The Opener: Ashcraft, Naylor, Lewis
The Yankees officially selected Ali Sánchez‘s contract yesterday. Had the game not been rained out, Sánchez would have been the first right-handed hitting catcher to start for the Yankees since Jose Trevino in the 2024 World Series. Today’s lineup isn’t public yet, but Sánchez could still start, as the Red Sox are starting a lefty in Ranger Suarez to counter the Yankees’ Cam Schlittler.
1. Ashcraft surrenders a first-inning run, finally
Braxton Ashcraft has started all 13 of his games for the Pirates this year, and he typically starts off strong. Yesterday, he allowed a first-inning run for the first time in his career (h/t to Jason Mackey of MLB.com for the stat), as the Braves took an early 2-0 lead on a sac fly and an Austin Riley double. It was a tough night overall for Ashcraft, who allowed six earned runs on nine hits in five innings as the Pirates lost to the Braves 6-3. Ashcraft is having a great season regardless. The righty has a 3.28 ERA through 79 2/3 innings and a 2.1 fWAR that ties for seventh among qualified starters.
2. Tigers v. Naylor
A potentially dangerous moment in the Mariners’ 4-0 win over the Tigers yesterday came in the fifth inning. Tigers starter Keider Montero threw a 96 MPH fastball up and in to the Mariners’ Josh Naylor, striking Naylor on the right shoulder. Naylor appeared in good spirits, laughing off the HBP and remaining in the game. For his part, Naylor thinks the pitch was intentional, telling Tim Booth of the Seattle Times and others, “I knew it was on purpose.” He had previously scored from first base, with Naylor’s sliding mitt getting thrown up toward Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler on the play at home.
3. From first overall to first base
After a brief demotion to the minor leagues, Royce Lewis was recalled yesterday and started at second base for the Twins. Notably, Lewis slid over to play first base in the ninth inning, marking his first major league appearance at the cold corner. Lewis, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 draft, has mostly played third base since arriving in the Majors in 2022. He’ll now look to add positional flexibility to increase his value amidst struggles at the plate. Lewis has a 52 wRC+ in 123 plate appearances while striking out over 30% of the time. Brooks Lee, now the starting third baseman per FanGraphs’ RosterResource, has a 96 wRC+ in 242 plate appearances.
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Twins Recall Royce Lewis, Designate James Outman
Royce Lewis is back in the majors, as the Twins announced that the infielder has been called up from Triple-A St. Paul. Outfielder James Outman was designated for assignment in the corresponding move, so Minnesota now has an open spot on its 40-man roster.
Lewis’ ugly .163/.261/.279 slash line over his first 119 plate appearances of the season was enough to convince the Twins that the former first overall pick needed a tune-up, so Lewis was optioned to St. Paul on May 19. The move has apparently worked, as Lewis’ bat has come to life against minor league pitching. Between the 13 games since his demotion and two rehab games earlier this season, Lewis has hit .333/.403/.900 in 67 PA at the Triple-A level, with a whopping 10 homers in that small sample size.
Obviously this kind of Ruthian production isn’t going to continue against MLB pitching, yet it does indicate that Lewis may have at least regained some confidence at the plate, in addition to any mechanical changes worked out with the Triple-A coaching staff. While injuries have been the dominant storyline of Lewis’ Major League career, he hasn’t been a particularly effective hitter since what seemed to be a breakout 2023 season, as Lewis has hit just .225/.285/.398 over 847 PA since Opening Day 2024.
The other interesting element to Lewis’ time in the minors has been some time spent at first and second base, in addition to his usual third base spot. It remains to be seen where Lewis will play upon his return to the majors, as Brooks Lee was moved from shortstop to third base in Lewis’ absence, with Tristan Gray getting most of the looks at shortstop.
Neither player is hitting well enough to have laid a real claim to either position, so it could be that Gray is returned to bench duty and the Twins revert to their normal infield alignment. Outman’s DFA leaves utilitymen Kody Clemens and Ryan Kreidler as the backup outfield options on the 26-man roster, so Clemens could get more time in the outfield if Lewis gets some looks as a first baseman.
Minnesota acquired Outman from the Dodgers for Brock Stewart at last year’s trade deadline, and the change of scenery didn’t help Outman regain any of the hitting prowess he showed early in his big league career. Outman hit .248/.353/.437 with 23 home runs for the Dodgers over 567 PA in 2023, but he has since batted .144/.235/.284 over his last 374 PA against MLB pitching. Those lowly numbers include a .156/.229/.250 slash in 70 PA this season as a backup outfielder.
This is the first time Outman has been designated for assignment, and he has less than three years of MLB service time. As such, he will have to accept an outright assignment to Triple-A if he clears waivers or isn’t traded since the DFA period. Outman has some speed and he can play all three outfield positions, yet his offense has been so lackluster that he’ll probably clear waivers and remain in Minnesota’s organization.
Astros Outright Cesar Salazar
The Astros sent catcher Cesar Salazar outright to Triple-A Sugar Land, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. He successfully passed through waivers after getting designated for assignment on Thursday. Salazar could’ve elected free agency, but he’s chosen to accept the assignment.
This is Salazar’s second trip through the DFA process this season. The previous outright gave him the option to reject the assignment this time around. Instead, he’ll stick with the only organization he’s known as a pro.
The 30-year-old Salazar has appeared in parts of four seasons with the Astros. He’s slashed .189/.295/.216 in 45 games as a big leaguer. Salazar has been the guy Houston has called on when they need a stopgap behind the plate. He joined the club in May after Yainer Diaz went down with an oblique injury. Salazar went 1-for-18 while splitting the gig with Christian Vazquez. The Astros opted to replace him with Collin Price.
Salazar is out of minor league options. Since he accepted the assignment, Houston can stash him at Triple-A as catching depth. Salazar will likely get the call if Vasquez or Price needs to be replaced.
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Yankees Place Austin Wells On 10-Day IL With Cervical Headaches
Catcher Austin Wells is heading to the injured list due to cervical headaches, the Yankees announced. J.C. Escarra was recalled to take Wells’ spot on the roster. Escarra was just sent down on Friday, but he’ll report back to the big-league club before playing a game at Triple-A.
Wells does not have a concussion, manager Aaron Boone told reporters, including Greg Joyce of the New York Post. The backstop complained of a headache on Friday night. He’s slated for additional testing on Sunday. Ali Sanchez was in the starting lineup behind the plate on Saturday before the game was rained out.
Jose Caballero pinch-hit for Wells in the ninth inning yesterday, but that likely had more to do with getting a right-handed bat in there against lefty Aroldis Chapman. There was no indication of an injury. Wells had started three of four games this week. He went hitless in 10 at-bats.
Wells is enduring a brutal offensive season. He’s hitting just .166 as New York’s primary catcher. After slugging a career-high 21 home runs last season, Wells has left the yard just four times this year. The left-handed bat has been particularly underwhelming against southpaws. Wells is 5-for-50 facing left-handed pitching this season.
Wells’ main contributions have come with the glove. He’s recorded 3 Defensive Runs Saved across 400 2/3 innings. Statcast gives him a Fielding Run Value of 3. Wells ranks in the 91st percentile for framing. He’s been slightly below average throwing out base stealers.
Escarra has functioned as Wells’ backup for most of the season. He hasn’t been any better offensively, posting a 38 wRC+ in 68 plate appearances. Only the Angels and Phillies have a lower OPS than the Yankees at the catcher position. Escarra will likely step into a platoon with Sanchez, who had his contract selected yesterday. The righty-swinging Sanchez should typically be in the lineup against lefties, like he was tonight against Ranger Suarez.
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Brewers Acquire Joel Kuhnel From Athletics
Right-hander Joel Kuhnel is heading to the Brewers for cash considerations. The A’s designated him for assignment on Friday. Both teams have announced the deal. Milwaukee moved Quinn Priester to the 60-day IL to clear a 40-man roster spot for Kuhnel.
The 31-year-old Kuhnel was one of manager Mark Kotsay‘s top options in the ninth inning early in the season. He picked up four saves in his first seven appearances. Kuhnel remained in the high-leverage mix through May, but struggled to close the month, permitting three earned runs over his final two outings.
The final blow came on Thursday against the Cubs. Kuhnel was called upon to preserve a three-run lead in the ninth inning. He gave up four earned runs on five hits while recording just two outs. Righty Luis Medina was unable to put out Kuhnel’s fire, allowing a pair of hits, including a walk-off single to Pete Crow-Armstrong. The disastrous outing raised Kuhnel’s ERA from 2.88 to 4.21.
Kuhnel has pitched for four teams across parts of six big-league seasons. He spent all of 2025 at Triple-A in the Yankees’ and Phillies’ systems. The veteran righty came to the A’s on a minor league deal in December. He didn’t break camp with the team, but reached the majors after just two minor league outings.
Milwaukee is missing several key pieces in the bullpen. Offseason trade acquisition Angel Zerpa was lost to Tommy John surgery. Lefty DL Hall just went down with a pectoral injury. Veterans Jared Koenig and Rob Zastryzny have missed the majority of the season. Kuhnel, being a righty, wouldn’t necessarily alleviate those absences, but he could provide value in a lower-leverage role.
Priester is dealing with symptoms related to thoracic outlet syndrome. He has avoided surgery up to this point. The righty recently had his rehab assignment bumped to Rookie ball after a stretch of poor performances. Priester has 19 walks in 13 1/3 innings across seven minor league outings. Manager Pat Murphy recently said Priester could need another month of rehab.
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Dodgers Move Tyler Glasnow To 60-Day IL, Add Nick Frasso
The Dodgers have shifted right-hander Tyler Glasnow from the 15-day to the 60-day IL. Glasnow is dealing with a back injury. The club has added right-handed Nick Frasso to the 40-man roster.
Glasnow hit the 15-day IL on May 8 due to lower back spasms. He was removed from a start against the Astros on June 6 after one inning. The big righty has yet to resume throwing, relays Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Given where he’s at in his recovery, it’s unsurprising to see Glasnow shifted to the 60-day IL. He’ll be eligible to return in early July, but that seems like a stretch at this point. The Dodgers will likely bring Glasnow along slowly with his extensive injury history.
Frasso exercised an upward mobility clause in his contract, per Ardaya. The righty will remain at Triple-A, but he’s now on the 40-man. The move allows the club to keep him in the organization.
The Dodgers originally acquired Frasso along with lefty Moises Brito in an August 2022 trade that sent righty Mitch White and second baseman Alex De Jesus to the Blue Jays. Frasso pitched well in the minors, reaching Triple-A by 2023. He was sidelined for all of 2024 after shoulder surgery. Frasso had some prospect pedigree as recently as last season, with MLB Pipeline ranking him at No. 13 in the Dodgers system. He scuffled to a 5.49 ERA in 77 innings with Oklahoma City in 2025 and slipped off most prospect rankings.
Frasso tested free agency in November, but ultimately landed back with the Dodgers. The 27-year-old will now have a better chance to get a look with the big-league club now that he’s on the 40-man roster. The righty was exclusively a starter in LA’s organization until last year, when he mostly pitched out of the bullpen. Frasso has a 4.85 ERA in 11 minor league appearances this year. He’s spiked a 38.7% strikeout rate, but it’s come with a career-worst 16.1% walk rate.
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Angels Announce Several Roster Moves
The Angels made several roster decisions ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Dodgers. First baseman Nolan Schanuel is back from the IL. Outfielder Jorge Soler heads to the IL with an oblique strain. The club selected the contract of outfielder Gustavo Campero, then put him on the IL with a broken hand. Catcher Omar Martinez was designated for assignment.
The Soler move is retroactive to June 4. He was scratched on Friday with what was initially believed to be a hip injury. Instead, it’s an oblique issue. Soler has been mediocre at the plate through 58 games. The veteran has a 95 wRC+ across 243 plate appearances. Soler struggled mightily in May, posting a .571 OPS. He was off to a strong start in June, going 4-for-11 with two extra-base hits in a series against the Rockies.
Schanuel had slightly more than a minimum stay on the IL with an ankle injury. He should step back in as the club’s everyday first baseman. Schanuel hasn’t shown the on-base skills he’s had in previous seasons, walking at a career-low 6.3% clip. His .313 OBP is more than 30 points below his career mark.
Vaughn Grissom has stepped in at first base in Schanuel’s stead and played well. The former big-name prospect has slashed a respectable .246/.325/.410 in 40 games. He’s striking out just 11% of the time, while walking at a 9% rate. Grissom has been particularly effective in games he’s played first base, delivering a .988 OPS in 62 plate appearances. Grissom has also played second and third base this year. He might not have a permanent defensive position, but he’s earned regular playing time.
Campero has spent the entire season at Double-A. He went to the minor league injured list on June 1 with a fractured right hand. Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported that Campero had an opt-out clause in his deal. Adding him to the 40-man roster allows the Angels to keep him in the organization. The 28-year-old outfielder has scuffled to a 74 wRC+ in parts of two seasons with the big-league club, but he was performing well in the minors this year. Campero had an .830 OPS with six homers and 11 steals with Rocket City before his injury.
After seven seasons in the minors with the Yankees, Martinez joined the Angels on a minor league deal. He earned his first MLB shot in early May after Travis d’Arnaud went down with plantar fasciitis. Regular starter Logan O’Hoppe was already out with a broken wrist. Martinez briefly tag-teamed the catching duties with Sebastian Rivero. The 24-year-old mostly appeared on defense. He had three plate appearances in five games, going 1-for-3.
Martinez will now head through the DFA process. The Angels can look for a trade partner before placing him on waivers. Martinez is still in his first minor league option year, which could intrigue teams in need of catching depth. If he clears waivers, he’ll head back to Triple-A Salt Lake and wait for his next big-league opportunity.
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Rays Move Steven Matz To Bullpen
Left-hander Steven Matz is heading to the Rays’ bullpen, per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The veteran failed to escape the second inning on Tuesday against the Tigers. Matz has allowed a dozen runs across 8 2/3 innings since coming off the IL in mid-May.
Matz signed a two-year, $15MM deal with the Rays in December. His tenure in Tampa Bay was off to a decent start before elbow inflammation cost him a few weeks. The lefty posted a 3.86 ERA through his first seven appearances. A 4.55 SIERA suggested he was due for regression, but he was delivering solid innings at the back end of Tampa Bay’s rotation.
The elbow injury popped up out of nowhere, as Matz was coming off back-to-back quality starts. His velocity has been fine after rejoining the team, but his Stuff+ has slipped from 98 to 91. Matz has seen his swinging-strike rate drop by more than 3% in three outings since his IL stint.
After operating almost exclusively as a starter with the Mets and Blue Jays, Matz has picked up ample experience as a reliever in recent seasons. He worked in a swingman role for multiple years with the Cardinals. Matz made 53 appearances between St. Louis and Boston in 2025, all but two of which came as a reliever. His pair of starts came in April with the Cardinals. Matz functioned as a traditional one-inning reliever after being dealt to the Red Sox.
Tampa Bay relied on a combination of Griffin Jax, Mason Englert, and Jesse Scholtens to cover two rotation spots during Matz’s IL stint. Jax has now been fully stretched out as a starter. Scholtens is down with a wrist injury, and Englert missed time with a forearm issue. The latter is now back with the big-league club. Englert covered five innings and tossed a season-high 82 pitches in relief of Nick Martinez on Wednesday. He’s expected to step into Matz’s rotation spot, possibly as a bulk reliever, per Topkin.
Matz was due to start on Monday against Boston. The move to the bullpen is “not by any stretch permanent,” manager Kevin Cash said, relayed by Topkin. A six-man rotation later in the season could make sense as a way to limit innings for Shane McClanahan and Drew Rasmussen, who have extensive injury histories. Jax is also working as a starter for the first time since 2021 and is on pace to set a career high in innings.
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Brewers Select Drew Rom
The Brewers selected left-hander Drew Rom ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Rockies. Fellow lefty Brian Fitzpatrick was placed on the 15-day IL with an elbow injury. Milwaukee had an opening on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move was needed.
Rom last pitched in the big leagues with the Cardinals in 2023. He struggled to an 8.02 ERA over eight starts. The 26-year-old lefty didn’t pitch in 2024 due to a biceps injury. Additional health issues limited him to seven minor league appearances last season. Rom latched on with the Brewers as a minor league free agent in December.
The results in the minors for Rom have typically been unremarkable, outside of a few solid strikeout seasons. He transitioned to a full-time relief role this year, with excellent returns. Rom has pitched to a 3.04 ERA across 22 appearances with Triple-A Nashville. He has a career-high 33.9% strikeout rate.
Rom’s four-seamer barely cracked 90 mph during his MLB stint with St. Louis. He’s added a couple of ticks with the Sounds, averaging 92.5 mph on the heater. The lefty is also throwing a much harder sweeper. The pitch averaged 79.4 mph in 2023, but it’s been up at 83.1 mph at Triple-A this year.
Fitzpatrick has pitched well in his first taste of the majors. He’s allowed just one earned run across 6 2/3 innings out of Milwaukee’s bullpen. The lefty was optioned in mid-May and had only recently rejoined the big-league squad. Fitzpatrick tossed a perfect inning on Friday against Colorado before going down with the elbow injury.
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Rangers, Elias Díaz Agree To Major League Contract
June 6: Texas has officially announced the deal. Diaz will take the big-league roster spot of Jansen, who is heading to the 10-day injured list with a forearm strain. With the addition of Diaz, the Rangers’ 40-man roster is now full.
June 5: The Rangers are in agreement on a major league deal with veteran catcher Elias Díaz, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The ACES client recently became a free agent after being waived by the Royals.
Texas designated Sam Haggerty for assignment on Friday afternoon, so they have an opening on the 40-man roster. They’ll need to clear an active roster spot once Díaz reports to the team. Texas has a veteran catching tandem of Danny Jansen and Kyle Higashioka.
Higashioka has earned the recent playing time with hits in four straight games, including a home run off Parker Messick in tonight’s 3-2 win over the Guardians. Jansen has had a tough year, batting .171/.277/.309 across 142 plate appearances. He’s a couple months into a two-year, $14.5MM free agent contract. Jansen doesn’t figure to be in jeopardy of losing his roster spot at this point.
That seemingly points to a three-catcher arrangement for the time being. Texas just activated Corey Seager and Wyatt Langford from the injured list to put their lineup pretty close to full strength. Ezequiel Duran can move back from shortstop to second base, pushing Nicky Lopez to a bench role. He and Jansen have five-plus service years and cannot be sent to the minors without their consent. Michael Helman and Justin Foscue each can be optioned. Foscue’s start at designated hitter tonight was his first time in the lineup since May 27.
Díaz will be accustomed to a depth role. He spent more than a month on Kansas City’s roster as a third catcher behind Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen. He started seven of 10 games and tallied 23 plate appearances. Díaz popped a couple home runs and doubles apiece. He’s coming off a .204/.270/.337 season over a much bigger body of work with the Padres.
The 35-year-old is best known for his surprise All-Star Game MVP win as a member of the Rockies back in 2023, but he has been more of a backup over the past few seasons. He has a good arm and has graded as a solid receiving catcher in recent years after struggling with pitch framing early in his career.