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Astros Promote Jacob Melton

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June 1: The Astros today announced Melton’s promotion to the big leagues. In corresponding moves, Dezenzo was placed on the 10-day injured list due to left hand inflammation while right-hander Ronel Blanco was transferred to the 60-day injured list.

May 31: The Astros are poised to select the contract of outfielder Jacob Melton, per a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC2. A corresponding move is not yet known, but Houston will need to create room on both the 40-man and active rosters in order to promote Melton.

Melton, 24, was Houston’s second-round pick in the 2022 draft. He is rated as the club’s #2 prospect by MLB Pipeline and became the club’s top prospect according to Baseball America’s ranking when fellow youngster Cam Smith graduated from prospect status earlier this month. Scouts have typically viewed Melton as a roughly average offensive performer, with above average raw power and solid bat-to-ball skills that are held back by an aggressive approach at the plate that leads to poor swing decisions and struggles identifying certain offspeed pitches.

Those flaws at the plate may restrict Melton’s offensive upside, but he’s universally lauded as a solid contributor both in the field and on the basepaths. Additionally, whatever concerns scouts may have about Melton’s approach haven’t stopped him from succeeding in the minors to this point. In 17 games at the Triple-A level so far this year, Melton has hit an impressive .254/.371/.508. That’s good for a 132 wRC+ even in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League. Given those solid numbers, it’s not hard to see why the Astros have decided to give their young outfielder a shot at the big league level.

The timing of Melton’s promotion is especially prudent considering Houston’s current lineup situation. The switch-hitting Victor Caratini has been the club’s only regular hitter who bats from the left side ever since Yordan Alvarez went on the injured list in late April. Meanwhile, center fielder Jake Meyers is the club’s only true outfielder on the roster at the moment; longtime second baseman Jose Altuve has begun to split time between left field, DH, and the keystone this year, while both Smith and Zach Dezenzo have become fixtures in the corner outfield mix as well despite spending the vast majority of their minor league careers at third base.

Chas McCormick was also on the roster as a true outfielder alongside Meyers, but he was placed on the injured list today due to an oblique strain and replaced by infielder Shay Whitcomb on the roster. Altuve, Smith, and Dezenzo may have been enough to handle the outfield corners even without McCormick, but Dezenzo left today’s game with what the organization referred to as “left hand discomfort” and (according to Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) is scheduled to undergo imagine tomorrow morning. With Dezenzo potentially out as well, it makes plenty of sense for Houston to get a lefty bat back into the lineup and shore up an outfield mix in desperate need of reinforcements by bringing Melton into the fold.

Reds’ Wade Miley Triggers Opt-Out; Joe La Sorsa To Exercise Upward Mobility Clause

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June 1: Wittenmyer now reports that Miley has triggered his opt out and has become a free agent.

May 31: Southpaw Joe La Sorsa is currently on a minor league deal in the Reds organization, but Ari Alexander of KPRC2 reports that the lefty plans to utilize the upward mobility clause in his contract, which is scheduled to go into effect on June 1. In addition, Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes that the Reds face a decision on southpaw Wade Miley. The veteran signed a minor league deal back in January that granted him a uniform opt out opportunity on June 1, as it does for all Article XX(B) free agents. According to Wittenmyer, the organization anticipates that Miley will exercise that opt-out opportunity if Cincinnati declines to add him to their 40-man roster before then.

La Sorsa, 27, is an interesting relief arm who has two seasons of experience in the majors with the Rays and Nationals. He posted a 4.47 ERA with a 4.61 FIP across 50 1/3 innings of work between the 2023 and ’24 campaigns, though his strikeout rate of 19.2% over his time in the majors is rather pedestrian. Alexander writes that La Sorsa has added more than five ticks of velocity to his fastball relative to 2024, bringing it up to 94 mph. Impressive as that jump in velocity might be, his stats are fairly pedestrian at Triple-A so far this year. While he’s posted a 3.92 ERA in 20 2/3 innings of work this year, his identical 16.1% strikeout and walk rates suggest the lefty is something of a project who will need to make further adjustments before he can become a quality contributor in the majors.

With that being said, the upside of a lefty pitcher with a mid-90s fastball is certainly tantalizing, and given that La Sorsa has options remaining it would not be a shock to see a team take a shot on him. Teams will have 24 hours to claim La Sorsa and put him on their 40-man roster, though the Reds can prevent him from departing by putting him on their own 40-man. If he goes unclaimed and the Reds decline to add him to their 40-man, La Sorsa will remain with the club at Triple-A going forward.

Turning to Miley, the 38-year-old veteran of 14 MLB seasons is certainly the bigger name of the two lefty pitchers the Reds are at risk of losing tomorrow. Miley has more than 300 starts in the majors under his belt and boasts a career 4.07 ERA (103 ERA+) with a 4.15 FIP. The lefty underwent Tommy John surgery after just two appearances with the Brewers last year and is still in the midst of his rehab following that procedure. While an aging veteran who is rehabbing from major surgery on a minor league deal isn’t exactly the type of pitcher that normally jumps out as a potentially impactful addition, Miley has arguably gotten better with age: from 2018 to 2023, his posted a 3.43 ERA (131 ERA+) with a 4.24 FIP in 582 2/3 innings of work.

A mid-to-back of the rotation veteran like that would normally be a slam dunk to be added to the club’s roster, making the opt-out somewhat irrelevant. Unfortunately, Miley is still shaking off the rust after his long layoff in somewhat hit-or-miss rehab starts; he’s pitched to a 5.93 ERA in four rehab starts at Triple-A this month, and while that includes an encouraging outing where he allowed just two runs in five innings of work he’s also striking out just 11.1% of his opponents across these outings. Perhaps there are pitching-hungry teams who would like to roll the dice on the veteran, but it would be understandable if the Reds weren’t one of them given their solid rotation of Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Andrew Abbott, Nick Martinez, and Brady Singer.

NL West Notes: King, Waldron, Ohtani, Giants

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The Padres provided an update on the status of right-hander Michael King earlier today, as relayed by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune. The good news is that King’s shoulder issue, which sent him to the injured list just last weekend, is not structural in nature. Rather, Sanders writes that the right-hander is dealing with a pinched nerve. Less fortunate, however, is that the Padres remain in the dark about what King’s timetable for a return to action will ultimately look like.

“Now that we’ve been able to locate what the issue is … just trying to get a handle on how to release that nerve a little bit that’s preventing that (scapula) from being able to fire appropriately,” Padres manager Mike Shildt said, as relayed by Sanders. “We’ve got some really smart people, including Michael himself, involved with that process that will get that going as soon as possible, and how soon that is is to the discretion of that nerve.”

The cause of the pinched nerve isn’t known, though King was initially scratched from his start last week due to discomfort in his shoulder after sleeping on it uncomfortably the night prior. Sanders adds that King sought a second opinion on the issue earlier this week and that, because he’s already started to improve, the Padres are not yet ruling out him resuming playing catch by the end of next week. That would potentially allow him to return to the rotation shortly after his minimum stint on the injured list expires without a rehab start, although ultimately King won’t be able to return until the nerve issue has completely resolved itself. Sanders suggests that right-hander Matt Waldron, who pitched 146 2/3 innings for San Diego last year but has been sidelined all season so far due to an oblique strain, could be ready to return from the injured list in the near future and take up King’s rotation spot while he’s on the shelf.

More from around the NL West…

  • The Dodgers watched as Shohei Ohtani continued his slow-going return to pitching earlier today, as Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times was among those to report that the superstar threw two innings of live BP against the Dodgers’ minor league hitters this afternoon. Harris notes that’s a slight uptick from last week’s 22 pitches, and that Ohtani recorded one strikeout and one walk along during the session. After the session, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including USA Today’s Bob Nightengale) that the outing was a “positive” one for Ohtani, though his command wasn’t quite as sharp as his last time out. That Ohtani is continuing to make progress in his rehab is encouraging, although he remains expected to not pitch until some point in the second half of the season. Fortunately, rehabbing hasn’t seemed to slow him down one bit at the plate, as he entered play today slashing .294/.394/.670 with a 187 wRC+, 22 homers and 11 steals.
  • The Giants could be looking to make a change at first base in the near future, even with top prospect Bryce Eldridge not yet at Triple-A. As Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reported on yesterday, the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Sacramento tabbed former top prospect Marco Luciano to serve as their first baseman in a game earlier this week. It’s a new position for the 23-year-old, who has already appeared at second base, shortstop, and in left field over the years, but Rubin notes that the River Cats are expected to continue using Luciano at first going forward as concern mounts about the club’s production at the position in the majors. LaMonte Wade Jr. is the club’s starter at the position, but after entering the year with a 115 wRC+ in a Giants uniform he’s slashed just .171/.278/.279 with a wRC+ of 60 across 48 games. Luciano has yet to hit in the majors himself, with a career 68 wRC+ in the majors, but even his meager production in 126 career plate appearances would be an improvement over Wade’s numbers this season. Plus, Luciano is a former consensus top-20 prospect in the sport who may be able to tap into that potential if offered regular reps at the big league level. While Luciano begins to learn the new position, the Giants will hope that Jerar Encarnación’s eventual return from the injured list is enough to help improve the club’s first base production going forward.

Cionel Perez Accepts Outright Assignment

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The Orioles announced this evening that left-hander Cionel Perez has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll report to the minors and be utilized as a non-roster depth option going forward.

Perez, 29, came up to the big leagues with the Astros back in 2018. He ultimately didn’t get much run with the club, serving as an up-and-down piece for Houston across three seasons with the club where he posted a 5.74 ERA in 26 2/3 innings of work. An equally disappointing and short-lived stint with the Reds followed in 2021, but ahead of the 2022 season Perez was plucked off waivers by the Orioles and placed into their bullpen mix for the coming year.

Once given regular reps on a club that entered the year still in the midst of a rebuild, Perez began to blossom. The lefty enjoyed the best season of his career in 2022 as he pitched to a sterling 1.40 ERA (278 ERA+) with a 2.80 FIP in 57 2/3 frames. A 23.5% strikeout rate and a 9.0% walk rate were both solid figures, but what made Perez truly stand out was his ability to keep the ball in the park. A 51.3% ground ball rate proved to be a big part of that, but Perez’s 4.3% home run to fly ball ratio appeared unsustainable from the jump. That made it far from surprising when his results regressed the following year, though he still remained an effective reliever with a 3.54 ERA and 3.84 FIP in 65 appearances.

Things started to take a turn for the worse last year, however. Despite peripheral numbers that were generally about the same or better as compared to 2023, Perez’s 2024 season saw his ERA balloon all the way up to 4.53. Perez’s strikeout and walk rates had slipped incrementally over the past two years and now sat at a lackluster 19.3% and 11.8%, respectively. While his 55.8% grounder rate and continued ability to avoid allowing home runs was enough to inspire some optimism about the possibility of a return to form in 2025, those hopes were quickly snuffed out by his early-season performance. Perez pitched to an 8.31 ERA with a 5.71 FIP across 21 2/3 innings of work this year before the Orioles decided to pull the plug last week.

Between those brutal results and a $2.2MM salary for 2025, it’s hardly a shock that no club opted to claim the lefty off waivers and try to help him improve his results going forward. Perhaps a club will view him as a low-cost reclamation project in the offseason when he won’t come with such an expensive price tag, assuming he hasn’t already turned things around by then. For now, Perez figures to attempt to get right at the Triple-A level in hopes of being utilized in the big league bullpen once again later this year. The floundering Orioles are appearing increasingly certain to sell at least some pieces at the trade deadline, so if the club fails to turn things around it’s not hard to imagine Perez getting another opportunity after the trade deadline if Baltimore parts ways with some of the pitchers currently in their bullpen mix.

Nationals Designate Jorge Lopez For Assignment

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8:20pm: Prior to this evenings’ game, manager Davey Martinez spoke to reporters (including Spencer Nausbaum of The Washington Post) about the Nationals’ decision to part ways with Lopez. According to Martinez, the Nationals decided that it was time to start focusing more on younger, internal bullpen arms and added that he didn’t think the organization was “the right fit” for Lopez.

Nausbaum goes on to reference an incident that occurred on May 29 where Martinez had to visit the mound to calm Lopez as he argued balls and strikes with the home plate umpire before allowing the game-tying runs in a game the Nationals would eventually lose. In reference to that situation, Martinez acknowledged his frustration but did not specifically connect it to the club’s decision to cut Lopez loose.

“It was tough,” Martinez said, as relayed by Nausbaum. “I can’t sit here and lie — I wasn’t happy about that whole situation. He needs to focus. He needs to understand that, in situations like that, he needs to get to that next pitch.”

5:16pm: The Nationals are designating right-hander Jorge Lopez for assignment, according to a report from TalkNats. Right-hander Eduardo Salazar will be recalled from Triple-A Rochester to fill Lopez’s spot on the active roster. The Nationals subsequently announced the moves. The report elaborates on the decision to DFA Lopez, suggesting that it was not for performance reasons despite the righty’s tough start to the 2025 season. The specifics of the situation leading to Lopez’s DFA are not currently known.

Lopez, 32, signed with the Nationals back in January on a $3MM guarantee. A veteran of ten big league seasons Lopez was a below-average starter and swing man for the Brewers, Royals, and Orioles from his debut in 2015 through the end of the 2021 season. The right-hander appeared in 102 games, made 58 starts, and threw 350 innings at the big league level over those years, but that volume was accompanied by an ugly 6.04 ERA and a 5.15 FIP. After years of trying to break into the majors on a consistent basis as a back-end starter without much success, Lopez and the Orioles decided to give a move to full-time relief a go in 2022.

The move to the bullpen hardly could’ve gone better. Lopez was an All-Star in his age-29 season, with a 2.54 ERA and 3.42 FIP across 71 innings of work between the Orioles and the Twins that year. That strong production was backed up by solid peripherals, including a 24.2% strikeout rate and a 57.8% groundball rate. It wasn’t hard to imagine that Lopez could have a future as a late-inning bullpen arm after that performance, but he took a big step back in 2023. While bouncing between the Twins, Marlins, and Orioles, the right-hander pitched to a 5.95 ERA with a 5.76 FIP in 59 innings of work. He elected free agency shortly before the end of the 2023 campaign, but bounced back with the Mets and Cubs last year to pitch to a 2.89 ERA with a 3.94 FIP across 53 innings of work.

That was enough to convince the Nats to give Lopez a $3MM contract and a shot at the closer role, though that job ultimately went back to Kyle Finnegan once he re-signed with the club following his non-tender earlier in the offseason. Lopez has delivered an ugly 6.57 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of work so far this year for Washington, but his peripherals have actually been quite solid with a 3.44 FIP, a 46.8% grounder rate, and a career-low 6.6% walk rate. That and a unsustainable strand rate of 50.6% that’s all but guaranteed to improve are enough to easily imagine Lopez turning things around this year, and the Nationals will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Lopez or put him on waivers for any of the league’s other 29 teams to claim should they have interest.

Of course, reporting indicates that Lopez’s departure from the Nationals is not due to his performance. Details about the situations leading to his departure are not presently clear, but it’s not the first time Lopez has been cut loose from an organization due to something other than his performance; the Mets parted ways with the right-hander just last year after a controversy where he tossed his glove into the stands following a difficult outing and was believed to have said in an interview with reporters after the game that the Mets were “the worst team in probably the whole f***ing MLB.” Lopez later clarified that what he had been calling himself “the worst teammate in probably the whole f***ing MLB,” though reporting from the Mets beat later indicated that the club planned to DFA him due to his actions regardless of the confusion surrounding his exact wording.

Whether whatever caused the Nats to part ways with Lopez today will be overlooked by other clubs in the league or not remains to be seen. The Mets clearly viewed Lopez’s actions last year as unacceptable, after all, but that didn’t stop the Cubs from signing the right-hander just one week after his release from the Mets organization. Regardless, the Nationals will now turn to Salazar in their bullpen for the time being. The righty has a 9.77 ERA in 17 appearances for the club this year, though he had some success in the majors as recently as last season when he posted a 2.76 ERA between the Dodgers and Nationals.

Craig Breslow Discusses Red Sox’ Struggles, Future Plans

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The Red Sox have been one of the more disappointing teams in baseball this year. While they’re shielded from consideration for the most disappointing club in MLB thanks to their division rivals in Baltimore, Boston entered the season as a trendy pick to win the AL East but currently sit three games under .500, 3.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, and 8.5 games back of the Yankees for the division title. While the calendar has not yet flipped to June and there’s plenty of time for a club floating around .500 to turn things around, that didn’t stop chief baseball officer Craig Breslow from expressing urgency in his comments to reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive) regarding the state of the team earlier today.

“The simple answer is it’s not good enough. It’s not the performance we expected in the offseason,” Breslow said, as relayed by Cotillo. “It’s too late in the season and I think the the evidence is too strong to just say, ‘We’re gonna be OK tomorrow when we wake up.’”

Those comments seem to indicate that changes are necessary in order for the Red Sox to reach their maximum potential, though Breslow did not announce any specific changes ahead of this afternoon’s game against Atlanta. Reporting has subsequently indicated that there will be a handful of roster moves ahead of tomorrow’s game, but one name that does not yet appear to be coming up to the majors is top prospect Roman Anthony. Widely viewed as the sport’s top prospect and boasting a .306/.435/.505 slash line for Triple-A Worcester, fans have grown impatient waiting for his highly-anticipated major league debut.

Breslow’s comments didn’t shut the door to the possibility of Anthony coming up in the near future but didn’t provide any new hints that his debut could be on the horizon, with Cotillo suggesting that Breslow simply repeated past comments about wanting to call Anthony up into a situation where he’ll be able to thrive. Aside from the possibility of a promotion for Anthony, Breslow was also asked about the job status of manager Alex Cora. Breslow stood by his manager, referencing his decision to offer Cora a three-year extension last summer.

“We obviously made a commitment to Alex,” Breslow said, as relayed by Cotillo. “We’re gonna see that through. Right now, it’s about making sure that we’re doing everything we can to enable the 26 guys on our roster to help us win as many games as possible.”

It would certainly be a shock to find out that Cora is on the hot seat after the club committed to more $7MM annually to him for the 2025-27 seasons, so it’s hardly a surprise that Breslow shut down the idea of parting ways with his manager. Even so, the fact that the possibility of a change in the dugout came up at all during the scrum highlights the sense of urgency surrounding the Red Sox, and Cotillo adds that Breslow did not fully rule out the possibility of changes to the coaching staff. Breslow emphasized that the club is prepared to “pull a string that that we think will impact our success on the field” should one arise, though he also made clear that he wouldn’t want any changes made to “paper over a more deeply rooted problem.”

One place where the Red Sox appear poised to make some substantial changes in the near future is first base. While Rafael Devers seemingly remains unlikely to move to the position anytime soon, Kristian Campbell has been doing drills at the position in recent weeks and is expected to make his first career start at the position tomorrow, as Cotillo noted yesterday. Romy Gonzalez is also expected back from the injured list in the relatively near future after serving as the club’s primary first baseman during the brief stretch between Casas’s injury and his own. It’s unclear what sort of timeshare will be had at first base once Gonzalez and Campbell join Abraham Toro and Nick Sogard as players capable of handling the position on the roster, but it seems safe to expect everyone from that group who remains on the roster to make at least occasional appearances at first for the time being.

Red Sox To Select Nate Eaton

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The Red Sox are poised to select the contract of infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton ahead of their game against Atlanta tomorrow, according to a report from Chris Henrique of Boston Sports Journal. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo adds that the Red Sox are expected to recall right-hander Luis Guerrero tomorrow. The club’s 40-man and active rosters are both at capacity, meaning additional corresponding moves will be necessary to complete those transactions before tomorrow’s game.

Eaton, 28, made his big league debut with the Royals back in 2022 and posted solid numbers for the club across 44 games with a .264/.331/.387 slash line in 122 trips to the plate. The performance was enough to earn him a role on the 2023 club, but unfortunately he wasn’t able to maintain the previous year’s league average production in year two. His slash line collapsed to just .075/.125/.075 in 56 plate appearances, and that was all she wrote for Eaton’s big league career until now. He spent all of last year at Triple-A Omaha with the Royals but didn’t get called up to the majors, and this past offseason he signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox. He’s hitting a solid but unspectacular .277/.364/.446 (117 wRC+) in 225 plate appearances for Triple-A Worcester so far this year.

It’s not the most exciting profile, and it certainly won’t sate Red Sox fans who have been calling for the promotion of star outfield prospect Roman Anthony since Opening Day. With that said, Cotillo made the observation in the aftermath of today’s reporting regarding Eaton that Boston is likely to face a number of left-handed starting pitchers in the near future during series against the Angels and Yankees; given that the Red Sox have previously cited Anthony’s work against left-handed pitching as one area where they hope to see growth from the budding star, it’s not hard to see why the club might prefer an extra right-handed bat in the mix rather than bringing another lefty bat like Anthony into the fold, at least in the short term.

Turning back to Eaton, the 28-year-old offers another right-handed bat for a heavily left-handed Red Sox lineup and can bring versatility to the table. He’s played all three outfield spots and third base in the majors, with additional cameos at both second base and shortstop during his time with the WooSox. He’s also a threat on the basepaths, having swiped 27 bags in 31 attempts for Triple-A Omaha last year. It’s unclear what the corresponding move for Eaton’s addition to the roster will wind up being, and as such it’s hard to predict where exactly the Red Sox plan to use him in the coming days. If an outfielder like Rob Refsnyder or Ceddanne Rafaela is headed for the injured list, it would make sense for Eaton to get most of his reps on the grass. Meanwhile, if he subs in for a player like Nick Sogard or Abraham Toro, perhaps he’ll see most of his time bouncing around the infield.

As for Guerrero, Cotillo notes that the right-hander is not yet eligible to be recalled back to the big league roster unless it’s to replace an injured player, which suggests at least one member of Boston’s pitching staff is headed to the injured list. Whoever he may end up replacing, Guerrero has long looked ready for an extended opportunity in the majors. Since making his big league debut in 2024, the right-hander has pitched to a 0.59 ERA with a 2.42 FIP and a 22.8% strikeout rate. Those are excellent numbers, but they’ve come in just a 15 1/3 inning sample size in the majors with less encouraging results at Triple-A. Even so, given his success in short bursts at the big league level there’s little harm in giving Guerrero a longer look given the recent struggles of more established arms like the recently-injured Liam Hendriks.

Yordan Alvarez’s Swinging Halted Due To “Very Small” Hand Fracture

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Yordan Alvarez has been on the Astros’ 10-day injured list since May 3 due to inflammation in his right hand, and the slugger was thought to be nearing a return to the lineup as early as today.  However, Alvarez has now been shut down from swinging due to what GM Dana Brown described as a “very small fracture” in the ring finger of Alvarez’s hand.

The fracture was discovered after a live batting practice session on Friday, as Alvarez left the session feeling some discomfort in his hand.  Imaging found a fracture that is already about 60 percent healed, Brown said, and surgery won’t be required.

Though the GM said Alvarez might still be back in “the near future” and will continue other baseball activities besides hitting, this more serious injury raises new questions about exactly how long one of the league’s top hitters will be sidelined.  Hand problems have long been an issue for Alvarez, though his past hand-related injuries have also been just related to inflammation and soreness, rather than structural problems.

Alvarez had yet to get going (a .210/.306/.340 slash line in 121 plate appearances) at the time of his IL placement, but the three-time All-Star has traditionally been a bit of a slow starter.  It speaks to Alvarez’s high standards that a career .265/.350/.488 slash line in March and April counts as his weakest performance in any month of the regular season, though obviously his numbers this year were well below his past March/April production.

Houston’s lineup has still managed to post roughly middle-of-the-pack numbers even with Alvarez either struggling or absent, not to mention a lack of production from such regulars as Christian Walker and Brendan Rodgers.  Despite also dealing with several pitchers on the IL, the Astros are still in first place in the AL West, so another trip to the playoffs (or another deep run) certainly seems plausible if Houston can get everyone healthy and on track.  An in-form Alvarez would naturally be a major piece of that puzzle, but his IL stint will now stretch into June.

As noted by Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, Alvarez’s situation shares some similarities with Kyle Tucker’s injury absence from last season.  Initial testing of what seemed to be a bone bruise in Tucker’s shin missed a small fracture, and Tucker ended up missing over three months of the regular season.  As with Tucker, Brown said that the amount of inflammation resulted in Alvarez’s fracture being overlooked by the first images, though an MRI did correctly diagnose a muscle strain.

“I think you don’t see the calcium buildup until like five weeks or so and that’s part of the problem,” Brown said.  “And then when you do these imagings and you have so much fluid and inflammation, it’s very, very difficult to diagnose these. And this is for the professionals that do it, it’s very difficult. And even with multiple opinions, it’s very difficult to see.”

Orioles Place Ryan Mountcastle On 10-Day IL, Recall Coby Mayo

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The Orioles announced four roster moves Saturday, including the news that first baseman Ryan Mountcastle has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain.  Top infield prospect Coby Mayo has been called up from Triple-A Norfolk, and outfielder Jordyn Adams is also heading up from Triple-A after his contract was selected to Baltimore’s active roster.  To create space on the 40-man roster, catcher Chadwick Tromp was designated for assignment.

Mountcastle stole home for what ended up as the winning run in the Orioles’ 2-1 win over the White Sox yesterday, but the first baseman left the game a couple of innings later due to what was described just as discomfort in his hamstring.  The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, as interim manager Tony Mansolino told reporters (including Matt Weyrich of the Baltimore Sun) that Mountcastle would be undergoing an MRI today.

Like much of the Orioles roster, Mountcastle has gotten off to a rough start in 2025, with just a .246/.280/.348 slash line to show for 200 plate appearances.  It is a huge dropoff from the generally solid (112 wRC+) production Mountcastle posted over his first five seasons as a regular in the O’s lineup.  Mountcastle has traditionally hit with enough power to overcome subpar walk and strikeout totals, but while his barrel and barrel rates are at his career norms, his Isolated Power is only .102 (far below his .185 career number prior to 2025).

This IL stint could be viewed as a potential reset for Mountcastle’s season in this context, and his absence gives Mayo another shot at establishing himself at the MLB level.  Mayo has been called up for a few limited stints in the majors over the last two seasons, and has hit only .094/.186/.094 over 59 PA against big league pitching.  Even these extreme struggles can be written off as a small sample size, though Mayo’s domination of Triple-A pitching has also fallen off this year, as he has a modest .226/.318/.452 slash over 195 PA in Norfolk.

It is obviously far too soon to write off a player who has gone from being a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft to a fixture on top-100 prospect lists.  Mayo hasn’t gotten much playing time with Baltimore due to the team’s crowded infield, yet perhaps in monkey’s paw fashion, some opportunity has now arisen due to the Orioles’ disastrous start and the swath of injuries that have taken out most of the everyday lineup.

Mountcastle joins Jordan Westburg, Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins, Tyler O’Neill, Gary Sanchez, and Ramon Laureano on the long list of Orioles position players on the IL.  Between this group and several pitchers also sidelined, the Orioles haven’t been able to make up the depth in stumbling to a 20-36 record.

Westburg and Cowser are both on Triple-A rehab assignments and could be back in relatively short order.  With Mullins hitting the IL yesterday, however, the Orioles will shore up their outfield by adding Adams, who inked a minor league contract with the team over the offseason.

Adams has hit only .212/.316/.345 in 136 PA at Triple-A this season, and his big league track record consists of a .176/.205/.216 slash line in 78 PA with the Angels over the 2023-24 seasons.  A former first-rounder who received some top-100 attention during his time in the Halos’ farm system, Adams can play all three outfield positions, and is a decent bench option to have on hand until Cowser returns.

Tromp was also a minor league signing in April, and he was selected to the MLB roster earlier this week due to concerns that Adley Rutschman might have required a stint on the seven-day concussion-related IL.  Since Rutschman ended up needing just a couple of days off and Maverick Handley is on hand as the backup catcher, Tromp will now head to DFA limbo after making two in-game appearances during his brief time on Baltimore’s roster.

Tromp has seen at least a little action in each of the last six MLB seasons, appearing in 63 total games with the Giants, Braves, and Orioles from 2020-25.  Tromp is out of minor league options, and thus the O’s had to designate him and expose him to the waiver wire before trying to send him down to Triple-A.  If Tromp clears waivers, he can reject an outright assignment to Triple-A because he has previously been outrighted in his career.  It remains to be seen if Tromp may choose to move on from the Orioles given the crowded depth chart of Rutschman, Handley, and Sanchez, as Tromp may prefer to join a team that has more of a clear path to big league playing time.

Rangers Release Kevin Pillar

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TODAY: The Rangers announced that Pillar has been released after clearing waivers.

MAY 25: The Rangers announced a trio of moves, including the previously reported news of outfield prospect Alejandro Osuna joining the active roster and DH Joc Pederson being placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right hand fracture.  To create space on the 40-man roster for Osuna’s contract selection, Texas designated outfielder Kevin Pillar for assignment.

Pillar signed a minor league contract with the Rangers this past winter, and some injuries to other outfielders opened the door for Pillar to make the Opening Day roster.  Playing mostly in center field with some addition time in both corner outfield slots, Pillar’s contributions have been almost entirely on the defensive side, as he has batted only .209/.209/.265 over 43 plate appearances.  He also missed a little over two weeks of action due to a bad back that required a stint on the 10-day IL.

Sam Haggerty’s emergence as the new everyday center fielder and the Rangers’ decision to call up Osuna left Pillar as the odd man out, even with Texas still missing some notable names on the injured list.  Evan Carter has been on the IL for a week due to a Grade 2 strain of his right quad, but despite that more severe variety of strain, Carter may be on track for a relatively quick return.  Rangers manager Bruce Bochy told reporters (including Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News) yesterday that Carter may be able to start a minor league rehab assignment by next weekend, as Carter is already doing running drills and has been cleared for live batting practice.

Pillar has now played for 10 different teams over the course of his 1234 career games and 13 seasons in the big leagues.  One of the game’s top defensive center fielders back during his heyday with the Blue Jays, Pillar has carved out a lengthy career as a part-time or fourth outfielder, despite a lack of production at the plate (i.e. a .255/.293/.405 career slash line).

Because Pillar has been previously outrighted in his career, he has the right to elect free agency if he clears waivers and the Rangers try to outright him to Triple-A.  It could be that Pillar will accept such an assignment and bide his time waiting for his next chance on the Texas roster, or he might explore his options to see if another club can offer a clearer path to big league playing time.  It also isn’t out of the question that Pillar may consider hanging up his cleats for good, as the 36-year-old strongly considered retiring last season before deciding to return for the 2025 campaign.

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