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Red Sox Outright Ali Sanchez

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The Red Sox have assigned catcher Ali Sanchez outright to Triple-A Worcester, according to the transactions tracker on Sanchez’s MLB.com profile page. Sanchez had previously been designated for assignment by the Red Sox earlier this week to make room for first baseman Nathaniel Lowe on the active roster after he recently signed with the club following his release by the Nationals.

Sanchez, 28, signed with the Mets out of Venezuela as an amateur and made his pro debut prior to the 2014 season. He made it to the majors during the shortened 2020 season and has played in parts of four MLB seasons since then but has just 47 MLB games under his belt in that time as he’s served mostly as a depth catcher while bouncing between Queens, St. Louis, Miami, Toronto, and Boston at the big league level to go along with stints in the minor league systems of the Tigers, Cubs, and Diamondbacks.

While Sanchez is viewed as an excellent defender, he’s held back by lackluster offense at the dish. In 132 big league plate appearances, he’s hit just .185/.222/.235 with just five walks and only two extra-base hits. That’s a small sample split up over many years, of course, but even with that context Sanchez isn’t an impressive hitter. With 334 career games at the Triple-A level, he’s mustered a career slash line of just .269/.340/.399 at the level with with less than 100 total extra-base hits. That lack of substantial power even at the minor league level will hold him back as a hitter enough that it’s unclear if he’ll ever get a look as more than a depth option in the majors, though his defensive skills are strong enough to make him rather coveted for that minor league depth role.

Perhaps that unlikelihood of greener pastures elsewhere is what led Sanchez to accept an outright assignment despite the fact that he’s been outrighted multiple times before in his career and therefore had the opportunity to elect free agency. The Red Sox don’t have much depth behind the dish and currently occupy a playoff spot, so by sticking around at Worcester Sanchez could force his way back onto the roster during the stretch run or perhaps even for the playoffs if an injury creates an opening in the club’s catching tandem. That tandem is currently occupied by Carlos Narvaez and Connor Wong, with Narvaez receiving the lion’s share of playing time amid a standout rookie campaign.

The Opener: Sandberg, Uecker, Beltre

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As the Orioles make a major splash by locking up one of their young hitters long-term, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:

1. Sandberg memorial today at Wrigley:

Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg passed away last month at the age of 65 following a battle with cancer, and Cubs fans will have the opportunity to mourn and remember the 1984 NL MVP today. As noted by Selena Kuznikov of the Chicago Sun Times, there will be a free-to-attend memorial for Sandberg at Gallagher Way outside of Wrigley Field from 9:30am until noon local time. That memorial will feature Sandberg’s funeral service streamed to the jumbo screen overlooking Gallagher Way. Attendees may leave tributes to Sandberg at his statue on Gallagher Way, and those who want to participate but won’t be able to make it to Wrigley this morning can watch the service on WGN and stream it online via the Marquee Sports Network app.

2. Celebration of Mr. Baseball’s life:

Bob Uecker was a catcher in parts of six MLB seasons who went on to have a legendary broadcasting career where he spent 54 years as the voice of the Brewers. The Hall of Famer passed back in January at the age of 90 following a battle with cancer, but the Brewers’ series finale against the Giants on Sunday will serve as an opportunity for fans in Milwaukee to mourn their longtime broadcaster and celebrate his storied life and career. As discussed by MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy back in April, Bob Costas will host a pregame program honoring Uecker, and there will be features during breaks in the game on the stadium scoreboard highlighting Uecker’s history. First pitch of Sunday’s game is scheduled for 1:10pm local time, and the pregame program celebrating Uecker will occur before that.

3. Rangers to unveil Beltre statue:

Longtime Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre was part of last year’s Hall of Fame class, and (as noted by NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, among other outlets) he’ll be celebrated by the club with a statue outside of Globe Life Field prior to today’s game against the Guardians. The dedication is open to the public, and fans interested in attending will be able to access the stadium’s parking lots starting at 2pm local time later today. A two-time Silver Slugger, three-time All-Star, and four-time Gold Glover across his eight years with Texas, Beltre hit .304/.357/.509 with 199 homers in 1,098 games as a Ranger. First pitch for tonight’s game is at 7:05pm ET, and the first 20,000 ticketed fans in attendance for the game will receive a miniature replica of the Beltre statue.

MLB, ESPN Nearing Deal Involving MLB.TV And In-Market Rights For Five Clubs

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Major League Baseball and ESPN are seemingly going to continue their relationship but with a new shape. Andrew Marchand of The Athletic reports that the league and the network have an agreement in place which would give ESPN the right to sell all out-of-market games digitally. These rights have previously been sold by the league to consumers as the MLB.TV package. Under the agreement, ESPN will also acquire the in-market rights for the Diamondbacks, Guardians, Padres, Rockies and Twins. ESPN would also have an exclusive weekly game similar to Sunday Night Baseball, but on a different night of the week. The deal is not yet finalized but could be signed in September. It’s unclear how much ESPN would pay the league for this package but Marchand says it will be “substantial”.

MLB and ESPN have an existing contract but it is about to expire. The deal previously ran through 2028 but both sides agreed to opt out after the 2025 season. Under that deal, ESPN still has the rights to Sunday Night Baseball, the Home Run Derby and the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Those rights are open for 2026 and beyond. A week ago, Marchand reported that those rights would likely be split up and sold to multiple companies, with Netflix being the favorite for the Derby while NBC/Peacock and Apple TV+ are each trying to get the other components. He echoes that framing in today’s reporting.

The new developments today are potentially seismic. MLB.TV has existed in essentially the same format since 2002. Baseball fans purchase the product through the league and get access to every MLB game, with some exceptions for local blackouts and other games guaranteed to be exclusives for certain broadcasters. If this deal goes through, it’s not exactly clear how it would impact existing MLB.TV consumers but Marchand writes they would likely have to get an ESPN subscription on top of an MLB.TV subscription. It’s unclear how this would impact those who purchase MLB.TV through cable or other linear subscription.

ESPN recently launched a streaming service, allowing anyone to pay $29.99 per month to access the network’s wares, whether or not they subscribe to cable or satellite. The network has recently been building out their portfolio, signing a number of deals with the NFL and WWE.

It now seems they hope to add a number of MLB components to their menu. It’s unclear exactly how MLB.TV customers would be impacted financially. Marchand reports that the basic MLB.TV sticker price should stay the same or could even drop. Paying the ESPN subscription fee as well would lead to customers paying more, though they would also gain access to other ESPN offerings outside of the baseball world. That new arrangement would naturally be a plus for some but a minus for others.

In addition to the MLB.TV plan, it seems ESPN will be gaining local rights for five clubs. Due to cable cutting, the regional sports network (RSN) model has been slowly eroding in recent years. The five aforementioned clubs have all seen their local broadcast deals collapse in recent years, which has led the league to step in and take over. Fans of those clubs have been able to purchase streaming rights, without blackouts, directly from the league. It seems likely these customers will be able to continue in a somewhat similar fashion, though Marchand suggests they would likely have to get an ESPN subscription and then pay an added fee for the specific team they want to access.

In addition to the MLB.TV rights and the local rigths of those five clubs, ESPN will also be getting the rights for some exclusive games to be broadcast nationally. It seems this will basically function the same way as Sunday Night Baseball, though on a different day of the week. It appears the details in this arena are still being worked out, as it’s unclear which day of the week is being targeted. Apple already has the rights to a game every Friday while Roku has an early game every Sunday. Marchand adds that MLB Network could also be part of the deal but that’s more up in the air.

Whatever deal is signed would be fairly temporary. Various different reporters have frequently suggested the league doesn’t want to sign anything that goes beyond 2028. They already have a number of deals expiring after that season. It seems commissioner Rob Manfred is hoping to market a large package, or packages, of rights to multiple broadcasters ahead of the 2029 season. All recent broadcast deals have been relatively short, with nothing going beyond 2028. Marchand reports that is expected to be the case with this ESPN deal as well.

These ongoing broadcast shuffles could hang over the upcoming labor strife. It is widely expected that there will be a lockout after the 2026 season. A prolonged stoppage could lead to games being cancelled in the 2027 season. Manfred and the owners would have to be cognizant of playing chicken with the players and how that could impact these broadcast negotiations. MLB is currently experiencing an uptick in popularity, with measures such as the pitch clock credited with increased attendance and TV ratings. That kind of momentum would help the league sell future broadcast rights but a lockout extending into the summer of 2027 could undermine that.

Photo courtesy of Kirby Lee, Imagn Images

Royals Release Mark Canha

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August 21: Canha has officially been released, according to the MLB.com transaction log.

August 18: The Royals announced today that outfielder Mark Canha, who was on the 10-day injured list, has been returned from his rehab assignment and designated for assignment. The club’s 40-man roster count drops from 39 to 38.

Canha, 36, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in the offseason. He had a looming opt-out date just before Opening Day but the Brewers evidently weren’t willing to give him a roster spot. They flipped Canha for a player to be named later or cash. The Royals gave him a roster spot to prevent him from opting out and later announced minor league righty Cesar Espinal as the PTBNL.

The deal hasn’t worked out for the Royals. Canha has twice gone on the IL, once for a left adductor strain and more recently due to left elbow epicondylitis. Around those IL stints, he stepped to the plate 125 times but produced a dismal .212/.272/.265 line.

The club’s outfield performed quite poorly throughout the first half of the season, with Canha’s production just part of the picture. His most recent IL stint began in early July. While he was on the shelf, a lot changed, with the Royals trading for Adam Frazier, Mike Yastrzemski and Randal Grichuk. Canha started a rehab assignment a little over a week ago. However, with the new additions to the roster, they have decided they don’t have room for him anymore.

He now heads into DFA limbo. With the trade deadline having passed, he’ll be placed on waivers. Given his performance and $1.4MM salary this year, it seems unlikely any club would claim him. If he clears, he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and keep that money coming to him. It’s possible the Royals skip that formality and simply release him.

If he ends up on the open market, either by rejecting an outright assignment or being released, the Royals will remain on the hook for that money. At that point, another club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated $760K league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the Royals pay.

Canha has plenty of good seasons on his track record and was a solid player as recently as last year. He split 2024 between the Tigers and Giants, slashing .242/.344/.346 for a 102 wRC+. He also stole seven bases and played all four corner spots. He hasn’t been at that level in 2025 but perhaps there’s a club out there who will focus more on the larger body of work.

Photo courtesy of William Purnell, Imagn Images

Nationals’ Luis Garcia Jr. Taking Pregame First Base Reps

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Nationals second baseman Luis García Jr. has begun taking pregame drills at first base, writes Andrew Golden of The Washington Post. While the Nats don’t have any plans to get García imminent game action there, Golden writes that they could give him a look at some point as they plan ahead to 2026.

García hasn’t played anywhere other than second base since the end of 2022. He got a few months of shortstop run that year but clearly wasn’t cut out for that position. He’s not a particularly good second baseman either. Defensive Runs Saved has graded him negatively in three straight years. Statcast’s Outs Above Average gave him above-average marks in 2024 but has had him as a subpar defender in every other season of his career. Both metrics have him alongside Kristian Campbell and Brandon Lowe among the league’s three worst defensive second basemen this season. Statcast feels he’s been particularly poor at tracking balls hit up the middle.

Infield defense has been a team-wide issue for a few seasons. CJ Abrams grades as one of the sport’s weakest defensive shortstops. José Tena was a non-viable option at third base earlier in the year. Rookie Brady House is getting everyday run at the hot corner now and raised the floor with the glove, but he hasn’t hit enough to stake a firm claim to the job going into next season.

Statcast grades the Nats’ overall infield defense at -31 Outs Above Average. That’s not only the worst in MLB, it’s 11 outs below the 29th-place Angels. Washington ranked 25th in that category a year ago. The Nats have allowed an MLB-high .278 batting average on ground-balls despite ranking middle of the pack in hard contact. They need to be far better defensively if they’re to take a step towards contention in 2026.

García has been a solid but not elite hitter over the past couple seasons. He turned in a career-best .282/.318/.444 showing with 18 homers and 22 stolen bases last year. The slash line has regressed to a .260/.300/.397 mark this season, but his results have lagged more impressive batted ball metrics all year. García doesn’t seem dramatically different than he was a year ago: a slightly above-average hitter who shouldn’t be playing up the middle on an everyday basis.

The bat is probably too light for him to be an average or better regular at first base. That said, the Nationals don’t have an obvious in-house candidate to play there next season. The Nathaniel Lowe trade didn’t work. Josh Bell is an impending free agent. Even if Washington re-signs him on a one-year deal, his streakiness makes him a better bench bat than a regular. There’s nothing to suggest the Nationals are projecting García to make a full-time move there, but there’s little downside in getting him comfortable at another position.

Washington’s offseason plans won’t be known until they hire a permanent GM and manager. Mike DeBartolo and Miguel Cairo are currently holding those roles on interim bases. Whether they keep that leadership structure in place or hire externally, they’ll need to address the infield over the offseason. First base is the most obvious priority, but getting García some kind of versatility would provide more flexibility for a free agent run at Gleyber Torres or to explore trade possibilities at the keystone.

Brewers Notes: Ortiz, Hoskins, Gasser

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Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz is headed for an MRI on his left hamstring after leaving this afternoon’s game, manager Pat Murphy told reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy). The second-year infielder pulled up after running out a ground-ball and immediately favored the back of his left leg. It certainly had the look of a hamstring strain that’d require an injured list stint, though that won’t be official until tomorrow.

Andruw Monasterio finished the game at shortstop. Aside from one early-season appearance from Vinny Capra (who is no longer in the organization), Monasterio is the only player other than Ortiz to start a game at shortstop. He’s the likeliest option to step into an everyday role if Ortiz heads to the IL. A career .243/.318/.336 hitter, Monasterio has only tallied 72 plate appearances in 43 games this season.

The Brewers don’t have any other natural shortstops on the 40-man roster. Calling up Triple-A shortstop Freddy Zamora would require a 40-man move. Oliver Dunn, who is on the 40-man, has gotten some shortstop work in the minors and could be recalled as an emergency option off the bench. It’s unlikely Milwaukee would disrupt the routines of Brice Turang or Caleb Durbin by moving them to shortstop on an everyday basis, but either player could move there as a late-game substitute if the Brewers remove Monasterio for pinch-hitting or injury purposes.

Milwaukee’s win over the Cubs today pushed their lead in the NL Central back to seven games. They’re five and a half games clear of the Phillies for the top seed in the National League. That gives them the cushion to weather an Ortiz absence unless he suffered a significant enough strain to threaten his readiness for the postseason.

On the other side of the equation, Milwaukee has a few players nearing returns. Rhys Hoskins began a rehab assignment at Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday. Hoskins has been sidelined since July 6 with a left thumb sprain. That injury forced the Brewers to call up Andrew Vaughn from Triple-A. They certainly wouldn’t have foreseen Vaughn going on a .320/.386/.578 tear with dramatically improved plate discipline metrics relative to his early-season stint with the White Sox.

Vaughn has mashed his way to an everyday role. Christian Yelich continues to get a lot of designated hitter work. Even if the Brewers felt Yelich could shoulder a bigger workload in left field, Isaac Collins has played far too well to leave the lineup. It leaves Hoskins without a clear path to playing time once he’s ready to return, which could be within the next week or two.

Hoskins may be relegated to part-time first base and DH work. The veteran got out to a great start to the season, hitting .276/.374/.475 through the end of May. He’d slumped to a .170/.269/.330 line in the next five weeks leading up to the injury. The Brewers wouldn’t have considered replacing him with Vaughn despite the slump, but the injury and the latter’s performance changed the calculus.

Robert Gasser has been rehabbing in Triple-A for the past few weeks. The lefty is working back from last June’s elbow surgery. Gasser is closing in on reinstatement after throwing four scoreless innings and building to 52 pitches on Tuesday. He may only need one or two more minor league starts. According to the MLB.com injury tracker, the Brewers are weighing whether to keep him built up as a starter or kick him to the bullpen in anticipation of his likelier postseason role.

Gasser impressed with a 2.57 ERA over his first five big league starts last summer. The Brewers no doubt view him as a long-term starter but have sufficient rotation depth that he’s unlikely to get a starting job this season. Gasser still has a full slate of minor league options, so the Brewers could keep him in Nashville even after he returns from the injured list (though they’ll need to clear a spot for him on the 40-man roster).

Connor Brogdon Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Connor Brogdon has elected free agency, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The Angels had outrighted him to Triple-A earlier this week but he has exercised his right to reject that assignment. Players have the right to elect free agency in lieu of accepting an outright assignment if they have either three years of service time or a previous career outright. Brogdon qualifies on both counts.

Brogdon, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Halos in the offseason. He was called up to the big league club in early May. He gave the Angels 37 1/3 innings with a 5.30 earned run average. His 20.9% strikeout rate and 10.1% walk rate were both a bit worse than average. He eventually wore out his welcome with the Angels. Since he’s out of options, he had to be bumped off the 40-man completely. The 29 other clubs passed on the chance to grab him off waivers.

He’ll now see what opportunities are out there for him. The fact that he cleared waivers suggests that he’ll be limited to minor league offers. It’s possible some club out there sees a bit of upside. Brogdon had much better results a few years back. He tossed 113 innings for the Phillies over the 2020-22 seasons with a 3.42 ERA, 25.1% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate.

Things trended in the wrong direction from there. His ERA climbed a bit to 4.03 in 2023, while his strikeout and walk rates went in the wrong direction to 20.5% and 10.2% respectively. 2024 was mostly a lost season due to injuries. The Phils designated him for assignment early in the year. The Dodgers claimed him but plantar fasciitis limited him to just three big league innings.

This year’s results don’t qualify as a bounceback, but at least the stuff has improved. Brogdon averaged between 95 and 96 miles per hour on his fastball during those 2020-22 seasons. That dropped to 94.7 mph in 2023 and just 92.8 mph in last year’s tiny sample of work. He has got that back up to 95.5 mph so far in 2025. His cutter and changeup have similarly bounced back after recent drops.

Given his past success and recent uptick in velo, he should at least get some interest. All clubs need depth arms, given the rate of injuries in the modern era. If he signs somewhere before September 1st, he’ll be playoff eligible with that club, even if it’s just a minor league deal. He has just over four years of service, so he could also be retained beyond this year via arbitration if he’s on a 40-man roster at season’s end.

Photo courtesy of Ed Szczepanski, Imagn Images

Orioles Place Adley Rutschman On Injured List With Oblique Strain

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For the second time in three months, an oblique strain has sent Adley Rutschman to the injured list. Baltimore placed the switch-hitting catcher on the 10-day IL, retroactive to August 18, due to a right oblique injury. Outfielder Daniel Johnson is up from Triple-A Norfolk to take the vacated roster spot.

Rutschman missed five weeks between mid-June and the end of July with a left oblique strain. He’s now dealing with an injury to the opposite side. Interim skipper Tony Mansolino told reporters (including Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun) that it’s a “mild” strain. That’d seem to give Rutschman a shot to return this season, but even minor oblique strains usually cost a hitter a few weeks.

This has been a career-worst season for the two-time All-Star. Rutschman is batting .227/.310/.373 in 348 plate appearances. It’s his first subpar offensive showing in his four-year career. Last season’s .250/.318/.391 line was only narrowly better than average. Rutschman’s bat has fallen off since his excellent first two seasons.

The declining production comes as top catching prospect Samuel Basallo reaches the big leagues. Baltimore promoted the 21-year-old on Sunday. Basallo has started one game apiece at catcher and designated hitter. The initial plan was for Rutschman and Basallo to split catching work with a decent amount of DH at-bats for the rookie. Basallo will now be the #1 catcher while Rutschman is on the shelf. The youngster’s bat has long been ahead of his glove. A few weeks of regular reps behind the plate won’t entirely wipe away concerns about Basallo’s defense, but it should be a good developmental opportunity.

Baltimore was already operating with three catchers on the active roster. They didn’t want to lose the out-of-options Alex Jackson when they called up Basallo. Jackson will back him up for the time being. That meant they could add an extra outfielder, Johnson, in the corresponding move rather than bringing up another catcher.

Rays Promote Carson Williams

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5:20pm: The Rays have now made it official. Williams has been selected with Kim landing on the 10-day IL due to low back inflammation, retroactive to August 20th. Outfielder Stuart Fairchild has been transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot. Fairchild hit the 10-day IL July 22nd due to a right oblique strain. His 60-day count is retroactive to that initial IL placement, so he could be reinstated in late September if he’s healthy by then.

12:20pm: The Rays are calling up infield prospect Carson Williams, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. He will take the active roster spot of Ha-Seong Kim, who is going on the injured list, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Kim departed yesterday’s game due to back stiffness. The Rays will also need to open a 40-man roster spot.

Williams, 22, is the Rays’ top prospect and one of the top prospects in the entire league. The Rays took him 28th overall in the 2021 draft. He is currently ranked 74th overall at Baseball America, 14th at FanGraphs, 24th at ESPN and 47th at MLB Pipeline.

As can be seen from the disparity in those numbers, Williams is a divisive prospect. Keith Law of The Athletic gave him the #8 spot coming into the year but then did a midseason update of 60 names with Williams not getting a mention.

The gaps seem to be because Williams has a solid floor but big questions about his ceiling. He is considered a strong defender at short and a plus runner, which gives him the floor. Offensively, he has huge power but strikes out a ton. Prospect evaluators seem split on how much those strikeout concerns will undercut his future career as a big leaguer.

On the optimistic side, FanGraphs compares him to players like Elly De La Cruz, Oneil Cruz and Ezequiel Tovar, who have enough talent to work around strikeout totals. They suggest it’s possible Williams rounds into a player like Willy Adames at some point, while also nothing that an Adalberto Mondesí future seems possible.

Looking at traditional numbers, it’s easy to see the optimistic view. Williams hits about 20 home runs per year and steals 20-35 bases annually as well. From 2021 to 2024, across multiple levels, he stepped to the plate 1,578 times. He struck out in 30.6% of those but also drew walks at an 11.4% pace while hitting 62 home runs. His combined batting line of .256/.353/.478 translated to a 132 wRC+.

His 2025 performance highlights the pessimistic view and perhaps explains why Law bumped Williams off his midseason update. Williams has taken 451 plate appearances at the Triple-A level this year. He still has 23 home runs and 22 stolen bases, as well as a strong 12.4% walk rate, but a huge 34.1% strikeout rate has cut into his batting average and on-base percentage. His .213/.318/.447 line this year translates to a subpar 98 wRC+.

It’s quite difficult to succeed in the majors while striking out that often. Among qualified hitters this year, Cruz has the highest strikeout rate in the league at 31.9%. He has hit some huge bumbs but his .207/.304/.398 line translates to a wRC+ of 92. Players like Riley Greene and James Wood also have strikeout rates above 30% with more success, but it’s a tricky area to be in.

Clearly, there’s a wide range of possible outcomes here. If Williams can rein in the strikeouts or work around them, there’s star-level upside. The floor isn’t awful, as being a glove-first shortstop with speed can still be a useful player, but that’s something well below a star.

At some point, the Rays will have to put him in against big league pitching to see what happens, and now is a logical time. As mentioned, Kim is heading to the injured list, opening up playing time at shortstop. The club has fallen to 6.5 games out of a playoff spot. They’re not totally buried in the standings but probably leaning towards focusing more on the future than on 2025.

It also works out in terms of the prospect promotion incentive. A player can earn his club an extra draft pick if they are top prospects and hit certain criteria in terms of awards voting. A player is PPI eligible if he begins a season on two of the three top 100 lists from BA, ESPN and MLB Pipeline. If the club then promotes the player early enough in a season to earn a full service year, that club will get an extra draft pick if the player wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP or Cy Young voting during his pre-arbitration years.

It is now too late in the season for a player to get 45 days of service time. That means Williams will retain rookie status going into 2026 if the Rays keep him from getting to 130 at-bats. Assuming he still ranks on prospect lists going into 2026, he would be PPI eligible if the Rays put him on their Opening Day roster in 2026.

Photos courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Tigers To Select Drew Sommers

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The Tigers are calling up left-hander Drew Sommers, reports Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. Detroit will need to make corresponding moves to open space for him on the active and 40-man rosters.

Sommers, now 25, was an 11th-round pick of the Rays in 2022. He was flipped to the Tigers back in February with Mason Englert going the other way. Sommers is a pure reliever and hasn’t generated a lot of prospect hype but he has continued to put up good numbers in the minors. Overall, he has thrown 154 minor league innings with a 3.10 earned run average. His 29.8% strikeout rate and 7.1% walk rate are both good figures and he has also racked up huge amounts of ground balls.

That includes this year. Since coming over to the Tigers in that deal, he has thrown 57 innings, split between Double-A and Triple-A. He has a 2.53 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 63.8% ground ball rate.

He will now get a chance to try to carry those numbers over at the major league level. The Tigers currently have Tyler Holton as the only lefty in the bullpen, so Sommers will double the club’s southpaw contingent back there.

Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images

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