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Rockies Designate Dakota Hudson For Assignment

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The Rockies announced this morning that they’ve designated right-hander Dakota Hudson for assignment. The move clears a space on the active roster for right-hander Tanner Gordon, whose contract selection was previously reported ahead of his start against the Royals this afternoon. Colorado’s 40-man roster stands at 39.

Hudson, 30 in September, was non-tendered by the Cardinals back in November but signed with the Rockies on a one-year deal in early January. A first-round pick by St. Louis back in 2016, he made his big league debut with the club in 2018 and looked to be an impressive young arm and enjoyed notable success early in his career with a 3.17 ERA that was 31% better than league average in 241 innings of work during his first three years in the majors. Despite that success, there were some red flags evident in Hudson’s profile has he struck out just 18.1% of batters faced and walked 11.6%, leaving him with a lackluster 4.74 FIP. Hudson’s ability to generate grounders was his most valuable tool, and his 57.3% groundball rate during that period led all qualified major league hurlers.

Tommy John surgery wiped out almost all of Hudson’s 2021 campaign, and upon his return Hudson was unable to garner the same impressive results he had posted earlier in his career. In 221 innings of work with the Cardinals during the 2022 and 2023 seasons, Hudson struggled to a below-average 4.64 ERA with a nearly matching 4.60 FIP. He walked 10% of batters while striking out a meager 12.9% of his opponents, and with the results now matching the peripherals St. Louis opted to part ways with the righty rather than tender him a contract this year.

That led him to Colorado, and Hudson ultimately made 17 starts for the Rockies this year, pitching 86 1/3 innings. The results of those outings were nothing short of brutal. The right-hander’s ERA ballooned to 5.84 this year as he walked (11.8%) nearly as many batters has he struck out (12.3%) in 86 1/3 innings of work. While Hudson’s 52.4% grounder rate this year was still elite, that figure is a far cry from the aforementioned 57.3% rate that he posted prior to his surgery. Given the ghastly results and his overall diminished profile, it’s not necessarily a surprise that the Rockies have decided to pull the plug on Hudson’s tenure with the club. They’ll now have one week to either attempt to work out a trade for Hudson’s services or pass him through waivers, although the righty has enough service time that he would have the opportunity to reject an outright assignment should he clear waivers.

Pirates Place Bailey Falter On 15-Day IL, Select Brent Honeywell Jr.

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The Pirates announced a series of roster moves this morning, headlined by the club placing left-hander Bailey Falter on the 15-day Injured List. The club selected right-hander Brent Honeywell Jr. to take Falter’s spot on the active roster, and designated left-hander Justin Bruihl for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster for Honeywell. The club also activated catcher Henry Davis from the IL and optioned him to Triple-A.

Falter, 27, was removed from his start against the Mets yesterday after just two innings of work. As noted by Alex Stumpf of MLB.com, the club announced that lefty had been removed from the game due to left posterior arm discomfort. Falter was considered day-to-day after the game and received treatment from the club’s medical staff. The hurler seemed unfazed by the injury following the game, telling reporters (including Stumpf) that he wasn’t concerned and that they’d know more about the issue today.

It’s still not entirely clear how serious the injury is or how long Falter will be out, but the club will at least be without the southpaw for the next 15 days. That’s a significant blow to the Pirates’ rotation as Falter has provided steady back-of-the-rotation production for the club this year with a 4.08 ERA (100 ERA+) and 4.48 FIP in 90 1/3 innings of work this year. That loss becomes all the more significant given the club’s placement of right-hander Jared Jones on the shelf earlier this week due to a right lat strain, leaving the Pirates with just Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, and Martin Perez as healthy members of their regular starting rotation.

Right-hander Luis Ortiz is scheduled to make his second start of the year later today in Jones’s stead, but to replace Falter in the rotation it seems likely the club would have to dip into their minor league depth. Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft is one of the club’s top pitching prospects and is already on the 40-man roster, but only just recently came off the minor league IL and may not be ready for a promotion to the majors. That could leave Pittsburgh to turn to a non-roster veteran such as Jake Woodford or Domingo German in search of innings.

In the meantime, the club will turn to Honeywell in order to deepen their bullpen mix. The 29-year-old righty signed a minor league deal with Pittsburgh back in February and is best known for his time in the Rays system as a top prospect. A lengthy series of injuries that included Tommy John surgery and multiple elbow fractures left Honeywell to pitch just 103 1/3 innings in professional games from 2018 to 2022, but the righty nonetheless managed to make to the majors last year with the Padres. He posted a decent 4.05 ERA in 46 2/3 innings of work with the club but was pushed off the roster down the stretch last summer and ended up with the White Sox, with whom he was lit up for seven runs in just 5 2/3 innings of work.

In Triple-A with the Pirates this year, Honeywell has a 4.85 ERA in 39 innings of work with a 19.6% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. Making room for Honeywell on the 40-man roster is Bruihl, who the club signed to a major league deal last month. The lefty enjoyed some success with the Dodgers early in his career, pitching to a 3.65 ERA and 4.47 FIP in 65 appearances for the club from 2021 to 2023. Bruihl found himself shipped to Colorado at the trade deadline last year, however, and was lit up for seven runs (six earned) in 3 2/3 innings of work for the Rockies. The lefty struggled similarly during his time with Pittsburgh, posting a 9.53 ERA across seven appearances in a Pirates uniform.

Meanwhile, Davis is set to head back to the minors after being placed on the concussion IL last month. Joey Bart returned from the injured list at the end of June and reclaimed his spot alongside veteran Yasmani Grandal in the club’s catching tandem, leaving no room for the first overall selection of the 2021 draft in Pittsburgh’s catching mix. He’ll look to get regular reps behind the plate in Triple-A, although he clearly has nothing left to prove offensively in the minors given his career .336/.472/.629 slash line at the level.

Cubs To Select Hunter Bigge

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TODAY: Right-hander Colten Brewer is being placed on the 60-day injured list with a left hand fracture after punching a wall in frustration following his outing against the Angels yesterday, according to Patrick Mooney of The Athletic. The move clears space on the club’s 40-man and active rosters for the promotion of Bigge. Brewer, 31, has a 5.66 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with the Cubs this year despite a solid 3.12 FIP and a 23.2% strikeout rate.

July 6: The Cubs are poised to select the contract of right-hander Hunter Bigge, according to a report from MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. Chicago will need to make corresponding moves to clear space on both the active and 40-man rosters to accommodate Bigge’s selection prior to tomorrow’s game against the Angels.

Bigge, 26, was a 12th-round pick by the Cubs in the 2019 draft out of Harvard. He impressed in 16 innings of work between the rookie and Low-A levels of the minors the year he was drafted with a 1.13 ERA and a 34.4% strikeout rate in that cameo, but his developmental trajectory was thrown off course somewhat by the cancelled minor league season in 2020. The righty was assigned to the High-A level when minor league play resumed in 2021 but struggled with that assignment, posting a 5.66 ERA in 17 1/3 innings, and he struggled similarly in a 2022 campaign split between the High-A and Double-A levels.

Fortunately for Bigge, he started to turn things back around in Double-A last year. The right-hander posted a solid 3.50 ERA in 43 2/3 innings of multi-inning relief work at the level during the 2023 campaign, and he backed those numbers up with strong peripherals. His 28.8% strikeout rate was impressive and while his 11.4% walk rate was certainly elevated, he helped to make up for it by generating grounders at a strong 44.7% clip and allowing just three home runs. The 25-year-old’s performance was enough to earn him a call-up to the Triple-A level late last year, although he struggled badly in that assignment with an ugly 8.71 ERA in 10 1/3 innings that saw him allow more walks (13) than strikeouts (12).

Bigge’s return to Triple-A was slowed this year by an oblique injury that has cost him much of the season to this point, but after returning to the level on June 4 he’s done nothing but dominate. In 11 2/3 innings of work at the highest level of the minors this year, the righty has allowed just one run on a solo homer while striking out 44.2% of opponents. Walks are still a concern for Bigge, who has allowed free passes to 14% of opponents this year, but the Cubs clearly believe the 26-year-old is ready for his first taste of big league action and want to see how his high-octane arsenal led by an upper-90s fastball will play in the major leagues.

The bullpen has been something of an Achilles’ heel for the Cubs this year as they’ve scuffled to a 41-49 record despite the eighth-best rotation in baseball by ERA. The club’s top three leverage relievers from last season’s bullpen—Adbert Alzolay, Julian Merryweather, and Mark Leiter Jr.— are all currently on the injured list and have been joined by key offseason addition Yency Almonte. Meanwhile, top offseason relief signing Hector Neris has struggled badly with a 4.11 ERA and 5.02 FIP in 30 2/3 innings this year, leaving the club with very few reliable relief arms to lean on this year. That’s led the club to lean increasingly heavily on unproven youngsters like Luke Little and Porter Hodge to carry the load in the majors, and now Bigge figures to get a similar opportunity to prove himself capable of contributing to a big league relief corps low on quality options.

Marlins Activate Edward Cabrera From 60-Day IL

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The Marlins announced this morning that they’ve activated right-hander Edward Cabrera from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start against the White Sox this afternoon. To make room for Cabrera on the club’s active and 40-man rosters, Miami has designated right-hander Matt Andriese for assignment.

Cabrera, 26, was placed on the injured list in early May due to a shoulder impingement. It was the righty’s second trip to the IL of the year due to the issue, as he opened the season on the shelf but was activated in mid-April. The lingering shoulder woes may have contributed to the righty’s struggles on the mound across five starts this year, as he posted a 7.17 ERA (38% worse than league average by ERA+) across five starts despite a decent 4.20 FIP and an impressive 32% strikeout rate. Prior to his injury-marred 2024 campaign, Cabrera appeared to be an exciting up-and-coming rotation piece for the Marlins in recent years. The righty made 36 appearances (34 starts) for Miami between 2022 and 2023, and in those starts impressed with a 3.73 ERA and 4.50 FIP in 171 1/3 innings of work. While he struck out a strong 26.6% of batters faced during that time, his work also featured notable struggles with control as the righty walked 13.7% of batters faced during that time, including 15.2% of opponents last year.

Those control problems haven’t stopped Cabrera from commanding plenty of interest on the trade market when healthy, and it’s certainly possible that the righty could continue to attract the attention of buyers ahead of the trade deadline later this month if he can show that his injury woes are behind him in the coming weeks. The righty’s youth and length of team control as a player who won’t become a free agent until after the 2028 campaign make him an unusual trade candidate, but the Marlins have made clear that they have virtually no untouchable players as they look to rebuild under new president of baseball operations Peter Bendix.

That same youth and team control makes it easy to understand why teams would have interest in Cabrera, even with the control and injury concerns. Cabrera’s minimum salary this year and length of team control could make him a plausible trade target even for clubs just coming out of their own rebuilds or teams operating under tight budget restrictions. The Pirates, Reds, Brewers, and Guardians are among the teams that fit one or both of those descriptions and could benefit from the addition of a starting pitcher this summer, with Pittsburgh even having been connected to Cabrera this past winter. Of course, the right-hander would have to prove himself healthy and effective before he becomes a realistic trade candidate. He’ll get a relatively soft landing as he returns from the IL and attempts to do so, with his first start back coming against the White Sox at home later this afternoon.

As for Andriese, the 34-year-old journeyman was selected to the roster earlier this week. The righty has a 6.00 ERA across six innings of work with the Marlins this year, and the club will now have one week to either work out a trade involving the righty or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he clears waivers, Miami could outright him to the minors as non-roster depth, although Andriese would have the right to reject such an assignment in favor of free agency. The veteran has pitched in parts of eight majors league seasons and also spent the 2022 campaign pitching in Japan of Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yoimuri Giants. In 221 career games in the big leagues, Andriese has posted a 4.65 ERA and 4.23 FIP in 515 innings of work.

Will The Rangers Sell At The Deadline?

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The Rangers entered the 2024 season looking like a potential juggernaut. Not only was the club coming off a World Series championship in 2023, but they were looking forward to the rookie campaigns of top prospects Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford, which were widely expected to further bolster an excellent lineup anchored by 2023 AL MVP runner-up Corey Seager, third-place finisher Marcus Semien, and ALCS MVP Adolis Garcia. On the pitching side, the club had added a pair of back-end relievers to their shaky bullpen in the form of David Robertson and Kirby Yates.

While their rotation wouldn’t be at full strength entering the year, the promise of midseason reinforcements in the form of Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, and Tyler Mahle was more than enough to inspire confidence that Texas was on the right trajectory to return to the postseason and defend the first World Series title in franchise history. Projection systems felt similarly: PECOTA at Baseball Prospectus gave the Rangers strong playoff odds of 55.4% in their preseason projections. Those playoff odds have fallen to just 14.6% entering play today, however, and it’s not hard to see why.

Carter and Langford have both struggled to below average slash lines in their rookie seasons and have each spent time on the injured list this year. They were joined by young third baseman Josh Jung on the injured list, as the 26-year-old has made it into just four games this season amid a number of setbacks as he works his way back from an early-season wrist fracture. In addition to those youngsters not provided the offensive impact expected from them headed into the season, the club’s core hitters have also taken steps back after strong 2023 campaigns. Semien (90 wRC+) and Garcia (91 wRC+) have both been around 10% worse than league average at the plate this year after big seasons last year, while Seager’s 122 wRC+ is well above average but a far cry from the 6.1 fWAR campaign he posted last year that saw him finish second to only Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP voting.

The club has similarly struggled to get the most out of its role players. Utility bat Ezequiel Duran was an above-average hitter in 2023 but crashed back down to Earth this year, slashing just .256/.294/.324 (74 wRC+) before being optioned to the minors in late June. Catcher Jonah Heim as struggled similarly, with a 76 wRC+ just one year after pairing his Gold Glove defense behind the plate with an above average slash line. The one bright spot offensively has been infielder Josh Smith, who has broken out in a big way and slashed .293/.386/.451 (139 wRC+) as the club’s regular third baseman in Jung’s absence.

All those offensive woes have added up to a 41-48 record for the Rangers, and things get all the more worrisome when you consider the fact that they’ve won just 25 of their 59 games since May 1. The club’s .424 winning percentage over that span is roughly on par with the record the Angels have posted this year. Between the pronounced struggles at the plate this year and their familiar struggles in the bullpen (their relievers’ 4.46 ERA is second-worst among all AL clubs), Rangers brass have been left in the uncomfortable situation of having to seriously consider a sell-off just months after parading through Dallas in celebration of championship.

The club certainly has pieces to sell if that’s the route they choose to take. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported earlier this morning that rival GMs “expect” the Rangers to make several notable pitchers on expiring contracts available. That group is led by Scherzer but also includes Robertson, Yates, Andrew Heaney, and Michael Lorenzen. Each of those arms would surely receive plenty of interest on a trade market that’s facing a relative dearth of quality pitching options, particularly when looking at rental starting pitching. Each of Scherzer, Heaney, and Lorenzen would fall into that latter category, while Robertson has been dealt at each of the past two trade deadlines. Yates could be among the most coveted relievers dealt this summer if the Rangers were to decide to move him given his eye-popping 0.86 ERA, 35.8% strikeout rate, and history as an All-Star caliber closer who led the majors with 41 saves back in 2019.

With so many interesting pieces to sell and the club falling further behind the Mariners and Astros in the AL West by the day, it’s easy to make the argument that the team ought to pull the plug on 2024 and start focusing on the future, when Seager will be joined in the lineup by a healthy Jung and the club’s pair of rookies in the outfield will have another year of development under their belts. Appealing as that might seem from an outside perspective, however, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News noted this morning that GM Chris Young made clear to reporters yesterday that the club has not yet decided on a path for the trade deadline, and is still open to the possibility the club plays their way back into contention.

“I believe in this team,” Young said, as relayed by Grant. “I believe they are capable of a run. We just have to put ourselves in a better position so that nothing is insurmountable. This team had a 40-20 run last year. It’s in there.”

There’s certainly reasons for the Rangers to hold out hope the club can fight their way back into contention this year. Semien will celebrate his 34th birthday in September, and as he enters his mid-30’s it’s fair to wonder if this year’s meager .232/.296/.383 slash line is closer to what he’ll produce going forward than last year’s more impressive .276/.348/.478 line. 31-year-old Garcia and 30-year-old Seager are both younger than Semien but also now on the wrong side of 30, and that’s not to mention the uncertainty surrounding 36-year-old deGrom and his checkered injury history. Semien, Seager, and deGrom are due a combined $98.5MM in 2025. With so much money tied up in that trio and key pieces like Scherzer and Eovaldi on the verge of free agency, it’s fair to wonder if this year may be the club’s best shot at another postseason run with their current group.

With just over three weeks remaining until the trade deadline on July 30, how will the Rangers proceed? Have your say in the poll below:

Will The Rangers Sell Off At The Trade Deadline?
No, the Rangers won't sell and will try to return to the playoffs. 54.63% (1,783 votes)
Yes, the Rangers will be sellers this summer. 45.37% (1,481 votes)
Total Votes: 3,264

Rockies To Select Tanner Gordon

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The Rockies are selecting the contract of right-hander Tanner Gordon, according to Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette. Gordon will start the club’s game against the Royals this afternoon in what will be his MLB debut. The Rockies will need to make a corresponding to make room for Gordon on the active roster, but a 40-man roster move won’t be necessary thanks to the open space the club has after Elehuris Montero was designated for assignment last week.

Gordon, 26, was a sixth-round pick by the Braves in the 2019 draft who joined the Rockies as part of the Pierce Johnson trade last summer alongside righty Victor Vodnik. Gordon was struggling badly at the Triple-A level for Atlanta at the time of the trade, with an 8.28 ERA in 29 1/3 innings of work, but looked much better across six starts at the level with Colorado. In those 31 1/3 frames of work, Gordon posted a 4.31 ERA while striking out 24.1% of batters faced and walking 7.1%.

Those solid results offered reason for optimism that Gordon could contribute in the majors sometime in 2024, but the Rockies nonetheless chose to leave the righty off their 40-man roster over the winter. Fortunately for them, Gordon was not selected in the Rule 5 Draft back in December and reported back to Triple-A for the 2024 campaign. The righty’s seven starts this year have not been quite as fruitful as his time in the organization last season. In 33 2/3 innings of work at Triple-A this year, Gordon has struggled to a 5.35 ERA while striking out a noticeably reduced 18.5% of batters faced. While his 5.5% walk rate is impressive, Gordon’s dip in strikeouts and subsequently lessened production are both cause for concern.

Those potential issues won’t stop the Rockies from giving Gordon a taste of the big league level in a spot start today, however. The righty’s first assignment in the majors will be a fairly tough one, as he’ll be matched up against a Royals club that has surged into surprise contention this year while pitching his first game at Coors Field. Gordon will be taking the ball in place of right-hander Ryan Feltner, who was scheduled to start today. It’s not currently clear if Gordon is simply making a spot start to afford the club’s regular starters additional rest or if he’s going to be a more permanent fixture in the club’s rotation, though with rumors swirling around Feltner, Cal Quantrill, and Austin Gomber it’s possible a trade could open up a more permanent spot in the rotation for Gordon in the coming weeks.

Padres Place Yu Darvish On Restricted List

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The Padres have placed right-hander Yu Darvish on the restricted list, as manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union Tribune) this evening. Shildt noted that Darvish is stepping away from the team while he deals with “a personal matter involving his family.” The issue does not have to do with anything physical, and Shildt did not comment on the veteran’s timeline for return to the club.

Players on the restricted list do not count against their club’s 40-man roster and collect neither their salary nor MLB service time, meaning that Darvish will forfeit a pro-rated amount of his $16MM salary for the 2024 season for the length of his absence from the team. The right-hander last appeared in a game for the Padres on May 29 and was placed on the injured list due to a left groin strain shortly thereafter. Reporting in late June indicated that the veteran was nearing a return from the injured list but had been slowed by a bout of inflammation in his right elbow. According to MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Darvish had subsequently resumed playing catch as he worked his way back toward the big league mound but will now seemingly step away from the team for an indefinite period.

Darvish, 38 in August, is a five-time All Star and veteran of 12 MLB seasons. The righty joined the Padres during the 2020-21 offseason after the club acquired him from the Cubs alongside catcher Victor Caratini in exchange for right-hander Zach Davies and a package of four prospects. At the time, Darvish was coming off a dominant 2020 campaign that earned him a second-place finish in NL Cy Young award voting that year. While the righty’s work in San Diego hasn’t quite measured up to the incredible 2.01 ERA (224 ERA+) and 2.23 FIP he posted in 76 innings during the 60-game season, he’s nonetheless been a reliable presence at the front of the Padres rotation.

In 95 starts for the club, Darvish has posted a solid 3.80 ERA with an even stronger 3.69 FIP and an impressive 26.2% strikeout rate. That work impressed Padres brass enough that they opted to extend Darvish with a five-year, $90MM contract that began this season and will run through the 2028 campaign. The surprising commitment was looking good through 11 starts this year, as Darvish had dominated to the tune of a 3.20 ERA (126 ERA+) and a 3.51 FIP in 56 1/3 innings before he was placed on the IL at the start of June.

The news is a blow to the Padres’ rotation depth, as the club has relied in recent weeks on the likes of Randy Vasquez, Matt Waldron, and Adam Mazur to round out the club’s rotation behind Dylan Cease and Michael King amid injuries to Darvish and fellow veteran righty Joe Musgrove. With Musgrove expected to remain out until at least August due to a bone spur in his elbow that’s caused inflammation and now Darvish out indefinitely, the news serves to highlight San Diego’s rotation needs ahead of the trade deadline later this month.

The club’s 49-43 record puts them comfortably in the second of three NL Wild Card spots, and their offense ranks fourth in the majors with a wRC+ of 114.  Unfortunately, they’ve been held back by a relatively lackluster rotation that ranks just 19th in the majors with a 4.09 ERA this year. Given the uncertainty surrounding when Musgrove and Darvish will be back in the rotation for the club, it makes plenty of sense for them to explore a rotation market that figures to feature players such as Garrett Crochet, Jack Flaherty, and Cal Quantrill.

Astros Notes: Alvarez, Altuve, Tucker

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Star Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez departing today’s loss against the Twins after getting struck in the leg by a pitch. Manager Joe Espada told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) after the game that Alvarez is “feeling sore” as he nurses the issue, which has been termed a right knee contusion, but that the club has not sent the 27-year-old for any testing.

Alvarez himself spoke to reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) after the game as well, telling them through an interpreter that he was hit on the same spot on his knee a couple of weeks ago and that the inflammation from that previous incident had not yet fully gone away when he was struck this afternoon. Alvarez acknowledged he was in “a lot of pain” following the game but suggested that he and the club would see how he feels tomorrow before making any decisions regarding his status.

It’s the second consecutive day the Astros have lost a key player to a hit by pitch, as star second baseman Jose Altuve was removed from yesterday’s game after getting struck in the wrist by a pitch. Altuve wasn’t in the club’s lineup for today’s game, but Kawahara notes that x-rays on the veteran’s wrist came back negative and that the star expected not to miss much time due to the issue. That may still be the case even after he was absent from today’s lineup, as Espada told reporters (including Kawahara) today that Altuve was available off the bench to pinch hit if necessary today, although youngster Grae Kessinger was the one who ultimately replaced Alvarez at DH.

The fact that Altuve, who has slashed an excellent .310/.360/.466 (136 wRC+) across 86 games this year in his 14th year suiting up for the Astros in the majors, is seemingly poised to avoid the IL is surely a relief for fans in Houston as the club attempts to chase down the Mariners in the AL West. Unfortunately, Alvarez may be even more important to the club’s offense. The slugger has hit at his typical elite level this year, slashing .300/.383/.548 with a 158 wRC+ that ranks ninth in the majors across 371 trips to the plate. For an Astros club that has gotten less offensive output than expected from key pieces like Alex Bregman, Yainer Diaz, and Chas McCormick, the offense both Alvarez and Altuve provide in the lineup is all the more important, and even a brief absence for either player would be troubling.

While two of the club’s star hitters are dealing with injury issues, a third is making progress toward a return from the IL. Espada also told reporters (including McTaggart) today that outfielder Kyle Tucker did some jogging yesterday as he works his way back from a shin contusion that’s kept him on the injured list for the past month. Espada added that Tucker has also been playing catch and has resumed hitting off a pitching machine. Tucker isn’t expected to return to the club until after the All Star break at this point, but the fact that he’s begun doing some light running and basic drills is an encouraging step forward for a player Houston figures to rely on heavily in the second half.

Prior to being placed on the shelf last month, the 27-year-old was in the midst of a career year, even compared to the standards set by his All-Star campaigns in 2022 and ’23. In 60 games this season prior to going on the shelf, Tucker slashed an incredible .266/.395/.584 with a 174 wRC+. While Tucker’s surprisingly low .245 BABIP holds his overall line down slightly, the outfielder was walking (17.6%) more than he struck out (15.6%) and had slugged 19 homers in just 262 trips to the plate prior to his injury. If he can post numbers in a similar vicinity upon his return to action, Tucker will add another key cog to the club’s lineup and surely help shoulder the load that Alvarez and Altuve have taken on in his absence.

Red Sox Acquire Trey Wingenter

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9:19PM: Wingenter has an assignment clause in his contract, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, and as such will need to be added to the club’s 40-man roster in the coming days. No corresponding move has been announced by the Red Sox to this point.

8:36PM: The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Trey Wingenter from the Tigers in exchange for minor league righty CJ Weins per an announcement from both clubs. Wingenter was in the Tigers organization on a minor league deal and does not need to be immediately added to the club’s 40-man roster.

Wingenter, 30, has pitched in parts of three MLB seasons and most recently appeared in the majors as a member of the Tigers last year. The right-hander was a 17th-round pick by the Padres in the 2017 draft and made his debut with the club in 2018. Over two seasons with San Diego, the righty posted a lackluster 5.14 ERA in 70 innings of work, although his peripheral numbers suggested a stronger underlying performance that those run prevention numbers may have suggested. The righty struck out a whopping 33.1% of batters faced during his time with the Padres, and that was enough to garner him a 3.79 FIP despite a 13% walk rate and a 12.7% home run to fly ball ratio that both left something to be desired.

The righty wouldn’t resurface at the big league level until 2023, as a member of the Tigers. His time in Detroit went similarly to his time in San Diego, as he posted a lackluster 5.82 ERA while a big strikeout rate (28.9% in 17 innings) outweighed his elevated walk rate (9.2%) and proclivity towards home runs enough to give him solid peripheral numbers. One noticeable change from his time with the Padres was his groundball rate, however. Wingenter didn’t garner many grounders during his time with the Padres, inducing them at only a 35.7% clip, but that rate shot up 43.2% with the Tigers.

Wingenter ended up remaining with Detroit entering the 2024 campaign after re-signing with the club on a fresh minor league deal this past winter. While he hasn’t pitched for the club in the majors this season, he’s posted generally impressive numbers at the Triple-A level with a 3.31 ERA in 32 2/3 innings of work this year. He’s paired those strong results with his typical bat-missing stuff, as he’s struck out 32.9% of batters faced at the level this year while walking 11.6%. Notably, he’s continued to show improvement in terms of his batted ball profile, as he’s induced grounders at a strong 48% clip this season in Triple-A.

In heading to Boston, Wingenter joins a stockpile of interesting bullpen arms the club has on non-roster deals as potential depth options behind their current group. With that being said, it’s worth noting that much of that group (such as Lucas Luetge and Joely Rodriguez) throw from the left side, meaning Wingenter could be the club’s top non-roster depth option from the right side. With Chris Martin and Liam Hendriks both currently on the injured list, it’s at least plausible that the loss of one of Kenley Jansen, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, or Zack Kelly could lead the Red Sox to turn to Wingenter over either Alex Speas or Isaiah Campbell, both of whom are currently at the Triple-A level but already occupy spots on the 40-man roster. It’s also possible that the club could be intrigued enough by Wingenter’s high strikeout rates to give him a more immediate look in the majors, though such a move would require selecting him to the club’s 40-man roster.

In exchange for adding Wingenter to their depth chart, the Red Sox are giving up Weins. The 23-year-old was Boston’s sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft and pitched just one inning in rookie ball last year before being promoted to Single-A to start the 2024 campaign. In 24 1/3 innings of work with the club’s affiliate in Salem this year, Weins has posted a lackluster 4.81 ERA with a solid 26.6% strikeout rate but a worrisome 14.7% walk rate. Those solid strikeout numbers give reason for hope that the righty could be a valuable piece of a big league bullpen someday if he can work out his control issues, and the Tigers now figure to work towards guiding Weins toward that goal going forward.

Cubs Notes: Hendricks, Assad, Rotation

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Veteran right-hander Kyle Hendricks exited his start against the Angels today after just two innings of work, replaced by right-hander Colten Brewer to start the third inning. The Cubs later announced (as relayed by Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic) that Hendricks had exited his start due to lower back tightness.

The 2024 season has been a brutal one for the 34-year-old righty, as he’s struggled to an eye-popping 7.48 ERA with a 5.34 FIP in 61 1/3 innings of work entering play today. That rough performance saw the righty move to the bullpen earlier this season, although injuries elsewhere on the roster combined with a month’s worth of solid results (he posted a 2.67 ERA and 2.97 FIP in 27 inning from May 23 to June 25) allowed him to move back into the rotation in late June. Now, his status appears to be in question once again after his exit today due to an injury similar to one Hendricks already missed three weeks due to earlier this year.

Fortunately, Hendricks told reporters (as noted by Tony Andracki of Marquee Sports Network) after the game that the issue isn’t the same problem that caused him to miss time back in May. The veteran noted that he first felt his back lock up yesterday, and that while the pain lingered today he and the club decided to go ahead with his start in hopes he could manage the tightness. Hendricks expressed confidence that he would be able to make his next start, although manager Craig Counsell was more cautious, noting that it wasn’t yet clear if Hendricks would be ready to take the ball in time.

That could be a problem for the Cubs, as while they have a day off on Monday they’re scheduled to play seven games in six days after that in the run-up to the All Star break, including a doubleheader against the Cardinals on July 13. If Hendricks is unable to make one of those starts, that would leave the Cubs with just three healthy regular starters (Justin Steele, Shota Imanaga, and Jameson Taillon) amid injuries to Javier Assad, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks. Swingman Hayden Wesneski has joined the rotation in recent days despite struggling badly in the bullpen throughout the month of June and figures to continue chipping in for starts while the rest of the rotation gets healthy, but if Hendricks is unable to make one of those starts that still leaves the club in need of two more starters before the break.

Counsell suggested to reporters (including Andracki) after the game that Assad could return from the right forearm extensor strain that sidelined him late last month in time to make one of those starts, noting that the club is “optimistic” that he can contribute in the big leagues next weekend. If Assad, who has posted a solid 3.04 ERA across 16 starts despite a middling 4.16 FIP this year, can return while Hendricks avoids an IL stint of his own that would solve the club’s short-term rotation questions. If Hendricks doesn’t recover quickly enough to take the ball over the weekend, however, that would leave the club in search of innings just before the All Star break.

Speculatively speaking, the Cubs could tap veteran southpaw Drew Smyly to make one of those starts. The lefty started 23 games for Chicago last year but has been used exclusively out of the bullpen to this point in the 2024 campaign and last threw even 40 pitches in an outing back on April 5. Top prospect Cade Horton is at the Triple-A level but won’t be an option amid a shutdown due to a subscapularis strain last month. Journeyman lefty Thomas Pannone has made 18 starts for the club at Triple-A this year, but has posted mediocre results (4.57 ERA in 86 2/3 innings) and would need to be added to the club’s 40-man roster. A bullpen game could be another possibility for the club, but that may be a tall order for a relief corps that has already lost Wesneski to the rotation while Yency Almonte, Adbert Alzolay, Julian Merryweather, and Mark Leiter Jr. are all shelved with injuries of their own and had to cover seven innings in relief of Hendricks today.

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