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Phillies Release Cal Stevenson, Activate Aaron Nola

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The Phillies announced this morning that they’ve released center fielder Cal Stevenson. It had not been previously reported that Stevenson was placed on waivers, but he evidently must have cleared waivers will now head into free agency. Stevenson could not be outrighted to the minor leagues after being placed on the minor league injured list earlier this week.

Stevenson’s departure from the 40-man roster makes room for Aaron Nola’s return from the 60-day injured list. Nola will take the active roster spot of Zack Wheeler, who was placed on the injured list with a blood clot yesterday. In addition, the Phillies announced that third baseman Alec Bohm has been activated from the 10-day injured list. Bohm will take the roster spot of utility man Otto Kemp, who has been optioned to Triple-A. Both Bohm and Nola’s returns to action were previously reported last week.

Stevenson, 29 next month, was a tenth-round pick by the Blue Jays back in 2018. He’s played in parts of four MLB seasons but has yet to establish himself as more than a depth option. He made his big league debut in Oakland back in 2022 and moved on to San Francisco for the 2023 campaign before spending each of the past two seasons with the Phillies. In Philadelphia, Stevenson has appeared in just 23 games and been used primarily as a bench piece when on the roster. At the plate, he’s gone 8-for-32 with three walks, six strikeouts, and three doubles between the past two seasons. A career .178/.276/.238 hitter in 118 big league plate appearances, Stevenson has spent most of this season playing for Triple-A LeHigh Valley with middling offensive numbers.

Now that he’s a free agent, he’ll have the opportunity to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs or perhaps look at opportunities outside of affiliated ball. The specifics of Stevenson’s injury aren’t known, and if it’s a significant one it’s possible he’ll go unsigned over the final weeks of the season before looking to find a new club for the 2026 campaign. A skilled defensive center fielder with 22 steals in the minors this year, he should garner at least some interest as a depth option for teams in need of center field help.

As for Nola and Bohm, both have been out of commission for quite some time. Bohm missed about a month due to due a fractured rib, and while his 98 wRC+ doesn’t look like much it’s worth noting he was hitting a far more robust .299/.360/.410 in his final 150 plate appearances before heading to the injured list. Nola, meanwhile, last pitched in May due to an ankle injury and a stress reaction in his rib cage. His nine starts prior to hitting the injured list weren’t pretty, as he allowed a 6.16 ERA with a 5.05 FIP in 49 2/3 innings of work. Some of that is due to a 3 2/3 inning, nine-run blowup immediately before his placement on the IL, but he allowed four or more earned runs in five of his nine starts prior to the injury. A healthy and effective return from both players would do a lot to help the Phillies get ready for the postseason, particularly given the uncertainty surrounding Wheeler’s availability going forward.

As for Kemp, the utility man made his big league debut with the Phillies earlier this year and has gotten into 46 games so far while splitting time between the infield corners and left field. He’s slashed just .228/.298/.359 in 161 plate appearance, but his versatility and decent numbers (.740 OPS) against left-handed pitching make him a solid depth option for the club to have at Triple-A going forward.

Orioles Promote Samuel Basallo

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The Orioles announced a flurry of roster moves this morning, highlighted by the club’s decision to select the contract of top prospect Samuel Basallo. Basallo will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Zach Eflin, who was transferred to the 60-day injured list and was already known to be done for the 2025 season. In addition, Baltimore activated outfielder Colton Cowser from the 7-day concussion-related injured list. Ryan Noda and Daniel Johnson were optioned to the minor leagues to make room for Basallo and Cowser on the active roster.

Basallo, who celebrated his 21st birthday just last week, entered the year as a consensus top-15 prospect in baseball and has more than proved himself worthy of that status with his work at Triple-A this year. The Santo Domingo native was signed as an international amateur by the Orioles back in 2021 and, after struggling in his first taste of Triple-A late last year, has slashed an incredible .270/.377/.589 (151 wRC+) in 76 games for the club’s Norfolk affiliate this year. He’s crushed 23 homers in that time, and while his 23.7% strikeout rate is the highest he’s posted in a full season so far that’s more than made up for by his aforementioned power and a strong 13.7% walk rate.

Those numbers would be impressive for any player, but they become all the more incredible with the context that Basallo is a catcher in the midst of his age-20 campaign. Basallo’s aforementioned 151 wRC+ is the fourth-highest figure in Triple-A’s International League this year, and he’s done that despite being the youngest qualified hitters at the level. Just ten hitters in their age-22 season or younger have qualified, and among them only four others (Justin Crawford of the Phillies as well as Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara of the Cubs) have posted above-average numbers. All four of those youngsters are top-100 prospects in their own right, and only Caissie’s 142 wRC+ comes within spitting distance of Basallo’s elite numbers.

All of that is to say that Basallo has absolutely nothing left to do offensively at Triple-A. The youngster’s defense behind the plate has been the subject of some questions both from outside evaluators and even from the brass within his own organization, however. GM Mike Elias suggested back in June that Basallo’s defense needed some work before he could be called up to the majors, but it appears the youngster has either assuaged those concerns about his glove or simply done so much with the bat that the Orioles can’t justify holding him back for the sake of his glove any longer.

It will be worth watching how the Orioles use Basallo in the coming weeks. He’s only played catcher, first base, and DH in the minor leagues. That should leave him limited to those three positions at the big league level as well, but the O’s already have starters at all three positions at the moment. Adley Rutschman is back in the lineup behind the plate after missing some time earlier this year and figures to remain the primary option at the position for now even in the midst of a middling season. Youngster Coby Mayo is in the midst of his own long-awaited tryout at first base, and it makes little sense for the Orioles to limit the 23-year-old’s playing time as they look to decide if he can serve as their first baseman of the future headed into 2026. That’s left Ryan Mountcastle to shift off first base and take the lion’s share of playing time at DH in recent days. The 28-year-old has struggled to a .250/.285/.373 (81 wRC+) this year, but spent most of the season on the injured list due to a hamstring strain and has slashed an excellent .276/.333/.517 with two homers, two steals, and a double in eight games since being activated.

Perhaps everyone in that quartet will be able to start four or five games a week with pinch-hitting opportunities on days they aren’t starting. It’s also possible that Mayo could get some occasional looks at third base (currently held down by Jordan Westburg) to help create more vacancies at first base. Mountcastle even has some experience in the outfield, although he hasn’t played on the grass since 2021 so it’s unclear if he’s still capable of handling the position. If making an occasional appearance in left wouldn’t be an injury risk for Mountcastle, it would be fair to say that his bat could make up for whatever defensive miscues he might be vulnerable to after a long layoff at the position.

Now that Cowser is back from the injured list, Jacob Calvin Meyer of the Baltimore Sun notes that (according to interim manager Tony Mansolino) the 25-year-old will slide into center field upon his return. Cowser’s been entrenched as the club’s regular left fielder since his excellent rookie campaign last year, and while injuries and ineffectiveness have limited him to an 89 wRC+ in 56 games he’ll still be a substantial offensive upgrade over the players tasked with holding down the position since Cedric Mullins was traded to the Mets last month like Johnson and Greg Allen.

That leaves two outfield spots for the taking. One figures to be left to Dylan Beavers, another one of the club’s top prospects who made his big league debut just yesterday and went 1-for-5 with a double and two strikeouts. Like Basallo, he clearly has nothing left to prove in the minors after hitting .304/.420/.515 (152 wRC+) at the level with a 16.3% walk rate, 23 steals, and 18 home runs in 94 games this year. Beavers should get regular playing time in one corner going forward, but the short-term solutions at the other corner don’t inspire confidence.

Jeremiah Jackson and Dylan Carlson are the options available on the roster at present now that Noda and Johnson are ticketed for Triple-A, but both come with questions. Carlson has a meager 56 wRC+ this year and hasn’t been an above-average player since 2021. Jackson, meanwhile, is a 25-year-old who only just reached the Triple-A level earlier this year and was promoted primarily due to a scorching hot stretch of 40 games at the level where he bashed 11 homers and hit .377. That sort of performance is surely unsustainable at the big league level, and while his 107 wRC+ at the big league level so far is decent, a .435 BABIP and a 31.4% strikeout rate don’t appear likely to be sustainable.

That could leave room for Mountcastle to pick up occasional reps in left field, health permitting. Even if he can patrol left without risk of re-injuring his balky hamstring, however, it’s worth noting that would surely be a temporary solution to the logjam Basallo’s promotion creates given that the Orioles have two options for regular at-bats in left field on the injured list at present. Tyler O’Neill has been sidelined by wrist inflammation in recent weeks but should be a fixture of the club’s lineup once he returns. The 30-year-old has the opportunity to opt out of the final two years of his contract with Baltimore but seems unlikely to exercise that option after appearing in just 43 games and posting a pedestrian 98 wRC+ when on the field.

Heston Kjerstad is another option to get reps in the outfield at some point, but seems less certainty to be called upon than O’Neill. Kjerstad was placed on the minor league injured list due to what was described at the time as fatigue in late July and hasn’t appeared in a game since, but the former top prospect has struggled badly this year with a .192/.240/.327 (56 wRC+) slash line. Even in spite of those brutal numbers, however, the club’s commitment to playing youngsters like Basallo, Beavers, and Mayo down the stretch could suggest that they’ll try to get Kjerstad another look in the majors during these final weeks of a lost 2025 season.

Braves Outright Davis Daniel

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The Braves sent right-hander Davis Daniel outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to the MLB.com transaction log. The tracker also indicates that Carlos Carrasco elected free agency after being designated for assignment on Thursday. Daniel had not previously been DFA, so his removal from the 40-man roster drops their count to 37.

Atlanta acquired Daniel in a minor offseason trade. The Auburn product had been designated for assignment by the Angels, who flipped him to the Braves for minor league pitcher Mitch Farris. Daniel has spent much of the season on optional assignment to Triple-A. He has made three big league appearances (two starts) and allowed six runs on nine hits and seven walks over 10 innings. The minor league results haven’t been a whole lot better. Daniel has pitched to a 5.32 earned run average with a subpar 18.8% strikeout rate through 88 frames with Gwinnett.

Over parts of three big league campaigns, Daniel carries 5.13 ERA across 52 2/3 innings. This is his fifth season in Triple-A. He owns a 5.40 mark in 67 appearances at the top minor league level. This is Daniel’s first career outright, so he doesn’t have the ability to decline the assignment. He’ll remain with the Stripers for the remainder of the season.

The Braves acquired Carrasco to patch together a couple starts. He took the ball three times but was tagged for 15 runs while averaging fewer than five innings per appearance. The 38-year-old righty has an ERA above 7.00 between the Yankees and Braves. He’ll be limited to minor league offers if he intends to continue pitching.

Nationals Request Unconditional Release Waivers On Nathaniel Lowe

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TODAY: The Nationals announced that they have requested unconditional release waivers on Lowe.

AUGUST 14: The Nationals announced Thursday that they’ve designated first baseman Nathaniel Lowe for assignment. He’ll be the corresponding move to open an active roster spot for Dylan Crews, whose previously reported reinstatement from the 60-day injured list is now official.

It’s an unexpected end to what’ll go down as a lackluster tenure with the Nats for Lowe, whom Washington acquired from the Rangers over the winter. The Nats sent lefty Robert Garcia to Texas in hopes that Lowe, who came to D.C. with two years of club control remaining, could be a multi-year option providing middle-of-the-order punch to a young lineup. It hasn’t gone as hoped, to say the least.

Lowe, 30, was a steady source of production with the Rangers from 2021-24, hitting .274/.359/.432 (124 wRC+) with 78 home runs — including a career-high 27 round-trippers back in 2022. He hasn’t come anywhere near that level of production with the Nationals. In 490 plate appearances, he’s batted just .216/.292/.373 with a 26.5% strikeout rate that stands as the highest of his career in a full season. Lowe’s 9.6% walk rate is better than average but still the second-lowest of his career and a ways shy of the 11.3% clip he recorded during that four-year peak with the Rangers.

Lowe hit a grand slam yesterday, his first homer since July 19, but that was just his third hit in the month of August despite regular playing time. He hasn’t had a multi-hit game since July 18 and is batting only .167/.271/.294 in his past 36 games (144 plate appearances). The home run yesterday was a big hit but not enough for Lowe to save his job with the Nats.

The Nationals likely explored potential deals for Lowe prior to the trade deadline, but his ongoing slump and fairly hefty $10.3MM salary would’ve served as significant impediments to finding a deal. With the deadline now behind them, the Nats will have no recourse other than to place Lowe on outright waivers or release waivers. At this point, that’s little more than a paper distinction. Lowe crossed five years of major league service time less than a month into the season, meaning he can reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency and still retain the remainder of that guarantee as he heads to the open market.

All 29 other teams will have the opportunity to claim Lowe, but in light of his immense struggles, it’s hard to see another team claiming the remaining $2.49MM on his contract. If Lowe passes through waivers unclaimed, he’ll become a free agent who can sign with any team. A new team would only owe him the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster. The Nationals will remain on the hook for the rest of his salary.

If Lowe can catch on elsewhere and return to form, he’d technically remain under club control with that new team through 2026. However, he’d be due a (small) raise on that $10.3MM salary, so he’d need to make quite the impression in the final few weeks of the season in order to convince a new club that he’s worthy of an $11MM+ expenditure. The Nationals were clearly going to non-tender him — they wouldn’t have made this move if not — and in all likelihood Lowe will be a free agent in search of rebound opportunities this winter.

The Nats have up to five days to place Lowe on waivers. If they wait the maximum amount of time, that guaranteed salary will drop slightly, to about $2.2MM, but it’s still unlikely that another club would claim that sum.

With Lowe out the door in D.C., the Nats can give increased first base reps to a resurgent Josh Bell, which would free up the DH spot to rotate several young players. Alternative options at first bae in the upper minors include Juan Yepez, Yohandy Morales and Trey Lipscomb, though of that trio only Lipscomb is on the 40-man roster — and both Yepez and Morales have struggled in Triple-A.

Blue Jays Reinstate George Springer From Injured List

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The Blue Jays announced that George Springer has been activated from the seven-day injured list for concussion-related injuries.  Outfielder Joey Loperfido was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo in the corresponding move.

Springer last played on July 28, when a wayward pitch from the Orioles’ Kade Strowd caught the Toronto slugger on the earflap of his helmet.  Springer was removed from the game and was officially placed on the concussion IL a few days later, to give him some extended time to recover.  A clean slate of tests earlier this week paved the way for Springer to start a Triple-A rehab assignment, and he’ll now join the Jays lineup after two games in Buffalo.

After posting underwhelming numbers in both 2023 and 2024, it seemed as though Springer was hitting a decline phase as he entered his age-35 season.  Instead, he has bounced back with one of the best seasons of his 12-year career, hitting .291/.383/.506 with 18 home runs over 408 plate appearances.  Only eight qualified hitters in baseball (including teammate Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) have a better wRC+ than Springer’s 148 figure.

One element to this turn-around may be Springer’s increased usage as a designated hitter, as he has already set a new career high for DH days by appearing 52 times at the position, as opposed to 45 appearances as an outfielder.  It is perhaps noteworthy that Springer didn’t see any action in the outfield during his two rehab games, and it could hint that the Blue Jays will continue to lean towards using the veteran primarily as a DH down the stretch in order to keep him fresh.  In any case, having Springer back in any capacity is naturally a big help to a Toronto club trying to secure its first division title since 2015.

Loperfido was the odd man out of the roster mix with Springer back, likely just because Loperfido has minor league options remaining.  Performance-wise, Loperfido was very impressive since being called up in July, delivering a .358/.409/.506 slash line over 89 plate appearances.  It seems likely that Loperfido will be back up at least by September 1 when the rosters expand, if another injury doesn’t earn him a quicker ticket back to the Jays’ active roster.

Orioles Select Dylan Beavers, Designate Greg Allen

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The Orioles announced that they have selected the contract of outfield prospect Dylan Beavers from Triple-A Norfolk.  In the corresponding move, outfielder Greg Allen was designated for assignment to create space on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters.

Beavers will be making his MLB debut whenever he appears in a game, and he figures to get regular playing time for a Baltimore team that is well out of contention.  The promotion is a nice late birthday present for Beavers, who turned 24 earlier this week.

Selected 33rd overall in the 2022 draft and with the first pick of Competitive Balance Round A, Beavers hit really well in his first two pro seasons before taking a step back in 2024.  He crushed Double-A pitching in 2023 but posted more modest numbers (.756 OPS over 509 PA) at the same level last season, and didn’t hit much during a brief six-game Triple-A cameo.

Beavers has spent the entire 2025 season in Norfolk and gotten back on track in a big way, hitting .304/.420/.515 with 18 homers over 418 PA, and he has stolen 23 bases in 28 attempts.  He missed a couple of weeks due to a shoulder sprain, but it didn’t slow Beavers down during a year that has seen him greatly increase his hard-contact numbers and walk rate while cutting back on his strikeouts.  Beavers has struck out only 76 times this season, while walking 68 times.

This surge earned Beavers the 83rd spot on Baseball America’s August update of its top 100 prospects list.  MLB Pipeline has kept Beavers out of its top 100, but like BA, also ranks Beavers as the third-best prospect in the Orioles’ farm system.  Both scouting reports note how Beavers has spent much of his pro career altering his swing to gain more power and become more productive against high velocity, and it would seem like those swing adjustments are paying off.  His solid speed and baserunning ability adds to his offensive value as a stolen-base threat.  Defensively, Beavers is viewed as a corner outfielder, with a chance to stick in right due to an above-average throwing arm.

The specific timing of Beavers’ promotion isn’t surprising, as coming up on August 16 means that Beavers will be spending less than 45 days on the MLB roster, and the Orioles will surely make a point of keeping him under the 130 at-bat threshold.  This means that Beavers will retain his rookie eligibility into 2026, and thus he could remain eligible for Prospect Promotion Incentive status assuming he makes at least two of the preseason top-100 prospect rankings from Baseball America, Pipeline, or ESPN.com.  Eligible PPI rookies can deliver an extra draft pick for their teams, should they qualify for a full year of service time and then either win Rookie of the Year honors or record a top-three finish in MVP voting or Cy Young Award voting during their pre-arbitration years.

Late-season callups of top prospects have long been part of baseball, though the PPI system has now put something of a specific timeline on how teams approach some promotions of their top minor leaguers.  GM Mike Elias more or less admitted earlier this week that the PPI rules were a factor in the Orioles’ plans for Beavers and top prospect Samuel Basallo, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if Basallo also made his MLB debut before the 2025 season is over.

Allen signed with the O’s just on August 8, as the team needed some quick depth due to a spate of outfield injuries.  Allen’s seven games with Baltimore marked his first big league playing time since the 2023 season, though it was a rather ignominious stint, as he didn’t reach base in any of his 14 plate appearances.  Prior to joining the Orioles, Allen was playing for the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate, and was hitting .270/.355/.440 over 231 PA.

A veteran of eight MLB seasons, Allen is known for his speed and his ability to play all three outfield positions, even though he has never produced much at the dish.  He is out of minor league options, and since he has been previously outrighted in his career, he’ll have the ability to elect free agency if he clears waivers.  It is possible a team in need of outfield depth may bring Allen board on a waiver claim, but it seems likelier that he’ll enter free agency and land elsewhere on a minors contract.

Hector Neris Elects Free Agency

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Veteran reliever Hector Neris has elected to become a free agent rather than accept an outright assignment to the Astros’ Triple-A affiliate, as per the team.  Houston designated Neris for assignment earlier this week, and after he cleared waivers and was outrighted off the 40-man roster, Neris’ nine-plus years of MLB service time allowed him the right to opt for free agency rather than remain in the Astros’ organization.

There wasn’t much surprise in Neris’ decision, and the 36-year-old will now seek out another new landing spot in what has been a nomadic season for the right-hander.  Neris has already suited up with the Astros, Angels, and Braves in 2025, signing a guaranteed deal with Houston in July following minor league contracts with Los Angeles and Atlanta.  Neris also opted into free agency after being outrighted off the Braves’ roster in early April, and after another DFA in late June, the Angels just released Neris rather than go through the motions of an outright.

A 6.75 ERA over 26 2/3 combined innings in 2025 underlines why Neris has had trouble sticking on a roster.  On the plus side, Neris has a strong 28.2% strikeout rate, and his 3.85 SIERA reflects how some bad luck (.348 BABIP, 55.9% strand rate) has inflated his real-world ERA.  However, Neris hasn’t helped his cause by allowing six homers within his small sample size of work, and his 12.9% walk rate is the highest of his 12-year Major League career.

Despite these numbers and a shaky 2024 season with the Cubs and Astros, Neris has enough of a career track record that he’ll surely catch on somewhere, likely on another minors contract.  Teams in need of bullpen help may well focus more on the strikeout rate than Neris’ control issues, and hope that a change of scenery can help him finally get his wayward year on track.  Signing with a new team before September 1 would also make Neris eligible for postseason play, though naturally he’ll need to perform a lot better than he has in order to receive consideration for a playoff roster.

Giants Place Matt Chapman On 10-Day Injured List

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Prior to Friday’s 7-6 loss to the Rays, the Giants placed third baseman Matt Chapman on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 13.  (The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser was the first to report the IL placement.)  With right-hander Ryan Walker also going on the paternity list, the Giants addressed the two open roster spots by calling up right-hander Keaton Winn from Triple-A and activating righty Landen Roupp from the 15-day IL to make the start.

Chapman is dealing with inflammation in his right hand, and has taken a cortisone shot in an effort to try and return in a minimal amount of time.  Even then, as he told Slusser and other reporters Friday that his hand likely won’t be fully healed until the offseason.  It all stems from the initial hand injury that sidelined Chapman for about four weeks in June and early July, when he suffered sprains and bone bruises on three fingers on his right hand following a painful dive back to third base.

Even after returning from that first IL stint, Chapman was still playing through discomfort, leaving him “trying to push through it, do what I can.”  Things reached a breaking point within the last few days, when Chapman’s hand became sore enough that “I really felt like I couldn’t use my hand when I was swinging, and it just didn’t feel right.”

The numbers underline Chapman’s struggles.  The third baseman hit .243/.360/.452 over his first 272 place appearances of the season, but then batted just .200/.290/.365 over the 131 PA in between his two IL placements.

Chapman’s slump has been just one factor in a team-wide offensive shortage over the last month, which has led to the Giants’ big slide down the standings.  San Francisco is 7-21 over its last 28 games, which includes an ongoing six-game losing streak and a hard-to-believe stretch of 14 losses in the Giants’ last 15 home games.  Even if Chapman does return in a minimal amount of time and is able to regain his form at the plate, it may already be too late for the Giants to make a late push at a wild card slot.

Casey Schmitt is the likeliest fill-in for Chapman at third base, though Schmitt had to leave Friday’s game after being hit by a pitch.  In the postgame media session, Giants manager Bob Melvin told Slusser and company that x-rays were negative, though Schmitt may need to miss a few games to let his right forearm contusion heal up.  This could put Christian Koss in line for some third base playing time.

Mets To Designate Paul Blackburn For Assignment

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The Mets are going to designate right-hander Paul Blackburn for assignment, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. That will be the corresponding move for the promotion of Nolan McLean, a move that was previously reported.

Blackburn was acquired by the Mets at last year’s trade deadline. At the time, the Mets had lost both Kodai Senga and Christian Scott to the injured list and suddenly needed a bit of rotation depth. He made five starts for the Mets before he himself required a stint on the injured list. He hit the IL due to a right hand contusion. While on the IL, it was reported that he was dealing with a spinal fluid leak in his back. He didn’t make it back off the IL. He underwent a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak repair procedure in October.

Despite the rough landing in Queens, the Mets tendered him a contract for 2025, his final arb season before reaching free agency. The Mets seemed interested in stockpiling rotation depth. They signed Sean Manaea, Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas and Griffin Canning, adding to a rotation mix which already included Senga, David Peterson, Tylor Megill and Blackburn. The Mets and Blackburn avoided arbitration by agreeing to a $4.05MM salary for this year.

Unfortunately, it has turned into another season marred by injuries and the Mets seemingly never had much interest in putting him back into the rotation. He likely would have been off the roster long ago if not for other injuries, both to himself and others.

Blackburn started the season on the IL due to inflammation in his right knee. He was rehabbing throughout May, before being reinstated from the injured list in early June. By the middle of June, there was reporting that the Mets were fielding trade interest in Blackburn. At the time, they had a rotation of Senga, Peterson, Holmes, Canning and Megill, with both Montas and Manaea on rehab assignments. Blackburn appeared to be surplus to requirements. But moments after that report came out, Senga got injured and landed on the IL. Megill went on the shelf not long after.

That opened a window for Blackburn to stick around, but then he himself hit the IL again in early July due to a right shoulder impingement. He began a rehab assignment in the middle of July and got up to five innings by his second outing. But the Mets didn’t have a rotation spot for him behind Senga, Manaea, Holmes, Peterson and Montas. They let Blackburn throw a few more rehab starts, perhaps because they just wanted to keep him around in case someone else got injured.

In recent days, Montas was moved to the bullpen to open a rotation spot for McLean. Blackburn was reinstated from the IL and put in the bullpen as well. He tossed five innings of long relief on Wednesday after Peterson couldn’t get through the fourth inning. Now, he’s been bumped off the 40-man entirely.

This move ends a strange Mets tenure for Blackburn. He was technically with the club for over a year but only made 12 appearances in orange and blue. It often seemed like the Mets were on the verge of nudging him out the door before it finally happened.

He now heads into DFA limbo. With the trade deadline having passed, he will have to be placed on waivers. There is just under $1MM left to be paid out on his salary. His frequent injuries likely hurt his chances of being claimed, though he has had some decent results when healthy. With the Athletics in 2022 and 2023, he tossed a combined 215 innings with a 4.35 earned run average. His 20.7% strikeout rate, 7.8% walk rate and 44.5% ground ball rate were all fairly close to league averages.

Those cromulent results surely attracted the Mets in the first place but he wasn’t spared the injury bug even in those campaigns. Issues with his right middle finger prevented him from surpassing 115 innings in either of those seasons.

Still, decent starting pitching is hard to find after the deadline, so perhaps Blackburn will find some interest. If he clears waivers, the Mets will remain on the hook for the rest of his salary. At that point, another club could sign him and pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum salary for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what the Mets pay.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images

Angels Re-Sign Shaun Anderson To Minor League Deal

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The Angels have re-signed right-hander Shaun Anderson to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The veteran righty has been assigned to the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees.

Anderson, 30, has essentially been the 27th man on the Angels’ active roster all season long. This is the fourth minor league deal he has signed with the club in 2025. The first three were all selected to the big league roster. Since Anderson is out of options, he was eventually designated for assignment once he got squeezed off the roster. In each instance, he cleared waivers, elected free agency and re-signed via a new minor league deal.

Presumably, both sides are comfortable with the arrangement. The Angels have an extra arm they can call upon when the rest of the staff is gassed. Anderson, meanwhile, gets occasional spurts of big league pay and service time.

Around the transactions, he has thrown 11 1/3 innings over seven big league appearances. He has allowed 13 earned runs on 20 hits and three walks while striking out 11. He now has a 6.39 earned run average in 163 1/3 innings dating back to his 2019 debut. He has also thrown 81 Triple-A innings this year with a 6.44 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images

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