D-Backs Move Brandon Pfaadt To Bullpen
The Diamondbacks are moving Brandon Pfaadt to the bullpen, relays José M. Romero of The Arizona Republic. Merrill Kelly will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start tomorrow’s game in Baltimore.
This was the expectation. Zac Gallen, Eduardo Rodriguez and Ryne Nelson are locked into the rotation. Manager Torey Lovullo said last week that the Snakes were not considering a six-man group. Entering the season, the plan was probably for Michael Soroka to slide to long relief once Kelly was ready to go.
However, Soroka has looked very sharp in his first three starts as a Diamondback. The righty has struck out 23 of 67 batters faced (34.3%) while allowing just five runs through 15 2/3 frames. He has completed at least five innings in all three appearances, all of which the D-Backs have won.
Pfaadt has had a much shakier start to the season. The righty has allowed 12 runs (11 earned) over 16 2/3 innings. He has punched out 11 while walking six batters and surrendering three home runs. If Pfaadt were coming off a strong 2025 season, the Diamondbacks probably would have given him a longer leash. He struggled to a 5.25 earned run average with a modest 19.2% strikeout rate a season ago. Pfaadt pounds the strike zone but has battled home run issues throughout his three-plus years in the big leagues.
The Diamondbacks could have optioned him to keep him stretched out as a starter. Their Triple-A affiliate in Reno plays in an exceedingly hitter-friendly environment, so that may not have been a great setting to get him on track.
Arizona could also use any help they can get in one of the league’s weakest bullpens. Their relief corps entered play Monday with a 4.50 ERA that ranked 21st in MLB. That doesn’t include tonight’s disastrous performance. The trio of Taylor Rashi (who was immediately optioned after the game), Jonathan Loáisiga, and Andrew Hoffmann gave up seven runs and an inherited runner across 2 2/3 innings in relief of Nelson. They squandered a 7-1 lead and dropped the series opener against the Orioles by a 9-7 score.
Pfaadt could immediately draw some high-leverage assignments. The D-Backs will presumably give him another rotation opportunity at some point. He’s in the first season of the five-year, $45MM extension he signed on the eve of the 2025 season. A short-term bullpen stint might allow him to simplify his arsenal. Pfaadt has thrown six pitches at least 10% of the time, including a marked uptick in his curveball use compared to last season.
Kelly made one rehab start for Reno and pitched a game at extended spring training on Thursday. That was evidently all the ramp-up he needed from his season-opening injured list stint. Kelly was diagnosed with intercostal nerve irritation early in Spring Training. He was able to pitch by the end of camp but needed a couple extra weeks to build his arm. The injury robbed Kelly of what would have been his first career Opening Day start but didn’t wound up being all that significant overall, especially with Soroka stepping up to seize the open rotation spot.
White Sox Weighing Promotion For Sam Antonacci
The White Sox will call up at least one of their top prospects for Tuesday’s series opener against the Rays. Noah Schultz will start the game against Shane McClanahan in a promotion that will officially be announced tomorrow morning.
Does Chicago have another promotion looming for a highly-regarded young player? Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic and Mitchell Armentrout of The Chicago Sun-Times each write that the Sox front office is weighing whether to promote utility player Sam Antonacci. Noah Phelan of Southside Showdown reported on Saturday that Antonacci would be promoted alongside Schultz for the opener with Tampa Bay. The reports from The Athletic and Sun-Times suggest that the team has not made a final decision but that a promotion might be imminent.
It’s probably not a coincidence that the Sox traded infielder Lenyn Sosa to the Blue Jays this afternoon. Sosa led the team with 22 home runs a season ago, yet his defensive shortcomings and .293 on-base percentage made him a limited player. Chase Meidroth and Munetaka Murakami are playing almost every day on the right side of the infield. Sosa is out of options and had been in a bench role without much multi-positional versatility.
The Sox need to bring up a position player to replace Sosa on the active roster (while also dropping a pitcher from the 26-man to accommodate the Schultz promotion). Sosa’s 40-man roster spot will go to the 6’10” southpaw. Calling up Antonacci would require a second 40-man move. Drew Thorpe and Prelander Berroa each underwent Tommy John surgery early in 2025 and are candidates to move to the 60-day injured list.
The 23-year-old Antonacci is out to a quick start to the season with Triple-A Charlotte. He has reached base 30 times in 13 games, tallying 13 hits while drawing 15 walks and getting plunked twice. Antonacci’s polished plate discipline and hit tool have been his calling card as a prospect. The left-handed batter posted a .291/.433/.409 line while stealing 48 bases between High-A and Double-A last year.
Antonacci, whom Baseball America ranked the #9 prospect in the Sox’s system over the winter, has played mostly second or third base over his minor league career. That hasn’t been the case in 2026. He has started two games at second and 10 in left field, his first career outfield work. He’s not viewed as a great defender anywhere but could rotate between second base, left field and designated hitter. Meidroth hits right-handed, as do bench pieces Derek Hill and Tanner Murray.
Angels Outright Jeimer Candelario
The Angels announced that Jeimer Candelario was outrighted to Triple-A Salt Lake after being designated for assignment on Saturday. The team didn’t specify whether the veteran infielder will accept the assignment or elect free agency.
Candelario may prefer to stick in the organization rather than pursue what would surely be a minor league opportunity elsewhere. The 32-year-old broke camp with the Halos as a non-roster invitee. He appeared in seven regular season games, going 2-18 while striking out eight times. Candelario had slugged four home runs during Spring Training but fanned 19 times in 59 exhibition plate appearances.
The switch-hitter hasn’t been able to find his footing since signing a three-year free agent deal with Cincinnati over the 2023-24 offseason. Candelario was coming off a .251/.336/.471 showing and had been a well above-average hitter in three of the preceding four years. He owns a .204/.263/.389 batting line in 574 plate appearances over the past two-plus seasons.
Candelario played through knee discomfort during the 2024 season. He spent time on the injured list with a broken toe and a lumbar spine strain over the past two years. He couldn’t get on track after being released by the Reds, hitting .203/.289/.357 over 61 Triple-A games in the Yankees system to close the ’25 campaign.
The Halos are looking for consistent production out of second and third base. Adam Frazier, Oswald Peraza and Vaughn Grissom are all rotating through the keystone. Peraza also offers a glove-first alternative to the struggling Yoán Moncada at the hot corner.
Poll: Which Team Has Been Most Impacted By Injuries This Year?
Every year, teams that are widely expected to succeed at the outset of the season stumble due to injury woes. Teams that look strong on paper can often perform much less impressively if even one or two key players are removed from the mix, and even the very best teams can look vulnerable with a long enough string of tough-luck injuries. 2026 has been no exception to this so far, with several teams facing substantially tougher roads in the months ahead thanks to an early injury or three putting them on the back foot. Which team has it worst when it comes to the injury bug? Here’s a few of the leading contenders, in alphabetical order:
Atlanta Braves
One look at Atlanta’s list of injured players makes it easy to see why they’re in this conversation. The Braves’ injured starting pitchers would be a respectable starting rotation when taken together: Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, Hurston Waldrep, AJ Smith-Shawver, and Joey Wentz are all currently on the shelf. While Wentz is more of a back-end starter or swing man, the other four would all be in the conversation to start playoff games for the Braves alongside future Hall of Famer Chris Sale if they were healthy. In addition to the starting pitching woes, the Braves are without two key members of their lineup: catcher Sean Murphy and shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Despite this deep group of talented players on the shelf, it can be argued the Braves haven’t been too impacted by those issues: they’re actually leading the NL East at the moment, and scorching hot starts from Drake Baldwin and Mauricio Dubon have helped fans to forget about the losses of Murphy and Kim.
Baltimore Orioles
The Orioles could be easy to overlook on a list like this given their considerable depth all over the diamond, but that depth has been tested a great deal already this year. Zach Eflin is out for the year as he faces UCL surgery, but unlike other teams on this list the rotation is the least of Baltimore’s woes. A lineup that is currently without Jordan Westburg (elbow sprain), Jackson Holliday (hamate surgery), Adley Rutschman (ankle inflammation), Tyler O’Neill (concussion), Ryan Mountcastle (foot fracture) and Heston Kjerstad (hamstring strain) has been rather resilient in the face of those many losses thanks to the team’s deep positional corps. The bullpen has not been so fortunate, as last summer’s loss of Felix Bautista has been compounded by injuries to Keegan Akin and Andrew Kittredge to completely upend the Orioles’ late-inning mix outside of Ryan Helsley.
Chicago Cubs
While some teams collapse under the weight of several injuries piling up, the Cubs have struggled to stomach just one major loss. Star right-hander Cade Horton looked like an up-and-coming ace with the club last year, but just two starts into what would’ve been his first season in the majors, the right-hander was sidelined for UCL surgery. That’ll leave the Cubs without their best pitcher for the entire year, all while Justin Steele is still rehabbing from his own UCL surgery last April. The loss of Horton isn’t the only injury the Cubs have faced this year, either. Seiya Suzuki missed the start of the season after getting hurt during the WBC, though he’s since returned to the lineup. Matthew Boyd is currently sidelined by an arm injury of his own, and the team’s top two bullpen additions from the offseason (Phil Maton and Hunter Harvey) have both recently gone on the injured list as well. Losing Horton might be the biggest individual blow any team has faced so far this year, though other teams surely have it worse than the Cubs when it comes to volume.
Houston Astros
The Astros have had a brutal run of injuries so far this year. Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier are both sidelined with shoulder strains. Tatsuya Imai (arm fatigue) joined them on the shelf and Cody Bolton (mid-back tightness) is also banged up. Things aren’t much better outside of the rotation. An outfield mix that was already looking thin before the season began lost its best starter in center fielder Jake Meyers to an oblique strain. The infield lost Jeremy Peña to a hamstring strain. The bullpen has also struggled badly without star closer Josh Hader, who has been sidelined by biceps tendinitis without much clarity on his timeline for a return to action. Other, smaller loses include outfielder Zach Dezenzo, lefty Bennett Sousa, and right-hander Nate Pearson. That’s on top of the continued absences of players like Hayden Wesneski and Ronel Blanco due to surgeries underwent last season.
Toronto Blue Jays
The reigning AL champs have struggled badly with injuries all over the roster this year. The most obvious are those in the rotation, where all of Cody Ponce, Bowden Francis, Jose Berrios, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage are currently shelved with only Yesavage likely to return any time soon. That’s left the Jays to rely on Patrick Corbin and an injured Max Scherzer in the early going. While the lineup hasn’t been quite as damaged as the rotation, there’s still been significant losses. Alejandro Kirk is in the midst of six-week absence due to thumb surgery. Anthony Santander was sidelined before the year even began by shoulder surgery. George Springer (fractured toe) and Addison Barger (sprained ankle) are facing injuries of their own. While the bullpen has remained intact, the number of injuries in the rotation and lineup have left the Jays looking very different than they would when healthy.
Other Options
Those five teams aren’t the only ones facing injury woes, of course. The Mets have an argument given that Juan Soto is probably the most impactful talent on the injured list all throughout the league at the moment, though he’ll be back in a few weeks and they lack other significant injuries. The Yankees are currently without players like Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Anthony Volpe, but those injuries were known during the offseason and the club was able to construct their roster around them. The Dodgers’ losses of Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, and Blake Snell are certainly significant, but it’s hard to say they’re being impacted too much when they have the best record in baseball. The Brewers have a strong argument for this list in the event that Christian Yelich joins Quinn Priester and Jackson Chourio on the shelf, though that isn’t yet certain. The Reds have stayed healthy in the lineup and bullpen, but the losses of Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are obviously a big blow to their rotation.
Which team do MLBTR readers think has been most impacted by injuries this year? Have your say in the poll below:
Which team has been most impacted by injuries in 2026?
Orioles Acquire Christian Encarnacion-Strand
The Orioles have acquired first baseman Christian Encarnacion-Strand from the Reds, according to announcements from both clubs. Cincinnati, who designated him for assignment last week, gets cash considerations in return. Baltimore optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. To open a 40-man spot for him, the Orioles transferred right-hander Yaramil Hiraldo to the 60-day injured list. The O’s also selected Weston Wilson and put Ryan Mountcastle on the 60-day injured list, moves that were previously covered in this post.
Encarnacion-Strand, 26, put up big numbers on his way up the minor league ladder and had an exciting big league debut a few years ago. The Reds, who acquired him from the Twins in the 2022 Tyler Mahle trade, called him up in July of 2023. In his first 63 games, he hit 13 home runs and slashed .270/.328/.477 for a 113 wRC+. That was buoyed by a .336 batting average on balls in play but was encouraging nonetheless.
It was hoped that he could be a long-term staple of the lineup in Cincinnati but that didn’t come to pass. He struggled early in 2024 and underwent season-ending wrist surgery in June. He was back on the field in 2025 but struggled badly and got optioned to the minors. His performance on the farm was decent but not overwhelming.
Over the past two years, Encarnacion-Strand got pushed down the depth chart. He has primarily been a first baseman, with a decent amount of time at third as well. The Reds got Ke’Bryan Hayes at last year’s deadline to cover the hot corner and Sal Stewart has taken over at the other corner.
Encarnacion-Strand clearly has power but his stock is down. Over the past two years, he has a combined line of .199/.227/.337 in the majors. In Triple-A last year, he hit 11 home runs in 62 games but his 6.7% walk rate and 24.6% strikeout rate were both worse than average. His .245/.310/.493 line translated to a 107 wRC+, above average offense on the whole but not overpowering, especially for a guy whose main position is first base.
That got him squeezed off the roster in Cincinnati but Baltimore will take a shot on him. He still has options, so he can be kept in the minors for the foreseeable future. Not so long ago, the O’s didn’t have much need for more first base depth. They have Pete Alonso in there and also had Ryan Mountcastle on the roster. The designated hitter spot was often being used for Samuel Basallo, who was sharing catching duties with Adley Rutschman.
Suddenly, the path is clearer. Rutschman, Mountcastle and Tyler O’Neill all hit the IL in the past few days. That subtracts some depth on the offensive side and also means Basallo is catching more regularly, freeing up some at-bats in the DH spot. If another injury pops up, perhaps Encarnacion-Strand will be recalled. For now, he should be slated for regular at-bats with Norfolk.
As for Hiraldo, he hit the 15-day IL just over a week ago due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder. His current status is unknown but this move makes him ineligible to return until early June, so the O’s evidently don’t expect him back before then.
Photo courtesy of Paul Rutherford, Imagn Images
Mets Select Tommy Pham
April 13th: The Mets officially selected Pham’s contract today with infielder Ronny Mauricio optioned to Triple-A Syracuse as the corresponding move. Joel Sherman of The New York Post reported earlier that Mauricio would be the corresponding move.
April 12th: The Mets are planning to select the contract of veteran outfielder Tommy Pham, according to a report from Will Sammon of The Athletic. The veteran outfielder is on a minor league deal with the club, so he’ll need to be added to the 40-man roster before he officially joins the club. That shouldn’t be a major obstacle, as the Mets’ 40-man currently stands at 37 players and will move up to 38 upon the addition of Pham. That means only an active roster move will be necessary to make Pham’s addition to the roster official, which could happen as soon as tomorrow given that Sammon writes Pham is expected to meet the team in L.A. for their series against the Dodgers.
The 38-year-old veteran signed a non-roster pact with the Mets on Opening Day. He’s gotten into just four games at the Single-A level since then, but a combination of need at the big league level and Pham’s status as a veteran hitter appear to have combined to give the Mets confidence in bringing him to the majors with only minimal time to get game-ready. He’ll be joining a beleaguered outfield group that recently lost Juan Soto to the injured list due to a calf strain that figures to leave him sidelined for at least another week or two. With Soto out of commission, the Mets have been relying on rookie Carson Benge, infielder Brett Baty, and bench bats like Tyrone Taylor and Jared Young in the outfield corners.
It’s a group that hasn’t inspired confidence so far. Young has hit well so far in a 23 plate appearance sample, but he’s got just 56 MLB games under his belt since making his debut with the Cubs back in 2022. Taylor’s .211/.250/.421 (91 wRC+) slash line this year isn’t exactly encouraging, and he was last an above-average MLB hitter by wRC+ in 2022 as a member of the Brewers. Benge has been heralded as the future of the franchise in the outfield and is a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport, but he’s hitting a paltry .130/.231/.196 (33 wRC+) in 14 games to kick of his MLB career. Baty showed signs of life last year after struggling to hit in the majors for the first few years of his career but currently sports a 60 wRC+ and a 29.4% strikeout rate while playing a mostly unfamiliar position.
All in all, that’s an outfield mix that could clearly use some veteran stability. That’s surely not an insignificant part of why the Mets were generally expected to carry veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman on their Opening Day roster following several successful years in Chicago and a torrid Spring Training, but Tauchman unfortunately underwent meniscus surgery just before Opening Day that will leave him sidelined into May. With Tauchman unable to play, the Mets will instead turn to a player who lacks his recent success but makes up for it with an impressive overall resume. Pham is now set to gear up for his 13th MLB campaign and has appeared in at least 116 games in each of the league’s past eight 162-game seasons. In that time, he’s suited up for ten different clubs and sports a career 111 wRC+ in more than 1200 MLB games.
Despite that history, it’s been a while now since Pham was a consistently above-average MLB player. Since the start of the 2020 season, Pham has slashed .241/.323/384 with a wRC+ of just 96, indicating he’s been 4% worse than the league average MLB hitter in that time. With that said, he’s just a few years removed from an extremely successful stint with the Mets. After signing on with the club for the 2023 season, Pham slashed .268/.348/.472 (124 wRC+) in 79 games for the Mets before being dealt to the eventual NL-champion Diamondbacks at that year’s trade deadline. If Pham can rediscover any of the magic from the last time he suited up for Queens, that would be a huge win for the Mets. Even the roughly league average consistency Pham has become known for in recent years would be a boost for the club, however, and he should get plenty of opportunities now that he’s being recalled to the majors.
Orioles Place Ryan Mountcastle On 60-Day IL, Select Weston Wilson
4:12pm: The Orioles officially announced that Wilson’s contract has been selected and that Mountcastle has been placed on the 60-day IL. That’s one of just several moves for the O’s today. Baltimore also recalled righty Dean Kremer earlier today and just announced the acquisition of corner infielder Christian Encarnacion-Strand in a cash swap with the Reds.
3:43pm: Orioles first baseman/designated hitter Ryan Mountcastle is headed to the injured list after suffering a broken fourth metacarpal in his left foot while legging out a double this past weekend, manager Craig Albernaz tells the Baltimore beat (link via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko). Albernaz didn’t tip the team’s hand on whether Mountcastle would head to the 10-day or 60-day IL, suggesting only that both are under consideration. He added that he has not yet been told whether surgery is on the table.
Kubatko adds that infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson is on the Orioles’ taxi squad at the moment, making him a likely replacement, though the team hasn’t announced anything on that front. Jackson Holliday is with the club today at Camden Yards but is not yet ready for reinstatement from the IL. He’s merely taking some infield drills while Triple-A Norfolk is off. Holliday has yet to play this season after suffering a hamate fracture early in spring training.
Wilson isn’t on the 40-man roster, so assuming he is indeed the corresponding move, he’d need to have his contract selected. The Orioles have a full 40-man roster, though if Mountcastle heads to the 60-day IL, that’d open a spot.
The 29-year-old Mountcastle has hit decently in a far more limited role than he’s used to so far in 2026. He’s appeared in eight games and tallied only 15 plate appearances, going 4-for-14 with a double and a walk in that time. Baltimore’s signing of Pete Alonso and the ascension of catcher/designated hitter Samuel Basallo has substantially cut into Mountcastle’s playing time.
Even before the O’s signed Alonso, Mountcastle looked like a prime non-tender candidate. Injuries limited him to 89 games last season, and he slashed just .250/.286/.367 (81 wRC+) when healthy. He was due for one final raise in arbitration, and with a $6.787MM salary last year, he felt like a relatively pricey rebound candidate, given his limited defensive utility. Baltimore also had longtime top prospect Coby Mayo ready for a full-time run at first base (though obviously the Alonso signing changed that calculus).
The Orioles made the somewhat surprising call to tender him. They wound up coaxing some additional value by getting Mountcastle to agree to repeat his 2025 salary and tack on a $7.5MM club option for what should’ve been his first free agent year in 2026. However, Mountcastle still entered camp with a “square peg in a round hole” vibe as a clearly imperfect fit for an Orioles roster that had changed considerably since his run as a regular in the middle of the order. Unsurprisingly, the O’s looked into various trade possibilities throughout spring training, but no deal came together.
Mountcastle now heads to the injured list for a potentially prolonged absence. He’ll join third baseman Jordan Westburg, who’s hoping to avoid Tommy John surgery after being diagnosed with a UCL tear, in that regard. With Westburg sidelined, the aforementioned Mayo has been manning the hot corner but has struggled with the bat. An absence of some note for Mountcastle could give Mayo a longer leash to get right at the plate even when Holliday and possibly Westburg return to the fold.
Wilson, 31, was an offseason waiver claim out of the Phillies organization. He’s spent parts of the past three seasons in the majors with Philadelphia, hitting a combined .242/.328/.428 with nine home runs in 245 trips to the plate. Almost all of that production came in 2023-24, however. Wilson hit just .198/.282/.369 in a career-high 125 plate appearances in 2025 but raked at a .288/.375/.490 clip the prior two seasons.
Wilson has never hit righties much but feasted on southpaws in ’23-’24 before taking a huge step back in ’25. Even with last year’s lack of production in platoon settings, he’s a career .250/.359/.475 hitter (130 wRC+) against left-handed pitching. Wilson also owns a solid .247/.339/.462 output in nearly 1700 plate appearances of Triple-A work and will give Baltimore an option at all four corner positions. He batted .233/.395/.433 in 36 spring plate appearances but has mustered only a .195/.298/.366 slash in a comparable sample at Triple-A this year.
Ken Waldichuk Recommended For Tommy John Surgery
The Nationals made some moves on the pitching staff today, with both right-hander Cole Henry and left-hander Ken Waldichuk landing on the 15-day injured list. Henry has a rotator cuff strain and Waldichuk left forearm tightness. Mark Zuckerman of Nats Journal reports that Waldichuk has been recommended for Tommy John surgery but is seeking a second opinion. Manager Blake Butera says that Henry got an MRI that didn’t find anything too serious, per Zuckerman. Right-handers Jackson Rutledge and Orlando Ribalta were recalled as the corresponding moves for the IL placements.
It’s brutal news for Waldichuk, who was clearly hurt in yesterday’s game. After throwing a pitch, he pointed to his elbow and walked off the field with trainers. That makes today’s update fairly unsurprising but it’s nonetheless awful for the southpaw.
Waldichuk previously underwent Tommy John surgery in May of 2024, then a member of the Athletics. His missed that entire season. He was back on the mound in 2025 but was kept in the minors. He rode the transaction carousel this winter after the A’s designated him for assignment. He was claimed by Atlanta, went to the Rays in a cash deal, then to Washington via waivers.
He opened the season in the Washington bullpen and made five appearances, his first big league action since 2023. Now it seems he’s slated for yet another lengthy absence. Assuming his second opinion confirms the first, he’ll go under the knife, miss the remainder of 2026 and will be recovering for a chunk of 2027 as well. That will mean a stretch where he spent the bulk of four years in the injury wilderness.
Waldichuk was originally drafted by the Yankees and was traded to the A’s as part of the 2022 deal which sent Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Bronx. In the year-plus after that deal, he tossed 175 2/3 innings for the A’s with a 5.28 earned run average. He had often put up better numbers in the minors, including a 2.84 ERA on the farm in 2022, which presumably played a role in so many clubs being interested in him this winter.
But he is now facing a tough road ahead. He’ll be transferred to the 60-day injured list at some point, even if he avoids surgery. If the surgery comes to pass, he’ll still be mid-recovery at season’s end. Waldichuk just qualified for arbitration a few months ago as a Super Two player. He can be retained for 2027 via arbitration and controlled through 2029 but he’ll be a non-tender candidate if he’s still months away from being healthy.
Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images
Guardians Designate Kolby Allard For Assignment
The Guardians announced today that outfielder George Valera and right-hander Hunter Gaddis have each been reinstated from the injured list. In corresponding moves, outfielder/first baseman CJ Kayfus has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus and left-hander Kolby Allard has been designated for assignment. The Allard DFA drops their 40-man roster tally to 39.
Allard’s out-of-options status has squeezed him off the roster a few times. Last year, Cleveland ran him through outright waivers in early July, only to re-sign him five days later. He finished the season with the big league club and was waived again at season’s end. Allard returned on an offseason minor league deal and was called back up within the first week.
The southpaw was a valuable long relief piece for skipper Stephen Vogt last season. Allard managed 65 innings of 2.63 ERA ball despite sitting around 90 mph with his fastball and running one of the league’s lowest strikeout rates. He has tossed 8 2/3 frames over four low-leverage relief appearances this year. Allard has surrendered 10 runs on 16 hits, including a five-run outing over three frames in yesterday’s blowout loss at the hands of the Braves.
Cleveland will very likely place Allard back on waivers this week. There’s a decent chance he clears again, at which point he’d have the right to elect free agency. The Guardians like him as a depth arm given the number of times they’ve brought him back, so they’d presumably have interest in re-signing him to a minor league deal.
Gaddis returns from a minor forearm issue that bothered him early in Spring Training. He has quietly been one of the better relievers in MLB over the past two seasons. If he’s fully healthy, he projects as one of Cleveland’s top two setup arms (along with Shawn Armstrong) in front of Cade Smith. Gaddis’ fastball velocity was down a couple ticks to a 92.8 mph average during a five-game rehab assignment with Columbus. They might try to ease him back into action in medium-leverage situations in the early going.
Valera is also back from a season-opening IL stay. The 25-year-old corner outfielder suffered a mild calf strain late in camp. Valera hit well over eight games on a rehab stint. He’ll join Steven Kwan, Chase DeLauter, Angel Martínez and utilityman Daniel Schneemann in a lefty-heavy outfield. His return pushes Kayfus back to Triple-A after a .182/.280/.364 start over his first nine games.
Yankees Return Rule 5 Pick Cade Winquest To Cardinals
The Yankees have returned Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest to the Cardinals, according to announcements from both clubs. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. Winquest does not take a spot on the Cards’ 40-man roster. He has been assigned to Triple-A Memphis.
Winquest, 26 this month, had a bit of an unusual Rule 5 experience. The Yankees don’t make a lot of selections in that draft but decided to take a shot on Winquest. He didn’t have a dominant spring. He tossed ten Grapefruit League innings, allowing eight earned runs via 13 hits, four walks and one hit batter while striking out eight.
The Yanks had some roster breathing room to begin the year. Due to some off-days, they started the season with a four-man rotation and optioned Luis Gil to the minors. That was enough room for Winquest to hold a spot for a bit but the Yankees didn’t put him into a game. A couple of weeks into the season, Gil was recalled to rejoin the rotation and Winquest was designated for assignment.
Per the parameters of the Rule 5 draft, another club could have acquired him but would have been subject to the standard restrictions, namely that Rule 5 guys can’t be optioned to the minors throughout the year. If a Rule 5 guy is passed through waivers, he has to be offered back to his original club, with that team not having to give him a roster spot.
Though not making his debut might have been awkward for him, Winquest at least got to hang around big leaguers for a few weeks, getting major league pay and service time. He’ll now report to Triple-A to continue his development with the Cards. He split last year between High-A and Double-A, tossing 106 innings with a 3.99 earned run average, 23.9% strikeout rate, 8.5% walk rate and 48% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of Imagn Images