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Kris Bryant Discusses “Extremely Frustrating” Back Injuries

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Kris Bryant’s star-crossed Rockies tenure added another chapter earlier this week when the former NL MVP was placed on the 10-day injured list earlier this week due to lumbar degenerative disc disease.  Recurring back issues are just one variety of the of several injuries that have limited Bryant to 170 games over his three-plus seasons with Colorado, yet it appears to be the most persistent obstacle keeping Bryant from getting onto the field for any sustained length of time.

Bryant shared some details about his situation with reporters (including MLB.com’s Thomas Harding) on Sunday, including some of the side effects of his current back problem.  After undergoing an exercise program yesterday, Bryant said “I woke up not feeling great,” and described himself as being “in constant pain and nauseous, where I can’t eat, which was the situation today.”  The nature of the back injury can come and go, as Bryant described a game situation where he was feeling fine for most of the contest, but by his final at-bat could barely swing.

The “extremely frustrating” degenerative disc disease has left Bryant at least thinking about a surgery, though “the doctors aren’t there yet” in recommending it.  Such a procedure would almost surely end Bryant’s 2025 season and put him onto another lengthy cycle of rehabilitation and workouts with an eye towards Opening Day 2026, maybe as a best-case scenario.

For now, Bryant isn’t sure when he’ll feel well enough that a return to the field is feasible.  He received two anti-inflammatory shots on Tuesday, though the injections apparently only provided limited help given his nausea today.  In the bigger picture, Bryant also said he isn’t considering retirement, stating plainly that “I want to play.  I want to talk to doctors, see if there’s anything else we can do.  But, yeah, I want to not give up.”

Bryant’s seven-year, $182MM contract with the Rockies can’t be considered anything but a bust, as Bryant has hit only .244/.324/.370 over 712 plate appearances during the life of the deal, and the Rox have a disastrous 192-315 record since Opening Day 2022.  Beyond all the talk of salaries and second-guessing front office decisions, one can’t help but feel sympathy for Bryant as he is struggling through what is clearly a painful situation that is impacting the quality of his life.

Until a health breakthrough emerges or perhaps until Bryant decides to get surgery, all he and the Rockies can do is play the waiting game.  Colorado’s dismal 4-17 start has almost surely sunk whatever chance the team had at a competitive season, and the Rox have increasingly turned to a number of younger players making their MLB debuts as a possible glimpse into the future.

AL Central Notes: Carpenter, Erceg, Meidroth

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With four outfielders already on the injured list, the Tigers might’ve lost another key contributor when Kerry Carpenter left today’s 4-3 loss to the Royals with what manager A.J. Hinch described as right hamstring soreness.  As Hinch told the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky and other reporters, Carpenter suffered the injury while running out an infield single in the seventh inning.  Nothing appeared to be amiss until Carpenter was replaced in left field in the top of the ninth inning.

More will be known about Carpenter’s status tomorrow, but if he has to miss time, he’ll join Parker Meadows, Matt Vierling, Wenceel Perez, and Manuel Margot (who was signed in late March to help address the outfield depth issue) on the increasingly crowded Detroit injured list.  Carpenter likely would’ve been a part-time outfielder and part-time DH in the world where everyone was healthy, but he has played only twice at the DH position this season.  Beyond the outfield crunch, Carpenter’s absence would also remove a big bat from the Tigers’ lineup, as the slugger is hitting .315/.338/.562 with five homers in his first 77 plate appearances of 2025.

More from around the AL Central…

  • Returning to that same Royals/Tigers game, Carlos Estevez tossed two innings of relief work, as setup man Lucas Erceg is still recovering from a contusion on his left foot.  Erceg left Friday’s game in obvious discomfort after being hit in the foot by a Riley Greene comebacker, though the good news is that tests came back negative for any structural damage.  Erceg told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other reporters on Friday that he was day-to-day and didn’t think he would require an IL trip.  The hope is that with now two days of rest and an off-day on Monday, Erceg might ready to pitch for Tuesday’s game with the Rockies.  The Estevez/Erceg combination has been a shutdown late-inning duo for K.C. thus far, with Erceg contributing a 1.23 ERA over nine appearances and 7 1/3 innings.
  • Chase Meidroth was a late scratch from today’s White Sox lineup, though he did play the last two innings of the 8-4 win over the Red Sox as a defensive sub at shortstop. Pale Hose manager Will Venable told reporters (including MLB.com’s Scott Merkin) that Meidroth is dealing with right thumb inflammation, and was limited to fielding only due to the thumb discomfort.  The rookie will receive some imaging on his thumb before a decision is made about a possible IL stint.  Meidroth is a well-regarded infield prospect who has hit .269/.387/.269 in his first 31 PA and nine games of his big league career, and it would be a tough break to see him sidelined so soon after appearing in the Show.

Dodgers Notes: Treinen, Snell, Glasnow

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Veteran reliever Blake Treinen was placed on the 15-day injured list yesterday due to tightness in his right forearm, and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shed more light on Treinen’s situation when speaking with the Orange County Register’s Bill Plunkett and other reporters today.  Specifically, Treinen has a “low-grade sprain of the forearm,” as Roberts described it, as some forearm discomfort throughout the week resurfaced Friday when Treinen was warming up to enter the game.

“He was one hitter away as he was warming up to go into the game,” Roberts said.  “Obviously, if he were to pitch, it could have been potentially worse.  So I would say we’re in the dodged-a-bullet category.”

An MRI revealed the sprain yesterday, and Treinen will get more testing done before a recovery timeline is established.  Roberts’ view of the injury seemed relatively positive, though even if Treinen has avoided a more long-term problem, it stands to reason that he’ll miss more than just 15 days just out of natural precaution when dealing with forearm-related injuries.

Treinen’s first four seasons in Los Angeles yielded excellent (if often injury-plagued) results, leading to a two-year, $22MM deal to rejoin the club this past offseason.  Treinen was off to a solid start in 2025, if a bit of a step back only in comparison to his past standards since coming to the Dodgers prior to the 2020 season.  Over eight innings and eight appearances this year, Treinen has a 3.38 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, and 8.3% walk rate.

Turning to another Blake on the Dodgers’ injured list, Saturday marked Blake Snell’s first bullpen session since he was placed on the 15-day IL with left shoulder inflammation.  Snell told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya that he will need at least one more bullpen and simulated game before exploring a rehab assignment, but as for the first step, Snell left his initial bullpen session feeling “way better.”

Snell hasn’t pitched since April 2, and it would seem like his IL stint will last over a month, given the number of steps remaining in the recovery process.  While the shoulder inflammation doesn’t seem like anything too serious, it does add to Snell’s history of both injuries and first-half struggles.  Snell did have a 2.00 ERA in his first two starts and nine innings of the 2025 season, but for his career, he has a 3.95 ERA prior to the All-Star break and then a 2.34 ERA in the second half.

The L.A. rotation had another minor injury scare in today’s 1-0 win over the Rangers, as Tyler Glasnow left with an apparent leg injury after throwing his first pitch of the fifth inning.  Fortunately, the team announced that Glasnow left due to only leg cramps, and Glasnow told MLB.com’s Sonja Chen and other reporters that he believes he’ll be able to make his next start.  The Dodgers have off-days on both Monday and Thursday this week, so Glasnow will get a full week before he is next scheduled to take the mound on April 27 against the Pirates.

Braves Acquire Scott Blewett

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The Braves acquired right-hander Scott Blewett from the Orioles in a trade for cash considerations, as announced by both teams.  Blewett was designated for assignment by Baltimore yesterday.

This is the second time in less than a week that Blewett has changed teams after being designated for assignment.  Blewett began the season with the Twins and made two appearances before he was DFA’d and then claimed off waivers by the Orioles.  Two more appearances followed in an O’s uniform before Blewett was designated again.

The roster shuffling is nothing new for Blewett, who had been DFA’d and outrighted several times in his career even before this month’s transactions.  His chances of sticking with the Braves are complicated by the fact that he is out of minor league options, so the Twins and Orioles had no choice but to first designate the right-hander before trying to send him down to the farm.

All these moves belie the fact that Blewett has actually pitched pretty well during his relatively brief time in the big leagues.  Over parts of four seasons with the Royals, Twins, and Orioles, Blewett has a 1.93 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate in 37 1/3 career relief innings.  His 2.16 SIERA is only a shade higher than his ERA, and an inflated 85.4% strand rate is countered by a .317 BABIP.

While Blewett isn’t a hard thrower and he gives up a lot of solid contact, there’s enough there that multiple teams keep showing interest in the 29-year-old’s services.  He’ll become the latest new face in a Braves bullpen that has been a bit of a revolving door, as the club brought several veterans to camp on minor league deals in a search for inexpensive relief depth, and both Rafael Montero and Jose Suarez were acquired in trades (from the Astros and Angels respectively) within the last month.

Michael Fulmer Elects Free Agency

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TODAY: Fulmer cleared waivers and was outrighted off Boston’s 40-man roster, but MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith writes that Fulmer has chosen to become a free agent rather than accept the outright assignment.

APRIL 18: The Red Sox announced that they have designated right-hander Michael Fulmer for assignment. That opens a roster spot for righty Hunter Dobbins, who has been recalled to the big league club. The Sox also reinstated third baseman Alex Bregman from the paternity list and optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Sogard.

Fulmer, 32, was just selected to Boston’s roster a few days ago. On Monday, starter Tanner Houck was obliterated by the Rays, allowing 11 earned in in 2 1/3 innings. Fulmer came in and tossed 2 2/3, allowing three earned runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two. He hasn’t pitched since then but the Sox needed to make room for Dobbins, who is making a spot start tonight, which has bumped Fulmer off the roster.

It may end up being a pretty unceremonious end to a fairly long pairing between the Sox and Fulmer. He underwent UCL revision surgery late in October of 2023 and was going to miss the entire 2024 season. He then signed a two-year minor league deal with the Red Sox, to cover his recovery and potential return in 2025.

The Red Sox stretched him out as a starter this year, an interesting choice as he had been working in relief prior to signing with them. He had a 0.79 ERA in the spring and then a 3.09 ERA in three minor league outings before coming to the big leagues for his aforementioned mop-up outing on Monday.

It’s a pretty small sample and tough to draw many conclusions from it. Now that he’s been sent into DFA limbo, the Sox will have a week to either trade him or pass him through waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours so any trade talks would have to come together in the next five days.

Prior to his lengthy layoff, Fulmer had some interesting career highlights. He won American League Rookie of the Year in 2016, tossing 159 innings for the Tigers with a 3.06 ERA. His results dipped a bit in the following years and then he missed 2019 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned and found some success in a move to the bullpen, with a 2.97 ERA in 2021.  But that ERA jumped to 3.39 in 2022 and 4.42 the year after, before he required another trip to the surgeon’s table.

Perhaps Fulmer will find some interest based on that track record. If he clears waivers, he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images

NL Central Notes: Pirates, Cherington, Myers, Steer

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The Pirates have gotten off to a difficult start in 2025. The club is 8-15 overall, leaving them in last place in the NL Central and six games back of the division-leading Cubs. While the club’s pitching staff is right around league average by measure of ERA and top-six by FIP, an offense that has produced a wRC+ of just 70 to this point in the year. Despite those struggles on offense, general manager Ben Cherington told reporters (including Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review) before Friday’s game that external solutions to the lineup are unlikely, though the team is always open to exploring deals.

“It’s April. Most teams are going to rely on the players that are inside the organization,” Cherington said. “We certainly have an eye out and already we have an eye outside the organization. We will keep an eye on things. We keep having conversations, but trades don’t usually happen this soon. We’ve got to rely on the guys that are here….We are going to get healthier. And then over the course of the season if we do what I believe we will do, then they’ll be opportunities to add to it at some point.”

Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales, and Endy Rodriguez are all currently on the injured list, robbing the Bucs of three players expected to operate in starting or regular roles this season. Perhaps their returns will be enough to get Pittsburgh on track, yet the Pirates will also need several of their healthy but struggling regulars to start heating up.

More from around the NL Central…

  • The Brewers’ injury-riddled rotation might be getting some help this week with the return of Tobias Myers, who told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy that he expects to be activated from the 15-day IL to start Thursday’s game. Myers suffered an oblique strain in mid-March that delayed his 2025 debut, but he came out of his third minor league rehab start Friday feeling in good shape, and ready to get back to the Show. It is a testament to Milwaukee’s pitching depth and development that even the makeshift version of its rotation is still posting good numbers, but obviously the Crew will happily welcome back Myers. A surprise emergence himself during his 2024 rookie season, Myers posted a 3.00 ERA over 138 innings for the Brewers last year.
  • Spencer Steer was the Reds’ starting first baseman today, marking the first time this season that Steer has played a position other than designated hitter.  Steer’s longstanding right shoulder problems have been an issue since last season, and after the injury resurfaced during Spring Training, the decision was made to keep Steer as a DH (and off the injured list) until he could throw without discomfort. Today’s return to the field is a good sign that things are slowly returning to normal for Steer, though the larger issue is his ice-cold start at the plate — Steer had a .111/.186/.204 slash line in 59 plate appearances heading into today’s game.

Rockies Place Victor Vodnik On Injured List, DFA Evan Justice

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The Rockies announced a flurry of bullpen moves this morning headlined by the club placing right-hander Victor Vodnik on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation. Right-hander Zach Agnos was selected to the roster to replace him and will make his MLB debut when he first gets into a game. Meanwhile, left-hander Evan Justice was designated for assignment to make room for Agnos on the 40-man roster.

Vodnik, 25, made his MLB debut back in 2023 and emerged as an intriguing bullpen piece for the Rockies last year. He pitched to a 4.28 ERA in 73 2/3 innings, good for an above-average 110 ERA+ due to the fact that he calls Coors Field home. His 4.18 FIP was also slightly above bar when adjusted for ballpark, and he generated grounders at an impressive 54.4% rate that helped to make up for his lackluster 20.3% strikeout rate and inflated 11.3% walk rate. All of that was enough to make Vodnik one of the more impressive relievers in the Rockies’ bullpen last year, and after picking up nine saves in 2024 he figured to be in the conversation for the closer job once again this year.

That’s not how things have played out so far, as Vodnik has scuffled badly so far this season. While his 4.50 ERA isn’t markedly higher than last year’s figure, his peripherals have fallen off massively. Most notably, he’s walking an unacceptable 17.1% of his opponents while his groundball rate has dipped to just 42.9%. While these struggles have occurred in just nine appearances, Vodnik’s 6.52 FIP and 7.26 xERA are difficult to ignore. It seems as though Vodnik’s issues with finding the strike zone were at least enough to convince the Rockies to give him some time to reset on the injured list. If the issue is only a short-term issue and simply an opportunity for Vodnik to get sharp before returning to the big league bullpen, he could be back in the fold early next month. It’s possible a longer stay could be required as well depending on the severity of the injury, but no firm timetable for Vodnik’s ailment has been announced to this point.

Replacing Vodnik on the club’s roster is Agnos, a tenth-rounder from the Rockies’ 2022 draft. The 24-year-old hurler was primarily a hitter in college but converted to pitching upon being drafted. After a strong 2023 season where he mowed down hitters at Single-A Fresno to the tune of a 2.06 ERA with a 30.8% strikeout rate, Agnos followed that up with an even more dominant showing at the High-A and Double-A levels last year. He struck out 31.3% of opponents while showing off a 1.38 ERA, including a 1.95 ERA with the team’s Hartford affiliate. That was all more than enough to earn Agnos a call-up to Triple-A to start 2025, and so far he’s picked up right where he left off with a 2.25 ERA and 32.3% strikeout rate in eight innings of work. That exciting production will now get a chance in the majors, albeit with the challenge of calling Coors Field home attached as well.

Making room for Agnos on the 40-man roster is Justice. The southpaw did not appear in the majors this year but has had brief stints with Colorado in each of the past two campaigns. A fifth-rounder selected by the Rockies back in 2021, Justice has just 7 2/3 innings of work at the big league level during which he’s surrendered a 8.22 ERA and 5.08 FIP. The lefty has walked (9) more batters than he’s struck out (8) while also allowing 14 hits in ten appearances. The Rockies will have one week to try to work out a trade involving Justice or else attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he manage to get through waivers unclaimed, the Rockies would then have the opportunity to outright him to the minor leagues to serve as non-roster depth going forward.

Nicky Lopez Elects Free Agency

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April 20: Lopez has elected free agency, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post.

April 18: The Angels announced that shortstop Zach Neto has been reinstated from the injured list. It was reported yesterday that Neto was likely to be reinstated for this weekend. In a corresponding move, infielder Nicky Lopez has been designated for assignment.

Lopez, 30, signed with the Halos just before Opening Day. He had signed a minor league deal with the Cubs in the winter but opted out of that pact when he wasn’t going to break camp with the Cubbies.

For the Angels, they were looking to cover up for a number of infield injuries. Neto underwent shoulder surgery in November and was going to miss the early portions of the 2025 season. Third baseman Anthony Rendon required hip surgery in February and is going to be out of action for a while. To help fill in the infield depth, the club brought in Lopez, Yoán Moncada, Tim Anderson, Kevin Newman and J.D. Davis. Moncada has also been hurt and is currently on the IL due to a thumb sprain.

Despite all of the injuries, Lopez hasn’t really received any playing time. He has six plate appearances across five games, not reaching base in any of them. Anderson had taken over the shortstop position. He didn’t hit much but his glovework received decent grades in his small sample of work. With Neto’s return, he’ll be downgraded into a bench role anyhow. Luis Rengifo is holding down third while Kyren Paris is having a breakout, taking over the second base position while hitting .326/.426/.717.

Lopez already seemed somewhat superfluous on the roster, with Neto’s return squeezing him out even further. The Angels will now technically have a week of DFA limbo time to figure out what’s next, but Lopez has enough service time to reject an outright assignment, so he seems likely to be a free agent within a week’s time.

Generally speaking, he’s been a light-hitting glove-first infielder in his career. He has a .247/.311/.313 batting line in 2,352 big league plate appearances, with that line translating to a 73 wRC+. Reviews on his shortstop glovework are mixed as he has -11 Defensive Runs Saved but 33 Outs Above Average. He also has lots of experience at the other infield positions with good marks there, and some brief left field work as well.

Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images

Phillies Place Brandon Marsh On Injured List With Hamstring Strain

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The Phillies announced this morning that they’ve placed outfielder Brandon Marsh on the 10-day injured list due to a right hamstring strain. Outfielder Cal Stevenson was recalled to the MLB roster in a corresponding move.

Marsh, 27, has struggled badly to open his fourth season as a Phillie. Once a consensus top-50 prospect in the sport, Marsh found himself limited to part-time duties when he arrived in the majors with the Angels due to a crowded outfield mix that included Taylor Ward, Jo Adell, Mike Trout, and Justin Upton at the time. That eventually led the Angels to be comfortable dealing Marsh to the Phillies in exchange for well-regarded catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe. It’s a deal that’s generally worked out for both sides, as O’Hoppe has blossomed into one of the top young catchers in the sport with Anaheim while Marsh has been able to fill a vacancy in the Phillies outfield over the years.

From the moment he first suited up for the Phillies, Marsh has been a quality player for the club. When the 2024 season wrapped up, Marsh carried a career .266/.346/.440 slash line (116 wRC+) in a Phillies uniform. That’s strong production for an offensively inclined center fielder, and when looking specifically at his work against right-handed pitching Marsh has posted an even more impressive .281/.362/.489 (128 wRC+) over the years. Marsh has always come with his flaws, however. Notably, he strikes out more than 30% of the time and has never been much of an effective option against fellow southpaws, with a 70 wRC+ against same-handed pitching as a Phillie entering this year.

Unfortunately, things have taken a nose dive in the early going this year. Marsh has slashed just .095/.220/.167 in his first 17 games (51 at-bats) this year while striking out at a 31.4% clip. While he’s maintained a strong 13.7% walk rate, Marsh’s high strikeout rate, lack of power production, and .115 BABIP have combined to make him one of the least productive regulars in baseball this year. Marsh hasn’t recorded a hit since March 30, and given that protracted slump it’s hardly a surprise that the Phillies took the opportunity to get Marsh a bit of a reset when he tweaked his leg in the outfield earlier this week. He hasn’t played since that incident occurred on April 16, and now will sit down for at least another week. Once Marsh’s hamstring is feeling up to snuff, the 27-year-old will have the opportunity to get some reps in against Triple-A pitching on a rehab assignment before returning to the majors and looking to get his season back on track.

While Marsh is out of the picture, everyday duties in center field will fall to Johan Rojas. The 24-year-old is off to a hot start in a part-time role this year, slashing .345/.406/.414 over his first 12 games. He hit quite well in a limited look during his debut year of 2023 but struggled when given an expanded role last year, hitting just .243/.379/.322 in 120 games. Marsh’s injury will provide Rojas with the opportunity to prove himself capable of performing as a regular in the outfield, though the lefty-swinging Stevenson was promoted to the majors as a potential backup option should it be necessary. The 28-year-old has just 47 games of big league experience under his belt between Oakland, San Francisco, and Philadelphia but posted league average numbers in a brief 18-game stint with the Phillies last year. Stevenson has struggled at Triple-A this season, however, with a .192/.328/.289 slash line that suggests he’ll most likely be limited to a pure depth role for the time being.

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