Cubs Place Cade Horton On Injured List With Forearm Discomfort
Today: Speaking on ESPN 1000 radio, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers reported that Horton is set to visit Dr. Keith Meister later today, following an inauspicious MRI (per ESPN 1000’s David Kaplan). While a second opinion from a well-known orthopedic surgeon doesn’t confirm bad news, it’s no doubt a worrisome development for the Cubs and their young right-hander.
April 3, 6:17pm: Skipper Craig Counsell tells Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic that Horton will go for imaging this weekend. The team will know once the results come back, but the righty will land on the 15-day injured list in any case.
April 3, 3:56pm: Cubs righty Cade Horton exited today’s start after calling for a trainer in the second inning. The Chicago Tribune’s Meghan Montemurro points out that Horton’s final pitch was a fastball that clocked in about two miles per hour shy of his season average. Taylor McGregor of the Marquee Sports Network adds that the Cubs are calling Horton’s injury right forearm discomfort.
It’s an ominous development for a Cubs team that opened the season without ace Justin Steele, who is still on the mend from last April’s UCL surgery. Horton, 24, was the National League Rookie of the Year runner-up in 2025 after kicking down the door to the majors with a 2.67 ERA in his first 118 big league frames. The 2022 No. 7 overall pick’s 20.4% strikeout rate was a couple percentage points shy of average, but he offset that with strong command (6.9% walk rate), an average ground-ball rate (42.3%) and a knack for avoiding hard contact. He’s pitched 7 1/3 innings this season between his debut and today’s abbreviated start. Opponents have two runs on four hits and a walk.
Obviously, it’s too soon to say whether Horton will miss an extended period of time — if he misses any at all. Even a short-term IL stint would sting, however. The rest of the Chicago rotation includes Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, Shota Imanaga and trade acquisition Edward Cabrera. Steele and former first-rounder Jordan Wicks are both on the injured list already.
Veteran swingman Colin Rea is in the bullpen and could start in the short term if the Cubs need. He filled in admirably last year when injuries piled up on the starting staff. Rea posted a 4.33 ERA in 27 starts last season and a 0.56 ERA in 16 relief innings. He was manager Craig Counsell‘s go-to option today as well, taking over after Horton’s exit. Righty Ben Brown worked as a starter in camp and is still stretched out for multiple innings as well; he’s tossed 6 2/3 frames in two appearances this season.
Looking further down the depth chart, righty Javier Assad is in Triple-A and already on the 40-man roster. He’s pitched to a 3.43 ERA in 331 major league innings, mostly out of the rotation, though injuries limited him to 55 1/3 innings between Triple-A and the big leagues last year. Top prospect Jaxon Wiggins is also in Triple-A but would need to be added to the 40-man roster. Veterans Kyle Wright and Vince Velasquez also opened the season with the Cubs’ top affiliate in Des Moines after signing minor league deals in the winter. Either could be called upon as short-term replacements, although like Wiggins, they’d need to be added to the 40-man roster.
The Opener: Red Sox, Brewers, A’s, MLBTR Chat
Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day today:
1. Red Sox, Brewers face off amid tense series:
The Red Sox and Brewers played last night, and right-hander Brandon Woodruff hit veteran first baseman Willson Contreras with a pitch. Contreras, who had spent the entirety of his career prior to this season in the NL Central, has been plunked by the Brewers 24 times in his career, including six by Woodruff specifically. That was enough to raise tensions on the field, and after the game both Contreras and a handful Brewers players commented on the situation (as relayed by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe).
“The 24th time, it’s not [a] coincidence,” Contreras said, as relayed by Healey. “They’re going there with a purpose. And that’s fine, that’s pitching. But next time you hit me, the message is clear: I’m going to take one of them out.”
Brewers veteran Christian Yelich was nonplussed by Contreras’s comments. “We’ve seen that skit for the last 10 years. It’s nothing new. Not surprising. You just keep it rolling. You got a game to win and lock the boys in, rally the troops.”
All of this sets up an interesting game between the clubs later today. At 6:45pm local time in Boston this evening, Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet will take the mound opposite hard-throwing righty Jacob Misiorowski. Crochet fell just shy of the AL Cy Young award last year and has a 3.27 ERA through two starts. Misiorowski, for his part, received an All-Star nod in his rookie season last year and has now posted a 2.45 ERA in his own first two starts of the year.
2. A’s 40-man roster move incoming:
The A’s are expected to select the contract of right-hander Joel Kuhnel later today. Before they can do that, however, they’ll need to create a spot on the 40-man roster for him. Right-hander Gunnar Hoglund is the only player on the club’s injured list at the moment. It’s unclear when exactly the right-hander will return from his current back injury, but he isn’t a known candidate for the 60-day injured list at this point. Barring a surprise transfer for Hoglund or a surprise trade that clears 40-man roster space, the A’s will have to designate a player for assignment today. That move can be expected sometime this afternoon, given that the club is slated to play their next game at 7:05pm local time in New York against the Yankees.
3. MLBTR Chat Today:
The regular season is in full swing at this point, with some clubs (like the 6-5 Angels) exceeding expectations in the early going while others (like the 2-8 Red Sox) have struggled unexpectedly out of the gate. Whether you’re wondering what to expect from your team this year or just trying to separate the contenders from the pretenders, MLBTR’s Anthony Franco has you covered with a live chat at 11:00am CT this morning. You can click here to leave a question in advance. That same link will also allow you to follow along with the chat live when things get underway and view a transcript of the chat after it concludes.
What’s Next For Sandy Alcantara?
For the past few years, the Marlins have been shopping pitching almost constantly, even guys with multiple years of club control. Despite persistent rumors, Sandy Alcantara has usually been off the table, for different reasons at different times. As time goes on and we move closer to the end of his contract, the Marlins will have to make a decision, with still several ways for the situation to play out.
The Marlins and Alcantara agreed to an extension in November of 2021, a five-year deal covering the 2022 through 2026 seasons. It guaranteed him $56MM and also came with a $21MM club option for 2027, with a $2MM buyout.
That deal was well-timed from the team perspective, as Alcantara went on to have the best season of his career in 2022. He logged 228 2/3 innings, allowing 2.28 earned runs per nine. He wasn't the most dominant pitcher in terms of strikeouts, but thanks to his strong ground ball rate, no one was more likely to just carve through a lineup for an entire contest. He tossed six complete games that year. From 2018 to the present, no other pitcher has tossed more than three complete games in a season. Alcantara was given the National League Cy Young award for that dominant campaign.
Despite Alcantara's efforts, the Fish were still rebuilding, as they went 69-93 that year. Going into 2023, they were willing to listen to trade offers regarding their pitchers, but Alcantara was reportedly not available. That made plenty of sense at the time. Though the club wasn't in great shape, Alcantara was still under club control for five more seasons and was just coming off that dominant showing.
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Joe Ross Elects Free Agency
Veteran righty Joe Ross elected free agency over the weekend, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Friday.
Ross had a short-lived tenure in the desert. The 32-year-old broke camp in a long relief role after signing a minor league contract in February. He worked a perfect inning in his season debut but was knocked around over the next two appearances. Ross gave up six runs without getting through an inning against the Tigers on March 30. He surrendered three walks and a Mauricio Dubón homer in a blowout loss to Atlanta two days later. The D-Backs swapped him out of their bullpen for Taylor Rashi after the Braves game.
A veteran of parts of nine big league seasons, Ross has had a tough past year-plus. He gave up a 5.12 ERA over 51 innings for the Phillies last year. Philadelphia released him in August, and he closed the season in Triple-A with the Cubs. He’ll be looking at minor league offers now that he’s back on the open market.
Angels Notes: Johnson, Klassen, Trout
The Angels placed rookie starter Ryan Johnson on the 15-day injured list before tonight’s game. Lefty Mitch Farris is up from Triple-A Salt Lake to take his spot on the active roster. Johnson’s placement, which is retroactive to April 3, is due to a virus.
Johnson surprisingly broke camp as the Halos’ fifth starter. That was due both to his strong Spring Training and the injuries to Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah ahead of him on the depth chart. It continued a bizarre career arc for the 2024 supplemental second-round draft choice. Johnson skipped the minors entirely to break camp last year as a reliever. He looked overmatched, was optioned all the way back to High-A in May, then dominated over 12 starts to finish the season.
The Angels jumped the 23-year-old back up as a starter without any upper minors experience. He had a shaky first MLB start, allowing six runs without getting through the fourth inning against the Cubs. Johnson was scheduled for his second appearance yesterday against the Mariners before the illness intervened.
That led to the first MLB opportunity for well-regarded prospect George Klassen. The Angels selected him as a spot starter in Johnson’s place. Klassen walked five batters and only recorded eight outs in his big league debut. The Halos used four relievers (Ryan Zeferjahn, Brent Suter, Sam Bachman and Shaun Anderson) for multiple frames in an eventual 11th-inning win.
Farris gives them a multi-inning relief option for the next couple days. José Soriano has done his part to give the bullpen a much needed breather, firing eight innings of one-run ball tonight against the Braves. Their pitching plans for the next few days are to be determined beyond knowing that it’ll be Yusei Kikuchi and Reid Detmers to start the final two games of their series with Atlanta. They’re off on Thursday before playing on 14 consecutive days. Manager Kurt Suzuki told reporters (including Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register) that they haven’t decided whether Klassen will make another start.
Meanwhile, Mike Trout was out of the lineup tonight after being hit on the left hand during yesterday’s ballgame. He’s listed as day to day, per the MLB.com injury tracker. Bryce Teodosio got the nod in center field tonight against Chris Sale. If Trout needs more time, the Angels could turn to lefty-hitting Josh Lowe there with Atlanta starting righties for the next two games. Teodosio would be the other possibility if they’re focused solely on defense.
Alejandro Kirk To Undergo Thumb Surgery
Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk will undergo surgery on his broken left thumb, manager John Schneider told reporters (including Rob Longley of The Toronto Sun). Schneider said the return timetable is dependent on whether doctors will need to insert a pin in Kirk’s thumb, which won’t be known until the operation is underway.
In any case, it’ll be more than a minimal 10-day injured list stint. The manager loosely floated a potential 3-4 week or 4-6 week recovery range depending on the procedure. It seems safe to rule Kirk out into May. The two-time All-Star was injured on Friday when he was struck by a foul tip.
A glove hand injury could obviously be problematic for a catcher. The Jays have used George Springer as a full-time designated hitter this year. Even if Kirk’s bat proves ahead of his glove in the recovery process, the Jays probably won’t activate him until he’s ready for regular work behind the plate.
Tyler Heineman and rookie Brandon Valenzuela are handling the catching duties until Kirk returns. Heineman did a nice job in the backup role a year ago, hitting .289/.361/.416 with strong receiving grades over 64 games. He entered tonight’s game with a 4-10 start to the season offensively, but he had a few ill-timed miscues in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s injury.
Heineman had a throwing error to allow the tying run to score with two outs in the tenth inning of an eventual loss to the White Sox on Friday. He had a baserunning gaffe and another throwing error that cost two runs in a 6-3 loss on Saturday. The Jays turned to Valenzuela for his MLB debut in the series finale, usual practice for a Sunday matinee. Heineman is back behind the plate tonight for the start of a World Series rematch against the Dodgers.
Brewers Sign Top Prospect Cooper Pratt To Eight-Year Extension
April 6: The Associated Press reports the full breakdown of the Pratt deal. He receives a $3MM signing bonus and $2.5MM salary this season. He’ll make $3.5MM next year, $4MM annually from 2028-29, $5MM each in 2030-31, $10.75MM in 2032, and $13MM in 2033. The options are each valued at $15MM and don’t come with a buyout. Pratt can escalate the option values with top 10 finishes in MVP voting and earns $200K bonus for every Gold Glove win and All-Star selection.
April 3: The Brewers announced Friday that Pratt has signed his eight-year extension. He’s been selected to the 40-man roster and optioned to Triple-A Nashville. Outfielder Steward Berroa was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
March 30: The Brewers and prospect Cooper Pratt are reportedly on the verge of finalizing an eight-year contract worth $50.75MM. There will also be two club options worth about $15MM per year, though the value of those options can increase via escalators. The Brewers will need to make a corresponding move to add the Boras Corporation client to their 40-man roster.
It’s a surprising, out-of-nowhere extension. Pratt is 21 years old and hasn’t made it to the majors yet. He only just made his Triple-A debut a few days ago. He wasn’t even going to be eligible for the Rule 5 draft until December of 2027.
Extensions for players with no major league experience are becoming more common but this one feels even a bit more extreme than some of the others. Most pre-debut extensions have been for guys very close to cracking the big leagues. The Brewers themselves did one with Jackson Chourio just over two years ago, an $82MM guarantee, though that one was a bit less surprising. Chourio had finished the prior season at the Triple-A level and seemed highly likely to break camp with Milwaukee in 2024 as he was one of the top three prospects in the sport.
Pratt, on the other hand, mostly features on the back of top 100 prospect lists. Baseball America is the high outlet, putting him at #50. MLB Pipeline has him at #62, ESPN at #70, The Athletic at #99 and he’s not even on the FanGraphs list. He had an okay season at Double-A last year, with a .238/.343/.348 line and 107 wRC+, and only just cracked the Triple-A level to start this season.
Perhaps it speaks to the Brewers being quite high on Pratt’s future. Though his offense was middling last year, the plate discipline was clearly good. His 12.7% walk rate and 15.2% strikeout rate were both strong figures. He only hit eight home runs but could perhaps add more power in time. He stole 31 bags last year and is considered a solid defender at shortstop.
If the Brewers have faith in Pratt’s long-term future, there’s sense in locking him up now. That’s especially true with him being a Boras client. That agency isn’t quite as extension-averse as its reputation but the extensions they have done have almost always been for guys who have reached their arbitration years. According to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, which has data going back to 2006, the Carlos González deal from back in 2011 is the only pre-arbitration extension for a Boras client.
In that context, perhaps the Brewers felt it was worth it to take a gamble on Pratt, even though he is still so early in his career. If they waited until he had been in the big leagues for a few years, the price would go up if he had any kind of success. From the perspective of Pratt, this is a chance for him to lock up some notable earnings and stave off any chance of a bust. Perhaps he will find himself underpaid if he becomes a star, but he’s not the level of surefire, can’t-miss prospect that Chourio was. He could play out this contract, including the options, and still reach free agency after his age-30 season.
What remains to be seen is how this impacts Milwaukee’s short-term plans. Even if Pratt is signed to a big league deal, he doesn’t need to be on the active roster, as he could still be kept in the minors on optional assignment. Joey Ortiz was their everyday shortstop last year. He put up a rough .230/.276/.317 line at the plate but stole 14 bases and was credited with 12 Outs Above Average. He is still in that job and has a massive .455/.500/.455 line so far this year but in a tiny sample of 12 plate appearances.
Ortiz is still under club control for many years but the club may pivot away from him at some point if he can’t post better offense over a sustained stretch of time. He does have options and could be sent to the minors, or perhaps be moved into a utility role since he has experience at second and third base. Pratt has fairly limited experience off the shortstop position but could presumably handle second or third if the Brewers asked him to. For now, Brice Turang is a strong option at the keystone. Third base is a bit more open, with David Hamilton and Luis Rengifo in the mix at the moment.
Looking further down the road, most of those guys still have lots of club control. Rengifo is on a one-year deal but Ortiz, Turang and Hamilton aren’t slated for free agency until after 2029. Prospects Jett Williams, Jesús Made and Luis Peña are generally considered top 100 guys who will be in the mix at some point. Williams has already played at the Triple-A level, Made at Double-A and Pena at High-A. At some point over the horizon, the infield could feel quite crowded, which could perhaps lead to a trade.
In the near term, the deal could have other notable impacts. With the deal in place, the Brewers may not worry about Pratt’s service time, since he would be under club control for the ten years regardless. The Prospect Promotion Incentive could also be interesting here. Pratt would be PPI eligible since he is on the aforementioned prospect lists. Even though he missed the first few games of the season, it’s still early enough for the Brewers to call him up for a full year of service time.
However, a player who signs an extension prior to his major league debut is not eligible to earn PPI picks for his team. Unless the two sides agree to the deal in principle and then don’t officially sign it until after Pratt’s debut, then PPI is off the table.
Altogether, it’s a surprising and curious extension, one that seemingly leads to more questions than it answers. Perhaps the coming days will provide some more clarity on the deal and what it means for all the other moving pieces in Milwaukee.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that the two sides were working on an eight-year deal worth more than $50MM, including those club options. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reported the specific guarantee. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that there are escalators on the options. Photos courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images.
Orioles Lose Dietrich Enns To Foot Infection, Recall Brandon Young
The Orioles placed left-hander Dietrich Enns on the injured list with an infected left foot, per a team announcement. The issue required IV antibiotics at a Pittsburgh hospital, manager Craig Albernaz told reporters, including Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner. “It’s crazy,” Albernaz said. “I’m not sure what happened. But his foot is pretty gnarly.”
Right-hander Brandon Young was recalled to take Enns’ spot on the roster. He’ll draw the start tonight against the White Sox. Baltimore needed another starter after Zach Eflin went to the IL with an elbow injury. Cade Povich was also recalled recently. He was a candidate to draw the start on Monday, but ended up tossing 5 2/3 innings in relief of Chris Bassitt yesterday.
Enns returned stateside last season after three seasons pitching in Asia. He stumbled to a 5.60 ERA in seven appearances with the Tigers. Detroit shipped him to Baltimore for cash at the trade deadline. Enns emerged as a meaningful part of the Orioles’ bullpen over the final two months of the season. The veteran tossed 28 2/3 innings with a 3.14 ERA and a 27.6% strikeout rate. He also earned a pair of saves.
The Orioles had a $3MM club option on Enns for 2026. Instead of exercising the option, the team worked out a new one-year contract with the lefty. He’s making $2.5MM this season. The reworked deal includes a $3.5MM club option for 2027, with a $125K buyout.
Young made his debut in 2025. He posted an ERA above 6.00 across a dozen starts, though his xFIP (4.52) and SIERA (4.67) suggested he deserved better results. Young, Povich, and Albert Suarez will have a chance to secure the No. 5 spot in the rotation with Eflin potentially facing an extended absence. The righty is getting a second opinion on his injured elbow from orthopedic surgeon Keith Meister.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images
Royals Activate Michael Massey From IL, Option Nick Loftin
Second baseman Michael Massey is back with the Royals after missing the first three series of the year with a calf strain. The 28-year-old went down with the injury during MLB Spring Training in early March, but it was deemed minor at the time. Massey ultimately needed just three games at Triple-A to get back into playing shape. Nick Loftin was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Massey got off to a miserable start as Kansas City’s primary second baseman last season, posting a .479 OPS into early June. He hit the IL with an ankle sprain on June 10. Massey didn’t have an everyday job when he returned, but he made the most of limited opportunities. The lefty swinger slashed .375/.412/.484 in 21 games over the final five weeks of the season.
Jonathan India has handled the majority of reps at second base for Kansas City. After getting a taste of the outfielder in his first year with the club, the former Red is back on the dirt on a more regular basis, with trade acquisition Isaac Collins manning left field. Massey could factor in at the keystone against right-handed pitching, though it’s not an obvious pairing.
India has an identical 104 wRC+ against righties and lefties for his career, so he’s unlikely to slip into a short-side platoon role. Massey might be a slight upgrade on defense. India posted -2 Defensive Runs Saved at second base in 2025, which was actually his best mark since 2021. Massey posted 2 DRS in 495 innings at the position last season, though he hadn’t been a positive with the glove since his rookie year in 2022.
Loftin broke camp with the team following the Massey IL placement. He and Tyler Tolbert were locked in a battle with Drew Waters for the final bench spots. Waters was designated for assignment two days before the season opener. With Massey healthy, it’ll be Loftin heading back to the minors. He started a pair of games at second base and one in left field. Loftin managed a pair of hits in nine at-bats. This is his final minor league option year.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Astros Place Roddery Muñoz On Waivers
4 pm: Muñoz has been designated for assignment, the team announced. Reliever Enyel De Los Santos was activated from the IL to take Muñoz’s spot on the roster. Infielder Isaac Paredes is also back from the bereavement list. Shay Whitcomb was optioned to Triple-A.
1:45 pm: The Astros have placed Rule 5 pick Roddery Muñoz on outright waivers, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Players can be placed on waivers while remaining on the 40-man roster but it seems likely that the Astros plan to cut the right-hander. If any club claims him, they would also be bound by the Rule 5 parameters. If he clears waivers, he would have to be offered back to the Reds, who could assign him to the minors without putting him on the 40-man roster.
Muñoz was an unusual Rule 5 selection. Most guys taken in that draft have been in the minors for a few years without getting a big league shot. Muñoz had already seen a notable amount of time in the majors, having tossed 93 2/3 for the Marlins and Cardinals. He didn’t have much success, however, with a 6.73 earned run average in that time. He exhausted his option years over the 2023 to 2025 seasons.
The Cards put him on waivers in November. The Reds claimed him, non-tendered him and re-signed him to a minor league deal. Shortly thereafter, the Astros grabbed him in the Rule 5. He had a good spring, striking out 16 opponents in ten innings. He did allow five earned runs but the punchouts were enough to get him an Opening Day roster spot. Unfortunately, he has been lit up to start the season. Through four innings, he has allowed seven earned runs. He racked up six strikeouts but also gave out six walks and threw two wild pitches.
Even if Muñoz weren’t out of options, he couldn’t be sent to the minors as a Rule 5 guy. It seems the Astros have run out of patience and will make a move. As mentioned, teams are allowed to place players on waivers while keeping them on the active roster, so it’s possible Muñoz could still be with the club tonight. However, it’s also possible he gets designated for assignment before game time to make way for someone else.
Rule 5 guys can be traded or claimed off waivers. If any other team takes a shot on Muñoz, they would be bound by the same Rule 5 parameters. If he clears waivers, he’ll be offered back to the Reds. That club could send him to the minors as non-roster depth.
Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images