NL West Notes: Susac, Bailey, Freeland, Dollander, Ryan
Daniel Susac went 2-for-5 in the Giants‘ 10-5 win over the Nationals yesterday, as the catcher is now hitting an absurd .524/.545/.714 over the first 22 plate appearances of his Major League career. Susac was a Rule 5 Draft pick initially from the Athletics organization before he was taken by the Twins and then immediately dealt to the Giants.
A big Spring Training performance clinched Susac’s roster spot and a role as Patrick Bailey‘s backup, yet Susac’s dream start is earning him more playing time, with starts in three of San Francisco’s last five games. On Thursday, Giants manager Tony Vitello told the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser and other reporters that the team intends on “involving [Susac] as much as possible, see if we get into an every other day situation, or whatever it might be.”
Bailey has never shown much at the plate over his four MLB seasons, but he is off to a particularly ugly start by hitting only .128/.180/.128 in 50 PA. While Bailey’s elite defense has been reason enough to earn him starting catcher duties in the past, the Giants’ offense has struggled so much (Friday notwithstanding) that the club has nothing to lose by riding the hot hand in Susac.
More from around the NL West…
- Kyle Freeland‘s MRI on his inflamed left shoulder didn’t reveal any structural damage, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer told the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders and other reporters. Freeland was retroactively played on the 15-day injured list on April 13, and the good diagnosis means that the veteran southpaw likely won’t miss too much time. The injury interrupted Freeland’s strong start to the season, as he had a 2.30 ERA over his first three outings.
- Chase Dollander is another Rockies pitcher getting good early results, as the former third overall pick has a 3.32 ERA, 28.7% strikeout rate, and 7.5% walk rate over 19 innings. Dollander has yet to start any of his five appearances, however, and Schaeffer told Saunders and company that Dollander will continue pitching behind an opener for the time being. The manager’s logic is simple: Dollander is “having a lot of success” as a bulk pitcher. “He’s settled into a routine, and routines are very different from being in the bullpen and starting. Obviously, we want him to be a starter, long-term. But right now we don’t want to mess with the routine,” Schaeffer said.
- The Dodgers‘ Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City placed River Ryan on the seven-day injured list yesterday, and Jack Harris of the California Post indicated that the placement is likely due to a hamstring injury. Ryan posted a 1.33 ERA over his first 20 1/3 MLB innings in 2024, but a Tommy John surgery in August of that year sidelined the right-hander for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. Returning to action with Oklahoma City this year, Ryan’s excellent peripherals and a .450 BABIP over seven innings of work indicate that he has pitched much better than his 5.14 ERA would imply. The IL stint will delay his eventual return to Los Angeles in what will probably be a bullpen role, as there isn’t room for Ryan even in a six-man Dodgers rotation if everyone is healthy.
NL East Notes: Strider, Moore, Cannarella
Spencer Strider threw a live batting practice session yesterday at Truist Park, and the Braves right-hander is now set to begin a minor league rehab assignment. Manager Walt Weiss indicated to reporters (including MLB.com’s Mark Bowman) that Strider will throw 40-45 pitches in a minor league game on Thursday, with likely two more rehab outings after that. “He’s on the right path but with starters, it takes time,” Weiss said. “We’ve got to build him back up now, so that’s probably going to take the rest of the month.”
An oblique strain sent Strider to the 15-day IL just prior to Opening Day. If Strider is able to return by the first week of May, missing “only” five weeks isn’t a bad outcome considering the unpredictable nature of oblique injuries. It also helps that the Braves have thus far impressively managed their lack of rotation depth, as Martin Perez and Bryce Elder have each been terrific in filling for Strider and Atlanta’s other injured starters.
More items from the NL East…
- Back in March, Dylan Moore utilized the opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Phillies, and the team quickly signed him to a guaranteed contract to finalize Moore’s spot on the Opening Day roster. The Athletic’s Matt Gelb has some details on Moore’s deal, as the utilityman will earn $1.45MM in guaranteed money, with a $100K bonus unlocked for every 100 plate appearances (up to 400 PA). As per the terms of Moore’s original minors deal, Gelb writes that Moore was set to earn $1.85M if he’d made Philadelphia’s active roster. It seemed like the new agreement was made so the Phillies could save a bit of money while still retaining Moore, and the veteran may have been willing to forego some of his guarantee in order to ensure he broke camp. Moore hasn’t seen much action yet, with only seven PA over five games.
- Marlins prospect Cam Cannarella will miss roughly the next 6-8 weeks after suffering a broken wrist from a collision in the outfield, according to Fish On First’s X feed devoted to Miami’s farm system. The 43rd overall pick of the 2025 draft had an impressive 1.019 OPS over his first 25 PA for A-level Beloit this season, but Cannarella’s second pro season will now be put on hold. Baseball America and MLB Pipeline each rate Cannarella as the eighth-best prospect in the Marlins’ system, praising his excellent center field glovework and solid contact hitting.
NL West Notes: Tatis, Arraez, Hentges, Snell, Edman
Fernando Tatis Jr. was 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI in yesterday’s 9-5 Padres win over the Rockies, but the most notable aspect of Tatis’ game was his role as San Diego’s starting second baseman. It was just Tatis’ second career big league game at second base and his first start at the position, and the move came about since shortstop Xander Bogaerts had a day off. “We felt like Tatis was the best option at second base, and the most fun and exciting option at second base,” manager Craig Stammen told The Athletic’s Dennis Lin and other reporters, as the Padres look for ways to juggle their lineup, find at-bats for everyone, and keep their players fresh.
Needless to say, Tatis isn’t leaving his regular right field spot any time soon, but getting the odd game in at the keystone can add to his already high defensive value. Stammen also suggested that the position change might get Tatis rolling after a slow start at the plate, and Tatis’ three-hit night indicates that the tactic may have worked.
More from around the NL West…
- X-rays were negative on Luis Arraez‘s right wrist after the Giants second baseman was removed from yesterday’s game. An unusual play at second base saw Dylan Beavers accidentally kick Arraez in the hand while trying to avoid a tag in the bottom of the fourth inning, and Arraez was removed before the bottom of the fifth. Arraez is day-to-day for now, and since the Giants don’t play on Monday, it seems likely that he’ll be held out of today’s lineup to get two full days of recuperation. After signing a one-year, $12MM free agent deal with San Francisco, Arraez is off to a nice start with his new team, hitting .304/.339/.393 over his first 63 plate appearances.
- Sam Hentges also joined the Giants on a one-year, $1.4MM deal this offseason, and the reliever looks to finally be nearing his first game action of any kind since August 2024, as the A-level San Jose Giants announced that Hentges is joining the team on a rehab assignment. Hentges posted a 2.93 ERA, 27.7% strikeout rate, and 7.5% walk rate over 138 innings out of the Guardians’ pen in 2022-24, but his career was then put on hold by a shoulder surgery in September 2024, and then an arthroscopic right knee surgery last September. The left-hander’s rehab assignment figures to be pretty lengthy given how long Hentges has been sidelined, but he could be an intriguing x-factor in San Francisco’s bullpen when healthy.
- Blake Snell threw a 15-pitch simulated inning yesterday, facing live batters for the first time since Game 7 of the World Series. Snell began the season on the Dodgers‘ 15-day injured list due to shoulder fatigue, and he said a month ago following his first Spring Training bullpen session that he was aiming to make his season debut before the end of April. That timeline might be delayed slightly, as manager Dave Roberts told MLB.com’s Courtney Hollmon and other reporters that the team wants to see Snell built up in throwing sessions to the equivalent of four innings before Snell goes on a rehab assignment.
- Tommy Edman was one of the batters at the plate during Snell’s sim inning, which also marked the first time Edman had faced live pitching since he underwent ankle surgery last November. Edman began the season on the 10-day injured list but Roberts told Hollmon and company that the Dodgers aren’t expecting Edman back until closer to the end of May since he is “not at full speed” yet in terms of running. The timing means that Edman could be shifted to the 60-day IL at some point if Los Angeles needs a 40-man roster spot, though that decision won’t be made until Edman is deeper into the recovery process.
Diamondbacks Notes: Moreno, Carroll, Kelly, Pfaadt
Gabriel Moreno is set to undergo an MRI today after leaving yesterday’s game due to lower back tightness, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic writes. Manager Torey Lovullo told Piecoro and other media yesterday that Moreno was viewed as day-to-day, and the catcher downplayed the seriousness of the issue.
The MRI could simply be a precaution given Moreno’s early exit. Moreno took one plate appearance and caught the first two innings of the Diamondbacks’ 5-4 win over the Phillies, and Moreno ended the bottom of the second by throwing out Justin Crawford on a steal attempt. Once the bottom of the third began, however, James McCann had replaced Moreno behind the plate.
The D’Backs are better equipped than most teams in handling a day-to-day injury to a catcher, as McCann and Adrian Del Castillo are both already on the active roster. Since Arizona is already dealing with several injuries up and down the lineup, the club has been able to find at-bats for all three backstops, as Del Castillo (who himself started the season on the injured list with a minor calf strain) has made two starts at DH.
Despite this catching depth, obviously the Diamondbacks hope Moreno’s back issue won’t prevent him from soon returning to action. Moreno has a solid .275/.333/.400 slash line and five doubles over his first 45 plate appearances, making him one of the more productive hitters within an Arizona lineup that has yet to really get going this season.
Corbin Carroll has been a huge part of the Diamondbacks’ offense, beginning his season by hitting .333/.408/.690 with two homers and three triples in 49 PA. The hot start came in spite of a hamate surgery that cost Carroll most of Spring Training, but he is now dealing with a new injury — a minor hip problem that has sidelined him for the last two games. Lovullo said Carroll was available off the bench yesterday and might play as early as today, plus the hip injury wasn’t considered serious enough to merit an MRI for further examination.
Moving onto the pitching side of the injured list, Merrill Kelly is slated to make his season debut during Arizona’s upcoming road series in Baltimore, which begins on Monday. Lovullo told Piecoro and company that the plan is for Kelly to toss a bullpen session with the big league team this weekend, as a final check-up before Kelly is activated from the 15-day injured list.
Kelly’s injury was officially termed as intercostal nerve irritation. The bad back kept the right-hander on the shelf for most of Spring Training, and cost him the honor of being the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day starter. Kelly tossed 6 1/3 innings during three Cactus League games, five innings during a Triple-A rehab start on April 3, and 83 pitches over six innings of work during an extended Spring Training game last Thursday (as per reporter Jody Jackson).
With Kelly on the verge of returning, Piecoro feels Brandon Pfaadt will probably be removed from the rotation. Pfaadt is starting today’s game with the Phillies, so there might be a bit of extra pressure on the right-hander if he’s competing to keep his spot. Michael Soroka is the other starter whose rotation spot is less assured, but Soroka has a 2.87 ERA through 15 2/3 innings and three starts.
While Soroka has been solid, Pfaadt has a 6.75 ERA over 10 2/3 frames in his first two starts of 2026. If he isn’t starting, Piecoro writes that the D’Backs could use Pfaadt in an extended long relief role on the active roster, rather than send him to Triple-A to keep him stretched out as a proper starter.
Marlins Notes: Stowers, Conine, De Los Santos
Marlins’ outfielder Kyle Stowers is nearing a return, according to MLB.com’s Christina De Nicola. Stowers will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp this Friday. The 28-year-old enjoyed a breakout 2025 after cracking 25 homers, and his 149 wRC+ (a ballpark-adjusted measure of total offensive production that indicates he was 49% better than a league-average hitter) ranked 8th among all batters with a minimum of 450 PAs.
Stowers, who primarily split time between the corner outfield spots last year, has begun taking first base drills in addition to his usual outfield work. While manager Clayton McCullough didn’t commit to using Stowers there, he called it “a possibility” that the Fish could occasionally get him first base work in games. Coming off a Grade-1 hamstring injury, the Marlins will be keen to protect their star hitter’s health and address the void at 1B in the wake of Christopher Morel’s oblique injury.
In Morel’s absence, the Marlins have Frankensteined a first baseman, primarily out of Connor Norby and contributions from Liam Hicks, Graham Pauley, and prospect Deyvison De Los Santos. Although the early returns have been positive, there are some roster advantages to having Stowers at first. While Stowers has not donned a first base mitt professionally at any level, the Marlins have a glut of outfield options with Jakob Marsee, Owen Caissie, Heriberto Hernandez, Griffin Conine, and Austin Slater on the active roster. Playing Stowers at first base also gives them the option to insert an extra left-hander into the lineup alongside Griffin, Marsee, and Caissie, and despite being a finalist for the 2025 left field Gold Glove, advanced defensive metrics like DRS (1) and FRV (0) value Stowers’ contributions as neutral/average (in Stowers’ defense, none of the other Marlins’ outfielders are pushing him out of left with their defensive production to this point).
However, not all the health news coming out of Miami is positive: Conine exited Thursday’s game against the Reds with left hamstring discomfort, McCullough told reporters (including Kevin Barral of Fish on First). Conine has been hot in the early going with a .300/.390/.650 triple-slash with a pair of homers and steals, good for a 188 wRC+ (88% better offensive production than league average), but he may have an IL trip ahead of him. Barral also notes that De Los Santos was pulled from the Jacksonville lineup mid-game as a possible precursor to a corresponding move (should Conine’s injury warrant an IL trip). De Los Santos, who profiles as an aggressive, power-over-hit batter, should be in the mix for first base starts alongside fellow righty hitter Connor Norby while the Marlins continue to weigh their options at first and in the outfield.
Angels Injury Notes: Trout, Yates, Rodriguez
Outfielder Mike Trout was back in the lineup on Tuesday against the Braves. The future Hall of Famer was sidelined on Monday with a hand injury. Trout was hit by a 94 mph fastball from Casey Legumina in the eighth inning of Sunday’s game against the Mariners. He was immediately removed from the contest.
Trout singled and scored in his return to the lineup. He was on base for Jorge Soler‘s two-run blast in the first inning. Those wouldn’t be the last fireworks from Soler that evening. Trout’s base hit had an exit velocity above 100 mph, so he would seem to be back to full strength.
The 34-year-old Trout’s production has cooled considerably after a huge opening series. The veteran slugged home runs in the first two games of the campaign. Trout racked up six hits and seven walks in the four-game set against the Astros. He’s recorded just a pair of hits since then.
We’re still working with tiny sample sizes at this point of the season, and the main development for the Angels is that Trout is healthy and available to contribute in the middle of the lineup. He played 130 games last year, his most since 2019. Trout is now back in his familiar spot in center field after spending most of 2025 at DH.
On the pitching side, right-hander Kirby Yates faced hitters on Tuesday, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. The reliever is working his way back from knee inflammation. The 39-year-old was positioned to open the year as the Angels’ closer while Ben Joyce and Robert Stephenson dealt with their own injuries, but Yates hit the IL himself shortly before Opening Day.
The Angels will see how Yates recovers from yesterday’s work and determine the next step in his rehab process, relays Fletcher. He could be headed on a minor league assignment soon. The Angels signed Yates to a one-year, $5MM pact in January. The reliever was the club’s largest spend of the offseason. Los Angeles also added veteran bullpen arms Jordan Romano and Drew Pomeranz to improve a unit that ranked 28th in ERA last season. Romano has taken over as closer, securing four saves across six scoreless innings.
The Angels’ biggest swing of the offseason was sending outfielder Taylor Ward to the Orioles for right-hander Grayson Rodriguez. After four MLB Spring Training appearances with his new club, Rodriguez went down with shoulder inflammation. The former top prospect missed all of 2025 with a lat strain. Injuries have limited him to 43 starts since his big-league debut in 2023. Rodriguez is feeling better and is nearing mound work, per Fletcher.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
Padres Notes: Adam, Canning, Waldron
The Padres have been without veteran right-hander Jason Adam so far this season as he works his way back from last year’s quadriceps surgery. While that blow to the bullpen has been manageable with elite arms like Mason Miller and Adrian Morejon holding things down, Adam is a big part of the San Diego relief corps after posting a 2.07 ERA with a 3.20 FIP in 256 2/3 innings of work since the start of the 2022 season. Looking more specifically at Adam’s time with the Padres, his numbers are an even more dominant 1.66 ERA and 2.89 FIP.
It’s exciting news, then, for the Padres that Adam is nearing a return. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that Adam pitched on back-to-back days over the weekend in his rehab assignment with Triple-A El Paso. Sanders adds that Adam could be activated when he’s first eligible to come off the shelf on April 8, but that it’s also possible that the club will wait until April 9, when they’ll be back in San Diego for a series against the Rockies. Whenever Adam does wind up returning, it’ll be a huge boost to a Padres bullpen that has gotten lackluster performances from Jeremiah Estrada and Wandy Peralta in the early going.
As Adam’s rehab assignment nears its conclusion, right-hander Griffin Canning‘s is getting underway. Sanders notes that Canning allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings of work over the weekend with four strikeouts on 51 pitches. That leaves him with some building up left to do before he’s ready to make the jump back to the majors as a starter, but after signing a $2.5MM deal with San Diego during the offseason, the righty seems very likely to be in the Padres’ starting rotation once he is ready to go. That’s for good reason, seeing as he turned in a very respectable 3.77 ERA in 16 starts last year before suffering the achilles injury he’s currently working his way back from. That’s the production of a solid back-of-the-rotation starter, and if he can match those numbers he’ll be a huge asset to a Padres rotation that looks like the team’s biggest weakness early in 2026.
If the Padres are looking for more immediate help in the rotation, however, they might first turn to knuckleballer Matt Waldron. The 29-year-old underwent minor surgery in February and has made two rehab starts to get built up into regular season form after missing some of Spring Training. He’s looked phenomenal in those rehab starts so far, with a 39.1% strikeout rate in seven scoreless innings. Waldron has built up to 61 pitches so far and will be in line for his next rehab start later this week. The righty has a 4.86 ERA for his career in the majors and could be a real option for the club’s rotation either in the event of an injury or continued struggles from the current back-end duo of German Marquez and Walker Buehler after tough starts to the year for both players. JP Sears, Triston McKenzie, and Marco Gonzales are among the other depth options the Padres have at their disposal in the rotation.
Diamondbacks Notes: Santana, Kelly
Carlos Santana left today’s game with right groin discomfort, and manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic) that Santana will undergo an MRI tomorrow. The injury developed during an at-bat in the second inning, though Santana still managed to hit a single before being replaced by a pinch-runner.
The Diamondbacks have an off-day Monday before embarking on a nine-day, nine-game road trip on Tuesday against the Mets. The MRI will keep Santana from traveling with the club tomorrow, Lovullo said, though the first baseman could join the D’Backs in relatively short order depending on the test results. Even if the MRI is clean, it would seem like Santana will get at least a couple of rest days to make sure he’s entirely healthy.
The groin problem continues Santana’s rocky start to the 2026 campaign. Santana’s single today was just his second hit in 26 plate appearances, as the veteran has a dismal .083/.154/.125 slash line. Arizona signed Santana to a one-year, $2MM free agent deal to handle first base in a platoon with Pavin Smith, but that plan hasn’t really launched since Smith appeared in only two games before elbow inflammation sent him to the 10-day injured list.
Jose Fernandez was called up from Triple-A to replace Smith, and he has hit .250/.250/.625 with two homers over his first 16 PA at the big league level. Smith isn’t eligible to be activated until April 8 at the earliest, and if Santana is also IL-bound, the D’Backs might toggle first base duties between Fernandez and utilityman Ildemaro Vargas in the interim. Tyler Locklear isn’t an option in the first base picture until at least mid-May, as Locklear is recovering from offseason surgeries on both his left elbow and left shoulder.
In other injury news, Merrill Kelly should be on track to make his 2026 debut during the Diamondbacks’ road trip, though not after completing a second minor league rehab start. Lovullo told Piecoro and company that the team wants to see Kelly get a bit more “buildup” after the righty threw 72 pitches in his first rehab outing.
“I know he feels differently because he wants to go out there and compete….[but] we want to make darn sure, so we don’t take any steps backward,” Lovullo said.
Kelly developed a back problem early in Spring Training, and started the season on the 15-day IL due to what was officially termed as intercostal nerve irritation. Kelly recovered to the point that he was able to pitch in three Cactus League games, but he logged only 6 1/3 total innings, and a 12.79 ERA in that limited sample indicated Kelly wasn’t fully ready.
While health and comfort are the priorities in a rehab assignment over on-field results, Kelly looked pretty good over five scoreless Triple-A innings last Friday. The righty allowed two hits, two walks, and he hit a batter over his five frames and 72 pitches, with velocity in line with his career norms.
Brewers Notes: Frelick, Pratt, Zastryzny
Brewers outfielder Sal Frelick left Saturday’s matchup with left side tightness, the team announced. Frelick received a visit from the trainer after a base hit in the fourth inning of the night game against the Royals. He was ultimately replaced by Brandon Lockridge. Frelick grimaced and jogged to first on the single, per Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Frelick has started all eight of Milwaukee’s games so far. He walked and singled in the first game of today’s doubleheader against Kansas City. Even with the hit in the nightcap, he’s still hitting under .200 this year. Lockridge, Blake Perkins, and recent trade acquisition Luis Matos are candidates to pick up more reps if Frelick is forced to miss time.
The Brewers have dealt with a handful of key injuries early in the year. Outfielder Jackson Chourio began the campaign on the IL due to a fractured hand suffered in the World Baseball Classic. First baseman Andrew Vaughn went down with a hamate bone injury on Opening Day.
The pitching staff hasn’t been immune to the injury bug. Quinn Priester is working through a nerve issue in his shoulder. Craig Yoho is out with a strained calf. Rob Zastryzny was rehabbing a shoulder injury and suffered a setback. The veteran lefty reinjured himself and is headed back to Milwaukee for further testing, per Rosiak.
Zastryzny joined the organization on a minor league pact ahead of the 2024 season. He delivered a pristine 1.17 ERA in nine games with the club that year. Zastryzny bounced around last offseason, ultimately landing with the Yankees. He returned to the Brewers in a May 2025 trade. Zastryzny provided 22 innings of a 2.45 ERA last season.
Milwaukee doesn’t currently have a clear need for another lefty in the bullpen. Manager Pat Murphy has four at his disposal, with Jared Koenig and Angel Zerpa on hand for high-leverage spots and DL Hall and Aaron Ashby capable of covering multiple innings. The Brewers came into today’s action leading the league in bullpen xFIP and SIERA.
On a more positive note, prospect Cooper Pratt shared details about the decision to ink an eight-year, $50.75MM extension. The deal came as a surprise for multiple reasons, including Pratt’s inexperience and the fact that his agent, Scott Boras, isn’t known to pursue extensions. “They brought it up in spring training, and it just worked out to happen early into the season,” Pratt told reporters, including Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “But I feel like we made a good decision. I feel like, in my heart, I made a good decision.”
Pratt was the driving force behind the extension, and he convinced Boras by pointing out that the security of the contract would allow him to grow and develop with less pressure, relayed Hogg. “And when I heard that, we will end up with a better player on both sides, and a more advanced player and potentially a star-level player,” Boras said. “Which, then, will justify the contract concerns I have when you are essentially doing a contract like this that will have substantial economic benefits for the team and delay free agency.”
The Brewers took Pratt with a sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft. He posted a 123 wRC+ in his first full season of professional ball. The infielder spent last season at Double-A. Pratt slashed .238/.343/.348 in 120 games with Biloxi. He began the 2026 campaign at Triple-A. The news of the extension emerged a few games into Nashville’s season. “It’s not going to change anything on how I want to perform,” Pratt said. “I’m still going to want to go 5-for-5 every night. It’s just that thought in the back of your head disappears.”
Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu, Imagn Images
AL West Notes: Donovan, Joyce, Crawford
Mariners utilityman Brendan Donovan left last night’s game with an apparent leg injury in the seventh inning. Facing Angels left-hander Reid Detmers, Donovan hit a grounder to second base that he attempted to beat out for an infield hit. He landed awkwardly on the bag with his left leg, and he was replaced by Leo Rivas on defense in the bottom half of the inning. Donovan has soreness in his groin region, per Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. Divish added in a separate post that imaging came back clean.
Donovan has gotten off to a hot start in 2026, batting .370/.485/.667 across his first 33 plate appearances. Defensively, he has played all eight of his games at third base, though he’ll inevitably spend time around the diamond as the season goes on. The club recently signed infield prospect Colt Emerson to a record extension, and they will reportedly play him at third base when he gets called up. That said, the club immediately optioned him after signing the deal, so he can get more seasoning in the upper minors. A short-term Donovan absence wouldn’t change that plan, leaving Rivas as the likeliest candidate to fill in if needed.
A few other updates from around the division:
- Emerson’s extension happens to align with the end of shortstop J.P. Crawford‘s contract. The veteran is in the final year of the five-year, $51MM extension he inked in 2022. Crawford missed the first week of the season with a shoulder injury. Seattle did not opt to give Emerson the role while Crawford was sidelined, but he appears to be the heir apparent at the position. The incumbent is taking it in stride, though. “I congratulated him, wishing him nothing but the best,” Crawford told Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. “And he’s going to come up here and help us win ballgames. And that’s what we want at the end of the day, is to go win the World Series — and he will for sure help us do that. So I can’t wait to get him up here.” Crawford seemed to acknowledge his impending departure, calling 2026 the biggest year of his career.”I have the chance to make some money if I play well, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
- Angels reliever Ben Joyce is currently on the mend from May 2025 shoulder surgery, and Jack Janes of The Sporting Tribune reports that Joyce is throwing normal bullpen sessions without issue. However, it is unknown when he will start facing live hitters. Joyce is well known for his triple-digit fastball velocity, but his impact in the majors has been limited by injuries. The 2022 third-round draft pick has thrown 49 big-league innings from 2023-25 with a 3.12 ERA, a 21.0% strikeout rate, and an 11.4% walk rate. He had a 2.08 ERA and a massive 58.9% groundball rate in 2024, but he was less impressive in limited samples in the other two years. Joyce is expected back relatively early in the season, though he’ll need a rehab assignment after such a long layoff.
- Astros reliever Enyel De Los Santos is nearing a big-league return. The right-hander made consecutive Double-A appearances on Thursday and Friday. Manager Joe Espada called De Los Santos “close” to rejoining the Astros, relayed by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle. As Kawahara notes, getting De Los Santos back in the mix could create a difficult roster decision for Houston. Cody Bolton and Roddery Munoz are out of options. Bryan King, Ryan Weiss, Kai-Wei Teng, Steven Okert, and AJ Blubaugh are off to solid starts. Bryan Abreu obviously isn’t going anywhere. De Los Santos himself is out of options. The Astros also plan to go with a six-man rotation soon, which would trim down another reliever. That tweak could be Weiss moving into the rotation.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images