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Taylor Walls Undergoes Sports Hernia Surgery

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Rays infielder Taylor Walls underwent season-ending sports hernia surgery, manager Kevin Cash tells Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times. Walls has been on the injured list since August 12 with what was initially diagnosed as a left groin strain. He’s expected to be ready for Spring Training.

This has been a typical season for Walls, a light-hitting defensive specialist. He hit .220/.280/.319 with four home runs through 317 plate appearances. The Florida State product owns a .195/.286/.298 batting line in more than 1500 career trips. Walls’ value comes entirely from his glove. While Statcast’s Outs Above Average has him as a roughly neutral defender, Defensive Runs Saved grades him as a plus gloveman at each of second base, third base and shortstop.

Walls was the starting shortstop with Ha-Seong Kim on the injured list for a good chunk of the season. Tampa Bay traded José Caballero and waived Kim. They’ve promoted top prospect Carson Williams to take over at shortstop and would have used Walls as a utility player if he’d been healthy. Williams and Junior Caminero are the hopeful long-term pairing on the left side of the infield. The Rays have another club option on Brandon Lowe but could field trade offers over the winter.

The Rays have a $2.45MM club option or $50K buyout on Walls’ services for next year. They could decline the option and go through the arbitration process. He’s controllable for two more seasons in either case.

NPB’s Kazuma Okamoto, Tatsuya Imai Expected To Be Posted For MLB Teams

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7:34pm: Jon Heyman of The New York Post writes that Okamoto and Imai are indeed both expected to be posted this offseason.

12:24pm: Every offseason, a handful of high-profile players from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball and the Korea Baseball Organization in South Korea either reach true free agency or are made available to MLB teams by way of the posting system. We already know that slugging third baseman Munetaka Murakami (NPB’s Yakult Swallows) and steady right-hander Kona Takahashi (NPB’s Seibu Lions) will be posted this winter. Breakout infielder Sung Mun Song (KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes) is hoping to be posted for big league clubs as well. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports this morning that Yomiuri Giants third baseman Kazuma Okamoto and Seibu Lions righty Tatsuya Imai are also hoping to be posted by their clubs and make the jump to Major League Baseball.

The hope of being posted is notable, but that also does not guarantee either player will be available to North American clubs this winter. Yakyu Cosmopolitan — a terrific source for English-speaking fans with an interest in Japanese baseball — points out that NPB’s Giants are a typically anti-posting club who rarely make their stars available to MLB teams. Okamoto is the Giants’ captain. The Lions are more amenable to posting players, but they’ve already agreed to post Takahashi. Posting two members of their rotation would be difficult, but YC notes that Imai would be a true free agent after the 2026 season. The Lions could lose him for nothing in the 2026-27 offseason anyhow.

Okamoto turned 29 in June. He’s a six-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner who’s thrice led NPB in home runs. He missed more than three months of the current season after injuring his elbow in a collision at first base, but he’s healthy again and is batting .304/.385/.585 with 11 homers, 13 doubles, a triple and nearly as many walks (10.2%) as strikeouts (11.2%) in 196 plate appearances. Okamoto averaged 34 homers per season from 2018-23, “slipped” to 27 last year, and is now homering at the third-best rate of his career (once every 17.8 plate appearances).

Okamoto has been on the radar of MLB scouts for several years now, but if the Giants are going to post him, this will be the time to do it. Like Imai, he’ll have the requisite nine years of service to become a true free agent after the 2026 season. That hasn’t stopped the Yomiuri club from holding onto stars in the past. However, if Okamoto is set on eventually making a move to North America, the Giants’ decision boils down to posting him now and reaping a notable sum via the posting system or allowing him to walk with no compensation next winter.

The right-handed-hitting Okamoto played primarily third base early in his NPB career, but he’s seen significant time at first and has a handful of starts in the outfield corners as well. Okamoto has split his time between the corners this year but was primarily a first baseman in 2024. Sports Info Solutions credited him with the Fielding Bible Award as NPB’s best defender at first base in 2024, and Passan suggests that some MLB teams feel he’s better suited at first than at third.

Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs agrees, labeling Okamoto as a “likely first-base-only defender” in the majors but crediting his plus power and consistent ability to pull the ball with authority. Longenhagen notes that, as is the case with most NPB hitters, there are questions about Okamoto’s ability to hit big league fastballs. The average NPB fastball is around 91 mph, compared to this year’s 94.4 mph average four-seamer in MLB (via Statcast). Longenhagen writes that Okamoto’s numbers against heaters greater than 94 mph “fall off a cliff.” It’s a valid concern, though the counter is always that a hitter could potentially adapt to better velocity when seeing it more frequently. That uncertainty will be baked into eventual price of a free agent contract if Okamoto is posted.

Even if Okamoto is limited to primarily playing first base, he’s a good defender there by all accounts. He has plus power, improving contact skills and draws plenty of walks. Since settling in as a regular in his age-22 season, Okamoto is a .276/.360/.524 hitter with an average of 39 homers per 162 games played. He currently has a career-low strikeout rate and the second-best ISO (slugging minus batting average) of his career. If he’s posted, there will surely be multi-year interest from MLB clubs.

Imai’s possible addition to the market is arguably even more intriguing, given the heavy price teams are willing to pay for prime-aged pitching. The 5’11” righty won’t turn 28 until next May. He’s in the midst of a career-best season, sporting a comical 1.50 ERA with a 28.8% strikeout rate and 6.7% walk rate in 143 2/3 innings. Dating back to the 2022 season, Imai boasts a sensational 2.10 earned run average. Passan notes that the right-hander sits 95 mph with his heater and tops out at 99 mph, giving him the sort of power arsenal that’s quite rare in NPB.

An ankle injury held him to nine games back in 2022, but Imai has topped 130 innings in three seasons since and is averaging seven innings per start for a second consecutive season. He’s on pace for back-to-back seasons of more than 170 innings. (Bear in mind that the NPB season is 144 games, not 162 as in MLB, and Japanese pitchers typically only start once per week.) Imai currently ranks seventh in NPB in innings pitched, and the six names ahead of him all have at least one extra start over him. He’s averaged more innings per start than all but one of those pitchers ahead of him on that leaderboard.

Passan writes that he polled more than a dozen scouts and front office executives on the type of contract Imai could command, with estimates ranging from $80MM on the low end to nearly $200MM on the high end. He’ll be three years older than Yoshinobu Yamamoto was when he landed his precedent-setting $325MM contract with the Dodgers but two years younger than Shota Imanaga was when he signed a four-year, $53MM deal that now looks like a bargain for the Cubs (and still will even after Chicago picks up an option to push the deal to $80MM over five years).

If Imai is posted, he’ll join Dustin May and Michael Soroka as free agent starters heading into their age-28 seasons. Imai would have considerably more earning power than either, as big league teams will pay a premium for his power arsenal and the allure of the unknown. Based on Imai’s age, arsenal and recent track record, there’s a chance that he could be the highest-paid pitcher of the entire free agent class this winter — if the Lions eventually choose to make him available.

For those in need of a refresher, the MLB-NPB posting system allows Japanese teams to post their players for all 30 MLB teams at their discretion. Players that are 25 or older and have six-plus years of experience can sign major league contracts for any length and any amount. When a player is posted, that opens a 45-day window for him to negotiate with any and all interested MLB clubs.

When a deal is reached, the MLB team must pay a posting/release fee to the player’s former NPB club. That sum is equal to 20% of the contract’s first $25MM, 17.5% of the next $25MM and 15% of any money thereafter. That sum comes in addition to the contract. Any down-the-road earnings (e.g. club options, performance bonuses, etc.) are also factored in once they become guaranteed. For instance, if Imai were to sign a $125MM contract with an eventual club option for $25MM, his MLB team would owe the Lions an additional $3.75MM (15%) upon exercising that club option.

Dodgers Designate Alexis Díaz For Assignment

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The Dodgers announced that they have selected the contract of catcher Ben Rortvedt, a move that was previously reported. In corresponding moves, they optioned infielder Alex Freeland and designated right-hander Alexis Díaz for assignment.

Díaz, 28, was Cincinnati’s closer not too long ago but has fallen on hards times lately. In 2023, he racked up 37 saves for the Reds. He posted a 3.07 earned run average over his 67 1/3 innings. His 12.6% walk rate was too high but he struck out 30.1% of batters faced. He kept it going in 2024 but with some signs of worry. He added another 28 saves with a 3.99 ERA but his strikeout rate dropped all the way to 22.7%.

Despite the trend lines moving the wrong direction, the Reds still tendered him a contract. He had qualified for arbitration for the first time going into 2025, with exactly three years of service. He and the Reds avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $4.5MM salary.

Things have gone from bad to worse this year. He started the season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain. He was reinstated by mid-April but the Reds had Emilio Pagán closing games and didn’t commit to Díaz retaking the ninth inning job. Díaz then allowed eight earned runs in his first six innings with just three strikeouts but five walks, in addition to hitting two batters.

The Reds optioned him to the minors at the start of May. Things didn’t get much better down on the farm. In 13 2/3 innings for Louisville, he had a 22.9% strikeout rate but walked 12 opponents, a 17.1% clip. He hit another two batters and also uncorked two wild pitches. The Reds then traded him to the Dodgers in what was essentially a salary dump deal. The player they got back, right-hander Mike Villani, was a 22-year-old with just two professional innings under his belt at the time.

The Dodgers initially sent Díaz to their Arizona facilities to try to get him back on track. His small sample of major league work since then has been decent enough. In nine innings, he has allowed five earned runs via seven hits, two walks and hitting two batters while striking out nine. But he has also thrown ten Triple-A innings, allowing nine earned runs via seven hits, eight walks and hitting three batters while striking out ten.

It seems that the Dodgers have seen enough and are willing to risk losing Díaz to another club. It will be interesting to see if there’s any interest in a claim. The short-term benefits would be minimal. Now that it’s September, Díaz wouldn’t be postseason eligible with a claiming club. He’s a likely non-tender candidate, given this year’s struggles.

On the other hand, there is theoretical upside. Due to spending most of this year in the minors, Díaz can still be controlled for another three years after this one. It also means he won’t be able to command a notable arbitration raise for the 2026 season. If some club out there sees a path to getting him back on track, perhaps they would consider grabbing him now. Tendering him a contract for $4-5MM next year would be akin to signing someone like Ryne Stanek or Jonathan Loáisiga, who signed one-year deals in that range last offseason.

Though if the Dodgers can’t figure him out, that doesn’t leave a lot of hope for other clubs. And he is still owed about $580K this year, which is a decent amount for a struggling reliever who can’t even help in the postseason. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he will almost certainly stick with the Dodgers as non-roster depth. Since he has three years of service, he will have the right to elect free agency. But since he has less than five, he would have to forfeit that remaining money in exercising that right.

Freeland came into the year as one of the club’s top prospects. He got called up in late July as several infielders were dealing with injuries. He slashed just .190/.292/.310 in his first 97 plate appearances and a few infielders have come off the IL in the interim. He’ll make way for the club to carry three catchers, at least for as long as Will Smith is injured. It’s not uncommon for prospects to struggle when first promoted, so Freeland could still be a big part of the club’s future, but he’ll head back to the minors for now.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images

Royals Place Seth Lugo On Injured List

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The Royals announced that they have placed right-hander Seth Lugo on the 15-day injured list due to a lower back strain. Righty Stephen Kolek has been recalled as the corresponding move. Prior to the official announcement, manager Matt Quatraro relayed the moves to reporters, including Anne Rogers of MLB.com.

Lugo was initially slated to start today’s game but the Royals announced yesterday that he would no longer be starting that game due to some low back tightness. Noah Cameron is taking the ball instead. Lugo could have been an option for Saturday’s game but he didn’t feel any improvement while playing catch today, so he’s going on the IL.

It’s an unfortunate and ill-timed loss for the Royals. They are 2.5 games back of a playoff spot with just a few weeks remaining in the season. They are still alive but need a lot to go right in order to catch both the Rangers and Mariners to get into postseason position.

Losing Lugo won’t help as he’s been a key part of the club’s rotation since the start of last year. He and the Royals recently agreed to a new contract extension to keep him from opting out of his deal at season’s end. Though he’s been good this year on the whole, it’s possible the back issue has been bothering him lately. Through his start on August 3rd, he had an earned run average of 3.06 on the year. Over his past five starts, he has allowed 25 earned runs in 22 innings.

Whether the back had anything to do with that recent rough stretch or not, he’ll take some time to try to get right. His IL placement is retroactive to September 1st, so he could be back in just 12 days if he feels better. That could give him a chance to make a few more starts down the stretch, though that will naturally depend upon his progress in the coming weeks.

For now, Kolek will seemingly take his spot, at least for one turn. Acquired as part of the Freddy Fermin trade at the deadline, Kolek has mostly been in the minors since that deal. He made his Royals debut on Saturday, tossing six innings with just one run crossing the plate. He was sent back down after that, as it was just supposed to be a spot start. However, his decent results and Lugo’s injury will get him at least one more. He is eligible to return less than 15 days after being optioned because Lugo is going on the IL.

Kolek had primarily been a reliever in the 2022 to 2024 seasons but has been stretched back out here in 2025. Between the Padres and Royals, he has made 15 starts with a 3.99 ERA. His 16.5% strikeout rate is subpar but his 7.3% walk rate and 51.9% ground ball rate are both strong figures. His Triple-A production is similar under the hood. He has made 11 starts down there with an 18.6% strikeout rate, 6.8% walk rate and 54.1% ground ball rate. However, a .400 batting average on balls in play has helped spike his ERA to 6.26 at that level.

Photo courtesy of David Banks, Imagn Images

Dodgers To Select Ben Rortvedt

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The Dodgers are going to select catcher Ben Rortvedt to their roster, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. That’s to give the club another catcher for the next few days as it’s unlikely Will Smith will play this weekend. Ardaya noted earlier that Dalton Rushing will start tonight, so Rortvedt will presumably back him up while Smith rests. Corresponding moves will be required to add Rortvedt to the active and 40-man rosters.

The issue stems from last night, when Smith was struck by a foul ball on his throwing hand, as seen in this video from MLB.com. Per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times, Smith is getting a CT scan today which will determine if he needs to go on the injured list. Even if he avoids the IL, he’s going to miss a few days. The Dodgers naturally don’t want to play with Rushing as their only catcher, so they are adding Rortvedt to give them a bit of cover.

Losing Smith for any amount of time is a blow. He has a .296/.405/.497 batting line and 153 wRC+ this year. His glovework isn’t particularly well regarded but he has nonetheless been credited with 4.1 wins above replacement this year by FanGraphs. Naturally, the Dodgers will be hoping he can be back after a few days. At this time of year, anything longer than a day-to-day issue runs the risk of pushing through the end of the regular season.

Rushing will try to make up some of the slack. He has only hit .190/.256/.293 in his first 129 big league plate appearances but in sporadic playing time while backing up Smith. He has far better minor league numbers and it’s possible he could get into a better groove with more reps. Though if Smith is back in a few days, that may be a moot point.

Rortvedt, 27, seemed to establish himself as a legit big league catcher with the Rays last year. He got into 112 games and slashed .228/.317/.303 in 328 plate appearances. His 87 wRC+ indicates he was 13% below the league average hitter, but backstops are usually about 10% below par, so that’s decent enough for a backup. Given his solid defensive grades, he was credited with 1.4 fWAR last year.

Unfortunately, he didn’t carry that over into 2025. Through late May, he had a .095/.186/.111 slash line. He was designated for assignment and no club claimed him off waivers. A couple of months later, the Dodgers picked up him as part of a three-team trade with the Rays and Reds. The Dodgers subtracted some catching depth in that deal by sending Hunter Feduccia to Tampa but got back prospect Adam Serwinowski and reliever Paul Gervase.

Rortvedt effectively replaced Feduccia as the Dodgers’ #3 catcher. He hasn’t been having a good season in the minors either, with a combined .205/.299/.333 line and 66 wRC+ between the Triple-A clubs of the Rays and Dodgers, but he’s a competent defender who’s been in the big leagues for a few years. If the Dodgers want to cut him from the roster later, he is out of options.

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

Poll: Will Anything Shake Up The NL Playoff Picture?

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The playoff race in the American League figures to be a photo finish, with the AL East and AL West division titles both still up for grabs and four teams not currently in a postseason spot still within three games of the final AL Wild Card spot. By contrast, the National League looks very stable. Two of the league’s three division leaders have a lead of more than five games, and zero teams not already in the playoff picture are within three games of the final NL Wild Card spot. With just over 20 games left to play for every team, does that mean the NL playoff teams are set in stone? Let’s take a look at the state of the race:

The one place where the NL is within three games of a meaningful shift is the NL West, where the Dodgers hold a 2.5 game lead over the Padres. That division has been something of a dogfight for the whole second half. While the Dodgers were nine games up on their competition just two months ago, strong play from the Padres in conjunction with an aggressive trade deadline that saw the club bring in Mason Miller, Ramon Laureano, and Ryan O’Hearn (among others) was enough to push them back into contention. They even claimed sole possession of first place in the division twice during the month of August, though both of those stays at the top of the mountain were short-lived.

While it wasn’t long ago that the Padres were right there with the Dodgers in the NL West race, it’s becoming difficult to see them overtaking their rivals. A 7-12 record since Los Angeles kicked off a three-game sweep of San Diego on August 15 has left the Padres flailing, and while the Dodgers have gone just 7-8 since that series concluded, there are no regular season contests remaining between the two clubs during which the Padres can make up significant ground. If there’s one thing going for San Diego in this race, it’s the strength of the club’s schedule. Ten games left against the Rockies and White Sox should leave a huge number of winnable games for the Padres to capitalize on, while L.A. is faced with seven games against the surging Giants and a three-game set with the Phillies before wrapping the regular season in Seattle.

Speaking of the Giants, they’ve sneakily gone 9-1 in their last ten games and have won each of their last four series. With 7.5 games separating them and the Dodgers, they’d need to do exceptionally well in those final two series against Los Angeles to have any sort of shot at forcing their way back into the conversation for the division title. San Francisco’s surge could realistically put them into the NL Wild Card conversation if things continue trending in the right direction, however. Aside from those aforementioned seven games against the Dodgers, the Giants face sub-.500 teams in their other 15 games remaining on the schedule.

That could be a soft enough schedule to provide some intrigue headed into the season’s final weeks, though the 71-70 Giants certainly have their work cut out for them. The Reds sit one game back of them with a 70-70 record, but arguably have more control over their own destiny than San Francisco does thanks to back-to-back series against the Mets and Padres over the course of the next week. Winning both of those series would more seriously put Cincinnati in the conversation for a playoff berth, but that could prove to be a tall order. The Cardinals and Diamondbacks are both lurking around the periphery of the race as well, but with identical 70-71 records and exceptionally tough schedules this September, it’s tough to see either club mounting a comeback.

As for the other two divisions, the Phillies and Brewers more or less appear to have their divisions wrapped up at this point with 5.5- and 6.0-game leads, respectively. Perhaps the Phillies dropping their four-game set against the Mets in Philadelphia next week could reintroduce some intrigue into that race, but with the Cubs/Brewers season wrapped up and a soft September schedule in Milwaukee it would take a shocking collapse for the Brew Crew to fall out of the top spot in the NL Central.

What do MLBTR readers think about the state of the NL playoff race? Will any of the division titles change hands by the time the regular season comes to a close? Will a team like the Giants or Reds manage to worm their way into a postseason spot? Or will the playoff picture look more or less identical to today when the season comes to a close? Have your say in the polls below:

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Steve Adams

  • Greetings all! Bit of an impromptu chat this week since my schedule didn’t really allow for one on Tuesday

Guards Nation

  • If the guardians lose Clase and Ortiz, will they free up payroll and if they do, can you envision them using the space to go out and get a high level bat or arm?

Steve Adams

  • Ortiz isn’t on a guaranteed contract, so there wouldn’t be any payroll savings. Clase’s contract had a pretty modest $6MM guarantee in 2026. They’d be spared that $6MM and the $2MM buyout on his 2027 option, which counts as guaranteed money).

    That’s all if they’re suspended/banned, of course, and we have no good way of knowing that yet. Regardless, an extra $6-8MM of payroll space next year isn’t going to give them any sort of substantial savings or embolden them to sign a big-name free agent.

    In general, if you’re hoping for Cleveland to sign marquee free agents, you’re probably setting yourself up for a disappointment. Not trying to sound insulting by any means — that’s just reality.

Kevin

  • Chances that Kim will rework deal with Braves to add on one or two more years?

Steve Adams

  • I don’t see why he’d sign a one-year extension when his value is at a low point. I expect him to just play out the 2026 season as Atlanta’s everyday shortstop and try again. He’d hit the market ahead of his age-31 season, which is still young enough to land a nice multi-year deal (4-5 years) if he can bounce back in ’26

Read more

White Sox Designate Bryse Wilson For Assignment

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The White Sox announced that right-hander Jonathan Cannon and left-hander Tyler Gilbert have been recalled from Triple-A Charlotte. Left-hander Bryan Hudson has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a lower back strain and righty Bryse Wilson has been designated for assignment as the corresponding moves.

Wilson, 27, signed with the Sox this winter. He was outrighted by the Brewers and elected free agency, which led to a one-year deal with the Sox worth $1.05MM. He worked in a swing role for the first few months of the season but didn’t have great results, so he was passed through waivers in June. Since he has less than five years of service time, he would have had to forfeit his remaining salary commitments in electing free agency again, so he accepted the assignment.

The Sox recently added him back to the roster to replace Aaron Civale, who was lost off waivers to the Cubs. Wilson made one more appearance for the Sox in recent days but is now bumped off the roster yet again.

On the whole, Wilson has a 6.65 earned run average in the majors this year. His 12.5% strikeout rate is well below league average and his own previous rate from earlier in his career. His minor league work has been decent. He has thrown 39 2/3 innings for the Knights with a 3.86 ERA, 22.2% strikeout rate, 4.9% walk rate and 56.1% ground ball rate.

He has come somewhat close to that level of performance in the majors before. From 2022 to 2024, he logged 297 innings in the big leagues with a 4.24 ERA, 17.5% strikeout rate, 6.7% walk rate and 40% ground ball rate.

Though his minor league numbers have been decent this year, he is out of options, which could make it hard for clubs to claim him. If he goes unclaimed on waivers again, he will likely accept a second time, in order to continue collecting what remains of this year’s salary. He would be eligible to elect free agency at season’s end if he’s not on the 40-man.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images

Mets Claim Wander Suero

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The Mets have claimed right-hander Wander Suero off waivers from the Braves, according to announcements from both clubs. Atlanta had designated him for assignment earlier this week. The Mets had an open spot on the 40-man roster, though it is now full.

Suero, 33, signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in the offseason. That club selected him to their roster in July but he has mostly been kept on optional assignment since then. He has only thrown 6 1/3 innings in the big leagues this year, allowing eight earned runs on four walks and ten hits while striking out seven.

His work in the minors this year has been greater in quality and quantity. He has thrown 46 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 1.35 earned run average. His 31.2% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate are both strong figures. He has likely benefited from an 81.3% strand rate but his 2.63 FIP suggests he would still be putting up good numbers with more neutral sequencing luck.

The major league work this year has obviously not been good but in a very tiny sample. He has some past major league success, though he’s a few years removed from it now. Over the 2019 and 2020 seasons, he gave the Nationals 95 innings with a 4.36 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. But since then, he has a 7.11 ERA in 57 innings.

For the Mets, it’s a sensible claim. They have a number of pitchers on the injured list. They have had an open 40-man spot since José Castillo was designated for assignment last week. In the post-deadline part of the calendar, it’s more difficult to add talent. Suero has a major league track record and is pitching well in the minors this year.

He can still be optioned to the minors for the remainder of this season but it’s also possible he gets bumped off the 40-man soon. The Mets are reportedly going to promote prospect Brandon Sproat to start Sunday’s game, so they will need to open a 40-man spot for him in the coming days.

Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images

Braves Release Cal Quantrill, Designate Luke Williams

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The Braves announced Thursday that they’ve released right-hander Cal Quantrill and designated infielder/outfielder Luke Williams for assignment. That duo’s roster spots will go to outfielder Jurickson Profar, who’s returning from the paternity list, and righty Daysbel Hernandez, who has been recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett.

Quantrill’s time with Atlanta will last all of two weeks. The Braves claimed the righty off waivers from the Marlins on Aug. 21, absorbing the remaining $715K on his $3.5MM salary in the process. They’ll end up getting just two starts for that roll of the dice; Quantrill allowed three runs on five hits and five walks in 4 2/3 innings against the Mets on Aug. 23 before being shelled for nine runs in 3 1/3 innings against the Phillies five days later. His Atlanta stint concludes with a grisly 13.50 ERA in eight innings.

It’s been a rough year on the whole for the veteran Quantrill, whose Braves struggles pushed his ERA to 6.04 in 117 2/3 innings. That unsightly endpoint masks what was a decent run midseason. Quantrill struggled immensely in April but posted a 3.55 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate and 5.6% walk rate in 14 starts from May 1 through the end of July.

A team in need of innings could sign Quantrill for the final three weeks of the regular season and would only owe him the prorated minimum, but there’s also a chance this will be the end of his season. He’ll be a free agent this winter regardless, but with a 5.39 ERA dating back to 2023, he’ll likely be limited to minor league offers in free agency.

Williams, 29, has been with the Braves since they claimed him off waivers in June 2023, but he’s spent the bulk of his time in Gwinnett. Atlanta has given Williams a total of 94 plate appearances in the majors, during which he’s slashed .153/.215/.212. (He’s also held opponents to four runs in 10 innings of mop-up relief.)

A third-round pick of the Phillies back in 2015, Williams has never hit much in the majors. He’s a career .213/.271/.281 batter in 348 turns at the plate but carries a steadier .259/.338/.406 slash in parts of five Triple-A seasons. Williams has primarily been a third baseman since turning pro but has more than 300 innings at each of the four infield positions and in both outfield corners.

Now that he’s been designated for assignment, Williams will head to outright waivers. Assuming he clears, he’ll be able to reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency by virtue of the fact that he’s previously ben outrighted in his career.

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