Twins’ John Brebbia Expected To Trigger Opt-Out Clause
Right-hander John Brebbia is exercising the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Twins, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP. Minnesota has until Wednesday to add Brebbia to the big-league club. If the team declines, the veteran reliever will head to free agency. Brebbia joins Triple-A St. Paul teammate Matt Bowman in triggering an opt-out on Sunday.
Brebbia was in camp with the Rockies, but was cut shortly before Opening Day. He latched on with the Twins a couple of days into the regular season. The 35-year-old righty split the 2025 campaign between the Tigers and Braves. He posted an identical 7.71 ERA with both teams. The well-traveled Brebbia has pitched for five MLB squads in his eight-year career.
While Bowman is pitching well with the Saints, Brebbia is off to a difficult start. He’s posted a 6.20 ERA across 20 1/3 innings this season. The reliever has a solid 28.3% strikeout rate, but a double-digit walk rate. Free passes haven’t typically been an issue for Brebbia, though those numbers have ticked up in recent years.
The Twins don’t have any available slots on the 40-man roster, which makes a Brebbia promotion tricky. There’s a chance he lands back with the club on a new minor league deal if Minnesota declines to call him up.
Brebbia posted a few respectable seasons in the Cardinals’ bullpen after debuting in 2017. He then signed with the Giants and delivered more of the same. The veteran tested free agency at the end of 2023. Brebbia earned a decent $5.5MM commitment from the White Sox heading into 2024, but was released in August. He bounced to the Braves, then the Tigers, and finally back to Atlanta to finish up last season.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
Cubs Claim Christian Roa
The Cubs have claimed right-hander Christian Roa, the Orioles announced. Baltimore designated Roa for assignment on Friday after acquiring fellow righty Eduarniel Núñez in a trade with the Athletics.
The 27-year-old Roa is no stranger to the waiver wire. He broke camp with the Astros, but was sent down after the first series of the season. Roa was designated for assignment after a second brief stint with the club in April. It set off a series of transactions that saw him bounce to multiple organizations. Roa was claimed, then DFAed by the Twins and Orioles in the span of a few weeks. He’s now landed in Chicago.
Roa permitted five earned runs over 8 2/3 innings with Houston. He had more walks (7) than strikeouts (6) across seven appearances. Roa’s time as an Astro represents his longest MLB look so far. He tossed three innings for the Marlins in 2025, his only other stretch in the big leagues.
Cincinnati took Roa in the second round of the 2020 draft. The righty put up solid numbers in the minors, but also struggled with walks, especially at the higher levels of the minors. Roa delivered a 31.0% strikeout rate across Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. Those swing-and-miss numbers, particularly for a pitcher who was already 24 years old, could’ve led to a call-up, except they came with an ugly 16.6% walk rate. Roa worked mostly as a reliever for the first time in 2024. He scuffled to a 5.55 ERA with Louisville and was DFAed at the end of the season.
Miami took a shot on Roa off the waiver wire. He was excellent as a full-time reliever with Jacksonville, posting a 2.83 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning in 50 appearances. Roa trimmed the free passes to 11.4%, which was an improvement. He debuted with the Marlins in September. Roa walked three but only permitted one hit. He tested free agency at the end of the year, landing with Houston on a minor league deal.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
Jose Altuve Placed On IL With Oblique Strain
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve is headed to the injured list with a Grade 2 oblique strain, the team announced. The veteran infielder homered off Jacob deGrom on Saturday, but was removed from the game in the ninth inning. The injury kept him out of the lineup on Sunday. The club has yet to announce a corresponding move.
The 36-year-old Altuve has been perfectly league average (100 wRC+) through 42 games. He got off to a torrid start, boasting an OPS over 1.000 after a dozen games, but has cooled from there. Altuve’s long ball yesterday snapped a 21-game drought without a home run. He’s slugged just .380 through 185 plate appearances.
Altuve has been remarkably healthy during his 16-year career. The veteran has topped 600 plate appearances in every season since the shortened 2020 campaign, outside of 2023. He fell short that year primarily because of a broken thumb suffered after being hit by a pitch in the World Baseball Classic.
After a foray into the outfield last year, Altuve has slotted back in as the club’s everyday second baseman. He’s continued a downward trend as a defender this year. Altuve has recorded -5 Defensive Runs Saved in 338 1/3 innings at the position. He ranks in the 11th percentile for Outs Above Average.
Houston came into the season with a glut of infielders, but injuries have quickly whittled down the depth. Jeremy Pena has been sidelined since mid-April with a hamstring strain. He fractured a finger in a warm-up game for the WBC but was able to heal up in time to be on the Opening Day roster. The club lost Carlos Correa for the season after he suffered an ankle injury in early May.
Pena embarked on a rehab assignment earlier this week and could be nearing a comeback. The shortstop was in the clubhouse on Sunday and will travel with the team for a series in Minnesota, per Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. His return will help offset the loss of Altuve in the infield.
Braden Shewmake and Nick Allen have seen time at shortstop with Pena and Correa out. Both could be options at the keystone, along with Shay Whitcomb. Isaac Paredes has played a bit of second base this season, but he’s locked in at the hot corner with Correa gone. Brice Matthews would be a candidate to fill in for Altuve, particularly if Jake Meyers is back with the club.
Meyers is recovering from an oblique injury of his own. He could return on Monday, per McTaggart. Houston has thrown a slew of players in center field with Meyers sidelined. Matthews has earned the most plate appearances at the position, but Taylor Trammell, Joey Loperfido, Daniel Johnson, and Zach Cole have also seen time there. Getting Meyers’ glove back in center field would be a nice upgrade. Sliding Matthews to second base would allow for a longer look at the former first-round pick.
Photo courtesy of Erik Williams, Imagn Images
Twins’ Matt Bowman Exercises Opt-Out Clause
Right-hander Matt Bowman has triggered an opt-out clause in his minor league contract with the Twins, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports. Bowman can become a free agent if Minnesota doesn’t add him to the 26-man roster by Wednesday. Earlier this week, Darren Wolfson of KSTP and SKOR North reported on the opt-out clauses held by both Bowman and John Brebbia, and there isn’t yet any word on Brebbia’s decision.
This is the second time in two months that Bowman has used an opt-out clause, as he also opted out of his previous minors contract with Minnesota at the end of Spring Training. The Twins granted Bowman his release rather than a spot on the Opening Day roster, but Bowman returned to the organization on a new minor league deal shortly thereafter.
It is possible this scenario may repeat itself if the Twins again decide against selecting Bowman’s contract. Minnesota has a full 40-man roster, so the team would likely have to make multiple moves to accommodate Bowman on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters.
Working in Bowman’s favor this time around are a set of impressive Triple-A numbers — a 1.69 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate, and 6.7% walk rate over 21 1/3 innings in St. Paul. The 34-year-old is obviously pitching against much younger and less experienced batters in the minors, and Bowman has a 5.46 ERA in 59 1/3 innings in the majors over the 2023-25 seasons. That said, an argument can be made that the Twins might as well give Bowman a look considering that Minnesota’s bullpen has been one of the least-effective units in baseball.
Dodgers Acquire Eric Lauer
The Blue Jays announced they’ve traded left-hander Eric Lauer and cash to the Dodgers for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Los Angeles transferred reliever Brusdar Graterol from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Toronto designated Lauer for assignment earlier in the week. They’re paying down some portion of the approximate $3.2MM remaining on Lauer’s $4.4MM arbitration salary, though the precise amount hasn’t been reported. The Dodgers will pay a 110% tax on whatever amount of Lauer’s salary they’re assuming.
Lauer posted solid numbers as a starter and swingman with the Padres and Brewers from 2018-22, but his career was at a crossroads after a rough 2023 campaign. The left-hander didn’t pitch in the big leagues at all in 2024, as he spent his time in the minors with the Astros and Pirates and also had a stint in the KBO League with the Kia Tigers. Toronto inked Lauer to a minor league contract in the 2024-25 offseason, and he ended up being one of the unsung heroes of the Jays’ run to the American League crown.
Initially called up as a long reliever and bulk pitcher, Lauer was moved into a full-fledged starting role by June before being shifted back into bullpen work in September and throughout the postseason. Lauer posted a 3.18 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate, and 6.1% walk rate across 104 2/3 regular-season innings and then delivered a 3.12 ERA in 8 2/3 playoff frames.
Despite these solid numbers, the Jays still viewed Lauer as a swingman or depth option heading into 2026, as Toronto addressed the rotation by signing Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce, and then reuniting with Max Scherzer. However, fate intervened again with a swath of injuries that quickly thinned the Blue Jays’ pitching depth, leaving Lauer again in a starting job.
This time, Lauer came back to earth. He posted a 6.69 ERA over 36 1/3 innings and eight outings this season, and his 16K% and 9.9BB% also went in the wrong direction from 2025. Lauer wasn’t entirely healthy himself as he battled through a bad case of the flu, but there also seemed to be some discord between the left-hander and the team over his usage. Lauer went public with his displeasure over first his lack of starting opportunities, and then the Jays’ decision to use an opener for some of Lauer’s outings.
Ironically, Lauer now finds himself on a team known for non-traditional pitcher deployment, so it wouldn’t be a shock if the Dodgers again use an opener if Lauer is lined up to face a team with several tough right-handed batters atop a lineup. That assumes Lauer will start at all, though that is probably the likeliest scenario given the team’s rotation needs.
Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell are both on the injured list, leaving Los Angeles with two holes in its preferred six-man rotation model. Roki Sasaki‘s starting job is also less than stable given the right-hander’s shaky start to the 2026 campaign, though Sasaki might retain his rotation role just by dint of a lack of other options. Lauer could be inserted alongside Sasaski, Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, and Emmet Sheehan. Down on the farm, River Ryan might be approaching readiness for a return to the majors as well, so the Dodgers again find themselves in the odd position of both technically having a rotation surplus, yet also a shortage of arms.
Katie Woo of The Athletic first reported the Dodgers were acquiring Lauer.
AL West Notes: D’Arnaud, Smith, Clarke
Plantar fasciitis in his right foot sent Travis d’Arnaud to the Angels‘ 10-day injured list on May 7, and it will be some time yet before the catcher is back on the field. D’Arnaud is currently using a scooter to get around, and he told MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger that it will be at least two weeks before he can put any weight on his right foot. Between this recovery time, a ramp-up of baseball activities and a minor league rehab assignment, a mid-June return looks like the absolute best-case scenario for d’Arnaud’s return.
After signing a two-year, $12MM deal with Los Angeles in November 2024, d’Arnaud struggled to a .197/.255/.343 slash line over 231 plate appearances in the first year of the contract. He had a modest .614 OPS over his first 40 PA this season, so between the lack of production and now this extended IL stint, d’Arnaud’s time in Anaheim is looking like a bust for all sides. D’Arnaud’s absence is just one of many issues plaguing the woeful Angels, whose 16-30 record is the worst in the majors.
More from the AL West…
- Josh Smith will spent 7-10 days in hospital being treated for viral meningitis, the Rangers announced in a press release on Friday. As per the release, “the club will determine an appropriate return to play program for Smith once he is able to resume physical activity.” Smith has been on the 10-day injured list since May 4 due to a right glute strain, since he has since been set back by wrist soreness and now this illness. These health concerns add to what has already been a tough year on the field for Smith, as he was hitting only .217/.324/.239 in his first 108 plate appearances.
- Denzel Clarke began a minor league rehab assignment yesterday, with MLB.com’s Martin Gallegos writing that Clarke will play two games at A-level Stockton before likely heading onto the Athletics‘ Triple-A affiliate. Clarke hasn’t played since April 20 due to a bone bruise in his right foot, so it’ll be a full month on the shelf for the outfielders even though he seems to be making good progress. Already one of baseball’s top defensive center fielders in just his second MLB campaign, Clarke’s bat is a long ways behind his glove, as he has hit just .214/.262/.323 over 219 career PA with the Athletics.
Dodgers Place Jack Dreyer On 15-Day Injured List
The Dodgers announced that left-hander Jack Dreyer has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his throwing shoulder. Southpaw Charlie Barnes was also optioned to Triple-A, as Los Angeles called up right-handers Paul Gervase and Chayce McDermott to fill the two open spots in their bullpen. No further roster maneuvers were required since Gervase and McDermott are already on the 40-man roster.
After going undrafted in 2021, Dreyer signed a free agent deal with the Dodgers that August and has developed into a valuable member of the club’s bullpen. Dreyer made his MLB debut last season and finished ninth in NL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 2.95 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate, and 7.8% walk rate over 76 1/3 innings. The southpaw was even sharper in his sophomore year, with a 2.08 ERA, 28.6K%, and 7.1BB% over his first 21 2/3 frames of 2026.
This impressive run will now be interrupted for at least the next 15 days, though manager Dave Roberts believes Dreyer will miss a minimal amount of time. Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters that Dreyer felt the discomfort while warming up yesterday, though imaging showed only inflammation.
Gervase and McDermott will add two fresh arms to the L.A. bullpen, and McDermott was actually in the team’s clubhouse yesterday in advance of a possible move. Formerly a notable prospect in the Orioles’ farm system, McDermott has a 12.79 ERA over 12 2/3 career big league innings, and he is now lined up for his first MLB action of 2026 in a new environment. Baltimore designated McDermott for assignment in April, then traded him to Los Angeles for minor league right-hander Axel Perez.
Blake Snell To Undergo Surgery To Remove Loose Bodies In Elbow
TODAY: Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the surgery on Tuesday, and Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes that ElAttache may be able to use the “NanoNeedle” device, depending on the state of Snell’s elbow. The NanoNeedle is a relatively new device used for loose-body procedures that allows the elbow debris to be removed in a less invasive way, which theoretically could result in a shorter recovery timeline, even if that means Snell might miss closer to two months instead of three or more.
MAY 16: Snell is expected to undergo surgery, sources tell Maddie Lee. One source estimates that Snell might be able to return by late July or early August, though this projection is still very fluid.
MAY 15: The Dodgers are placing left-hander Blake Snell back on the injured list, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Lefty Charlie Barnes is being recalled in a corresponding move, according to Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. Snell, whose placement is backdated to May 12th, reportedly has “loose bodies” in his throwing elbow.
Snell was only just activated from the injured list on May 9th, so this unfortunately makes for a quick return. He had missed the first month of the season with left shoulder fatigue. Snell then made two rehab starts at Single-A and one final start at Triple-A, in which he lasted four innings. The Dodgers somewhat surprisingly activated Snell despite previously wanting him to be stretched out to five innings in his rehab stint. In the end, Snell only made one start in the Majors before landing back on the injured list, and it didn’t go particularly well, with Snell allowing five runs (four earned) in three innings on the 9th against the Braves.
According to manager Dave Roberts, Snell felt something “in the back of” his left elbow during a game of catch yesterday (link via Ardaya). That led to the discovery of the loose bodies. Ardaya adds that there is no set plan right now as to whether Snell will require surgery. Notably, Snell underwent arthroscopic surgery in July 2019 to remove loose bodies from the same elbow, and he ended up missing six weeks. While this new injury isn’t a re-aggravation of Snell’s shoulder troubles, the mention of loose bodies in his elbow is equally troubling. A precise timeline will hopefully be known in the next few days, but the expectation is that Snell will return before the end of the season, according to Alden González of MLB.com and others.
The loss of Snell is a big hit to the Dodgers’ rotation. Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list a week ago with lower back spasms. The team had been using a six-man rotation to protect the health of their starters, particularly Shohei Ohtani, who is aiming for a full season as both a pitcher and a hitter for the first time since 2023. With Glasnow and Snell both out of the picture, the rotation is a five-man group consisting of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki. Sasaki has a 5.88 ERA through 33 2/3 innings and is the clear weak spot in the rotation. He might have been demoted if Snell simply took Glasnow’s spot, but with both injured, Sasaki’s spot appears safe for now.
The Dodgers have a few options to replace Snell, but they each come with risks. River Ryan was just activated at Triple-A after missing a month with a hamstring injury. He is only “a slim possibility” to eventually join the big league rotation, according to Roberts (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Left-hander Jackson Ferris is the club’s No. 8 prospect according to MLB.com. He’s only made six starts at Triple-A with a 7.43 ERA, so he’d be over-exposed in the Majors. Among non-prospects, Barnes might be the fallback option. FanGraphs has him as the long man in the Dodgers’ bullpen for now, but Barnes has been a starter for nearly all of his career in MLB and the Korea Baseball Organization. He could take a few turns through the rotation as a temporary stopgap, which would preserve the Dodgers’ six-man rotation.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
Padres Promote Lucas Giolito
TODAY: Giolito has been officially called up from Double-A San Antonio to start today’s game with the Mariners. Right-hander Alek Jacob was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
MAY 13: A Padres team that’s been piecing together its rotation over the course of the season thus far is on the verge of getting some much-needed starting pitching help. Lucas Giolito is expected to make his team debut this weekend, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The 31-year-old Giolito went unsigned all winter and eventually inked a one-year deal with the Friars last month. It contains just a $3MM base salary but an additional $5MM worth of incentives. Giolito has made four minor league starts as he ramps up after missing spring training. The results have been a bit shaky overall, though some early rust is to be expected. He’s tossed 17 innings with a 4.76 ERA, 19.5% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. Giolito’s most recent start was his best; he went six innings and allowed one run on three hits and no walks against the Athletics’ Double-A affiliate.
While Giolito’s debut is a welcome boost to the San Diego staff, it’ll also force the Padres into a decision. The Friars’ pitching staff lacks flexibility in the way of optionable arms. None of the five starters currently on the roster can be optioned. Moving a starter to the ‘pen isn’t all that easy, either. The only San Diego relievers with minor league options are Mason Miller (spoiler: he’s not going anywhere), Jeremiah Estrada and Bradgley Rodriguez. Estrada missed some time with an elbow injury but has a 3.97 ERA in 11 1/3 innings since being activated. He’s also been one of the team’s top relievers dating back to 2024. Rodriguez has a sparkling 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 frames.
The likeliest scenario would see righty Matt Waldron bumped from the roster. The 29-year-old knuckleballer opened the season on the injured list and has been hit hard since his return. In five appearances (three starts) he’s pitched 21 1/3 innings and been tagged for 22 runs (9.28 ERA) on 32 hits and seven walks. He’s set down 18 of his 103 opponents (17.5%) on strikes. Waldron has a better track record, having pitched 188 innings with a below-average but far more palatable 4.79 ERA in 2023-24.
Manager Craig Stammen called it “early” to talk about a potential DFA of Waldron when asked by Acee. Waldron himself seemed to acknowledge the writing on the wall, however, telling the Union-Tribune: “Safe to say my ERA and my numbers aren’t too attractive right now. And I have no options, so I mean, yeah, that’s where I’ll leave it. I’m smart enough (to know).”
The Padres would surely prefer to preserve as much depth as possible, and Waldron looked to be getting on track in his two starts prior to last night’s six-run, 2 2/3-inning clunker. Between his April 29 and May 5 starts, he pitched 10 innings and held the Cubs and Giants to a combined four runs on eight hits and a walk with eight punchouts.
That said, the Padres aren’t going to jettison Griffin Canning after two starts. Walker Buehler‘s 5.20 ERA isn’t pretty, but his rate stats are solid enough to give him a more appealing 3.64 FIP and 4.05 SIERA. Michael King and breakout righty Randy Vásquez are clearly locked into spots. Relievers Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Ron Marinaccio can’t be optioned but have all pitched well. It’s always possible an injury arises that kicks the decision down the road a bit, but as things stand, Waldron looks like the odd man out.
Angels Reinstate Grayson Rodriguez From 10-Day Injured List
MAY 17: The Angels officially activated Rodriguez, and optioned right-hander Alek Manoah to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
MAY 16: The Angels announced Grayson Rodriguez as their scheduled starter for Sunday’s game with the Dodgers, meaning that Anaheim will officially activate the right-hander from the 15-day injured list tomorrow. A bout of shoulder inflammation and “dead arm” soreness during Spring Training resulted in Rodriguez opening the season on the IL, and delaying both his 2026 debut and his Angels debut.
Beyond those milestones, tomorrow will also mark Rodriguez’s first appearance in a Major League game since July 31, 2024. Rodriguez had a 3.86 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, and 7.3% walk rate over 116 2/3 innings for the Orioles that season (his second MLB campaign) before discomfort in his right lat/teres area brought his year to an early end. He then didn’t pitch a single inning in the majors or minors in 2025 due to a lat strain and multiple instances of elbow soreness, with the final result being an elbow debridement surgery last August.
Injuries notwithstanding, it was still surprising when the Orioles traded Rodriguez to the Angels last November in a one-for-one swap for Taylor Ward. While Ward has been a valuable bat for Baltimore, he is a free agent this winter, whereas Rodriguez is a former top prospect who is controlled through 2029. There’s plenty of upside for the Halos if Rodriguez can get healthy, though it obviously isn’t a great sign that his tenure in Orange County immediately began with an IL stint.
Yusei Kikuchi is still sidelined at least through May due to shoulder inflammation, but with Rodriguez now approaching his return, the Angels’ rotation is a step closer to its first-choice state. Jose Soriano is enjoying a fantastic season, and Rodriguez will join Reid Detmers, Walbert Urena, and Jack Kochanowicz as the rest of the starting five.
The outlook isn’t quite as good for another Angels pitcher attempting to return after a long layoff. According to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, Ben Joyce‘s rehab assignment has been slowed due to some discomfort in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. An MRI came back clean, however, so it doesn’t appear as if Joyce is dealing with anything but normal soreness.
“We got a little flare-up….It’s just part of the process after a shoulder surgery,” Joyce said. “Just kind of has ups and downs. But we were pretty positive about the results. Nothing structurally wrong, it’s just working through a little soreness right now.”
It was almost exactly a year ago that Joyce underwent the shoulder procedure that ended his 2025 campaign after five appearances. Joyce began this season on the 15-day IL but will probably be moved to the 60-day IL the next time Los Angeles needs a 40-man roster spot, as he is already approaching 60 days on the sidelines.