitz into defensive spots without a fallback at designated hitter. Ozuna was also coming off a mediocre second half and playing in one of the toughest home parks for right-handed power.
Ozuna had an atrocious April. He’s at least drawing a lot of walks in May, but his season .179/.275/.305 line isn’t cutting it. It goes without saying that the Pirates aren’t exercising a $16MM option. The bigger question is whether they’ll keep Ozuna on the roster all year.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Dustin May, RHP: $20MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
May commanded a surprisingly strong $12.5MM guarantee despite coming off a 4.96 ERA season between the Dodgers and Red Sox. He’s making a $12MM salary and will collect a $500K buyout on the $20MM mutual option at season’s end. May has stayed healthy and taken all nine turns through the rotation, but he’ll take a 4.81 ERA into today’s start against the Pirates. His strikeout and whiff rates are well below average despite his 97 mph fastball. While May’s power stuff and early-career success have continued to intrigue teams, the recent performance has been that of a fifth starter. The Cardinals aren’t signing up for a $20MM option.
- Ryne Stanek, RHP: $6MM club option (no buyout)
St. Louis added the hard-throwing Stanek on a $3.5MM deal in January. They wanted an experienced leverage arm who could compete for the closing role and potentially be a midseason trade asset. Riley O’Brien seized the ninth inning, leaving Stanek alongside JoJo Romero and George Soriano in the setup group.
Stanek continues to sit around 98 mph and generate above-average strikeout and whiff rates. His already problematic control has pushed even further, though, and he’s walking nearly 18% of opposing hitters. It’s the third-highest mark among pitchers with at least 20 innings. The free passes have resulted in a 6.30 ERA over 23 appearances. Teams are inclined to bet on pitchers with this kind of stuff, but Stanek will need a better second half to convince the Cardinals (or a potential midseason trade partner) to bring him back for $6MM.
- Ramón Urías, 3B: $4MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
St. Louis added Urías on a $2MM free agent deal during Spring Training. He’s making $1.5MM in salary and will be paid a $500K buyout. Urías limped to a .158/.279/.316 start over 25 games before landing on the injured list with tennis elbow.
Peter Strzelecki Elects Free Agency
The Brewers announced this evening that reliever Peter Strzelecki cleared outright waivers and elected free agency, relays Todd Rosiak of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. They designated him for assignment over the weekend.
Strzelecki had a one-day stint on the active roster. Milwaukee selected his contract on Saturday and dropped him a day later. Strzelecki didn’t pitch in the one game for which he was active. He’s out of minor league options, so the Brewers couldn’t send him back to Triple-A without putting him on waivers. That gave Strzelecki the right to explore other opportunities, as this is the second outright assignment of his career.
It could be a formality that sees the 31-year-old re-sign in the next day or two. That’s common in situations like these. Strzelecki began his career as an undrafted free agent signee by the Brewers back in 2018. He made 66 MLB appearances with the Crew from 2022-23, turning in a 3.69 ERA across 70 2/3 innings. Milwaukee traded him to Arizona at the ’23 deadline.
After bouncing around for various teams in the upper minors, Strzelecki returned to the Brewers on an offseason minor league contract. He has allowed 10 runs (nine earned) through 19 2/3 innings with Triple-A Nashville. Strzelecki has fanned 20 opponents against four walks. He’s attacking the zone but not getting many whiffs on a per-pitch basis.
Brewers Promote Robert Gasser, Designate Peter Strzelecki
The Brewers announced that left-hander Robert Gasser has been called up from Triple-A, and will start today’s game against the Twins. Gasser was already on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, but to create a 26-man spot, the Brewers designated right-hander Peter Strzelecki for assignment.
Strzelecki signed a minor league contract with the Brew Crew this past winter, and has a 4.12 ERA, 47.3% grounder rate, 24.7K%, and 4.9BB% over 19 2/3 innings for Triple-A Nashville. This work earned him a selection to the Brewers’ roster just yesterday, but he was only up for a cup of coffee before being DFA’ed. Since Strzelecki wasn’t used in Saturday’s game, his last official MLB appearance remains August 12, 2024, when the right-hander pitched for the Guardians.
A veteran of 77 games and 83 2/3 big league innings with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Guardians from 2022-24, Strzelecki spent 2025 in the minors with the Pirates and Rays before returning to the Brewers (his original team) this winter. If he clears waivers and is outrighted, Strzelecki can refuse that assignment in favor of free agency since he has a past outright in his career.
Coleman Crow was called up from Triple-A to make a spot start in Friday’s game, and now Gasser will also make his 2026 debut in a spot appearance today. The Brewers have been digging into their depth chart for some rotation help with Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester both on the IL, and even with these injury concerns, Milwaukee has just kept on winning due to its excellent pitching development system.
Gasser was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft, and he drew some top-100 prospect attention prior to his big league debut in 2024. His 2.67 ERA over 33 2/3 innings is impressive, though his secondary metrics over his brief MLB career have left a lot to be desired. Gasser missed most of the 2024-25 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, so his chief goal for 2026 may simply be to log some innings and rebuild his arm back up to the point that he can resume a full starter’s workload by 2027.
Brewers Select Peter Strzelecki
The Brewers announced that right-hander Peter Strzelecki‘s contract has been selected from Triple-A Nashville. Strzelecki fills the open spot on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, and he’ll take the 26-man spot of right-hander Coleman Crow, who was optioned to Triple-A.
Crow heads back to Nashville after his second Major League start, as the Brewers have now twice called on the 25-year-old for spot duty this year. Crow has looked quite impressive in delivering a 2.61 ERA over his first 10 1/3 MLB innings, with seven strikeouts against just one walk. Milwaukee will surely call on Crow again before 2026 is over, though the righty may not get an extended look just yet because the Brewers are so deep in rotation options.
With Crow down on the farm, the Brewers will bring a fresh arm up to their bullpen and Strzelecki is in line for his first big league game since 2024. Strzelecki broke into the majors with Milwaukee in 2022, and he has a 3.44 ERA, 24% strikeout rate, and 8.4% walk rate over 83 2/3 career innings with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Guardians from 2022-25
These okay but unspectacular numbers weren’t enough to keep the Guards from designing Strzelecki for assignment after the 2024 campaign, and Strzelecki’s lack of remaining minor league options surely also factored into Cleveland’s decision. The righty struggled to an ugly 9.41 ERA over 22 Triple-A innings with the Pirates’ and Rays’ top affiliates in 2025, but after signing a minors deal with Milwaukee this past winter, Strzelecki has seemingly gotten on track with his former team.
Strzelecki has a 4.12 ERA, 24.7K%, and 4.9BB% over 19 2/3 innings in Nashville, and his 47.3% grounder rate is also much higher than his career norms. The Brewers will give him a look in the majors to see if Strzelecki has potentially unlocked something at age 31, but his out-of-options status means that the righty could find himself designated for assignment again if the Crew need another roster slot.
The Brewers’ Unrelenting Pitching Pipeline
It's become almost a time-honored tradition. Fretting about the Brewers' pitching depth -- or lack thereof -- only to immediately be made to feel foolish for ever doubting our pitching development overlords. Milwaukee traded Freddy Peralta this offseason. Quinn Priester opened the season on the injured list. Brandon Woodruff's Opening Day status was up in the air for much of the spring. He made six starts, saw his average fastball dip from 92.5 mph to 85.4 mph in the last of them, and is now on the injured list alongside Priester.
With Woodruff and Priester on the injured list, the Brewers have two starters on the 40-man roster with more than a year of big league service time. They have ... zero ... with two full years of major league service. Surely a reckoning is coming. Or at least you'd think.
Instead, the Brewers are humming right along. Thursday's 7-1 drubbing of the Padres bumped them to 24-17. They're second in the NL Central behind the Cubs. Milwaukee has a firm grip on a Wild Card spot, and with the Cubs' own pitching staff increasingly decimated by injuries, the Brewers are gaining ground. Chicago just snapped a four-game losing streak. Milwaukee has won six of its past seven games and nine of its past dozen.
The recent surge isn't due to any sort of juggernaut offense. Milwaukee hadn't scored more than six runs in a game this month prior to Thursday. They're a league-average offense, per measure of wRC+. They're last in the majors with 27 home runs. Oh, and they're also allowing 2.18 runs per game this month -- 24 runs in 11 contests. The Brewers rank third in Major League Baseball with a 3.35 ERA. That includes a 3.27 ERA from the rotation, despite the injuries and lack of experience.
How are they getting it done, and are the key contributors pitching in a sustainable way? Let's take a deeper look.
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Brewers Re-Sign Jacob Waguespack To Minor League Deal
The Brewers have a new agreement with right-hander Jacob Waguespack on a minor league deal, according to the MLB.com transaction log. He has been assigned to their Arizona complex.
Waguespack was pitching at Triple-A Nashville when Milwaukee granted him his release on May 4. It seems he wanted to gauge whether any team was willing to offer an MLB opportunity. Once that didn’t materialize, he returned to the Brew Crew on a fresh minor league contract. He’ll presumably head back to Nashville after a brief tune-up in the Complex League.
The 32-year-old righty last pitched in the Majors in 2024. Waguespack split last season between the Triple-A affiliates of the Rays and Phillies. He managed a solid 2.45 earned run average over 33 combined frames but never got an MLB look with either team. The Ole Miss product signed an offseason non-roster deal with Milwaukee and opened the year in Triple-A.
Waguespack allowed eight runs (four earned) through 16 innings. He struck out 23 of 68 opponents (34%) but also issued 11 walks. Waguespack doesn’t have huge velocity despite the big swing-and-miss rates. He’s averaging 92 mph on his fastball while working in the mid-80s with his cutter and changeup.
Brewers Notes: Yelich, Black, Priester, Lockridge
Christian Yelich made his return to the Brewers lineup tonight, as the former MVP was activated from the 10-day injured list. Tyler Black was optioned back to Triple-A Nashville to open the needed active roster spot.
Yelich missed a month due to the left groin strain he suffered in the middle of April. That halted an excellent start to the season. The 34-year-old designated hitter carried a .314/.375/.451 line with a home run through his first 56 plate appearances. Although Yelich is no longer the superstar he was at his peak, he remains one of the better hitters in the National League. He popped 29 homers with a .264/.343/.452 slash a year ago.
Milwaukee penciled him right back into the #3 spot in the order tonight against San Diego righty Matt Waldron. They weathered Yelich’s absence well, ranking eighth in the Majors in scoring while he was out. Black and Gary Sánchez got the majority of the DH reps in that time. They’ve both hit well, but Black’s limited defensive value meant he didn’t have a path to even semi-regular playing time now that Yelich and Andrew Vaughn are back from injury.
Milwaukee has gotten very little out of the left side of their infield — Joey Ortiz’s first homer of the season tonight notwithstanding — but Milwaukee hasn’t used Black as a third baseman since 2024. He’s a first baseman/corner outfielder at this point.
There aren’t going to be many first base or DH at-bats available on a team with Yelich, Vaughn, Jake Bauers and the catching tandem of William Contreras and Sánchez. This is Black’s final minor league option year, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he comes up in trade conversations this summer. He’s not going to center a trade for any marquee names, but he could net the Brewers bullpen or multi-positional infield help.
Skipper Pat Murphy also provided a few injury updates before tonight’s game (relayed by Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). The most notable is that starter Quinn Priester is scheduled to resume his rehab assignment on Saturday. The righty has been out all season after being diagnosed with a nerve issue during Spring Training.
Priester started a rehab stint in late April. He clearly wasn’t right, walking eight batters and hitting two more in five innings. Milwaukee pulled him back but now feel he’s ready to get back to game action after throwing a 50-pitch bullpen session yesterday. The Brewers are hoping to get Priester back in the beginning of June.
Outfielder Brandon Lockridge is aiming a couple weeks after that for his own return to MLB action. The speedy outfielder sustained a deep laceration in his right knee after sliding into the side wall at American Family Field on Friday. It was a scary injury, as his knee hit directly into concrete below the padding. Lockridge had to be carted off but fortunately avoided any fractures.
NL Central Notes: Woodruff, Lockridge, Suarez, Lowder
Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff was back with the club for a series against the Yankees after having fluid removed from his shoulder. He’ll play catch this weekend as he nears a return to the mound, relays Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.
Woodruff’s progression is encouraging, considering how he looked in his most recent outing. The veteran was removed after just six batters during an April 30 start against the Diamondbacks. His fastball was down more than 7 mph. Woodruff was soon placed on the injured list with shoulder inflammation.
The 33-year-old Woodruff has dealt with shoulder and lat injuries for the past three years. He missed all of 2024 due to shoulder surgery. Even before the outing against Arizona, Woodruff’s velocity was down slightly from last season. He’s several years removed from averaging mid-90s with the heater.
Despite operating at a lower velocity, Woodruff has been effective. He’s working with three fastballs these days, adding a cutter to his four-seamer and sinker. The veteran is throwing his changeup more than ever. Woodruff delivered a 3.20 ERA with a career-best 32.3% strikeout rate in a dozen starts last year. The strikeouts are down this season, but he has a solid 3.60 ERA through 30 innings.
Here’s more from around the division…
- Brewers outfielder Brandon Lockridge seems to have escaped serious injury after crashing into the wall on Friday against the Yankees. He was carted off the field and needed nine stitches to address a deep cut near his knee. Lockridge was back in the clubhouse on Saturday and hopes to return after close to a minimum stint on the IL, per McCalvy. Manager Pat Murphy was less optimistic, expecting the outfielder to miss at least a month. Blake Perkins was recalled to take Lockridge’s spot on the roster.
- Reds third baseman Eugenio Suarez took 50 swings on Thursday as he works his way back from a strained oblique, relays FOX 19’s Charlie Goldsmith. The veteran infielder hasn’t played since April 22. Suarez was off to a difficult start in his second stint with Cincinnati, slashing .231/.300/.363 across 100 plate appearances. After matching a career high with 49 home runs in 2025, he’s left the yard just three times this year.
- Also from Goldsmith, Reds right-hander Rhett Lowder isn’t dealing with any structural damage in his shoulder. He received an injection and could throw a bullpen on Sunday. Lowder left after three innings on Thursday against the Cubs. He hasn’t been placed on the IL yet. Cincinnati got lefty Nick Lodolo back on Friday. He took the spot of right-hander Chase Petty, who is scheduled to start at Triple-A on Sunday.
Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu, Imagn Images