Wyatt Langford Leaves Game Due To Quad Tightness, Will Undergo MRI
5:11 pm: Langford has a “small strain” in his right quad, according to McFarland. He expects to be out for 2-3 days and possibly pinch hit tomorrow. He will avoid the injured list.
8:16 am: Rangers outfielder Wyatt Langford left Friday’s 8-7 loss to the Dodgers due to tightness in his right quad. Langford told reporters (including Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News) that he felt the injury was “pretty minor,” but he’ll undergo an MRI today to explore the quad issue.
Somewhat unusually, the injury occurred when Langford hit a home run in the top of the fifth inning. Langford said he “reached down” to make contact with Tyler Glasnow‘s pitch, and in the process created some discomfort in his quad that began to surface as he rounded the bases. Langford remained in left field for the bottom of the fifth, but was replaced by Ezequiel Duran in the bottom of the sixth. Duran, Sam Haggerty, and Andrew McCutchen could all end up seeing time in left field if Langford ends up on the injured list.
Getting hurt on a homer adds to the snake-bitten nature of Langford’s start to the 2026 season. Langford’s first home run was just his ninth hit in 53 plate appearances, as the outfielder is batting .170/.185/.340. His exit velocity and hard-contact numbers are all at least at league average, so a .205 BABIP may be somewhat to blame for Langford’s struggles, though he has also recorded only one walk against 13 strikeouts.
After hitting .247/.335/.423 with 38 homers over his first 1130 PA in the majors, Langford was viewed as a candidate for a true breakout in his third Major League season. Obviously there’s still plenty of time for Langford to heat up at the plate, though if Friday’s quad tightness lands Langford on the IL, it will mark the fifth IL stint of his young career. As McFarland notes, the previous four placements were also for soft tissue injuries — a hamstring strain that cost him about three weeks in 2024, and then three separate oblique strains in 2025.
Davey Lopes Passes Away
The Dodgers announced today that Davey Lopes passed away today at the age of 80. Lopes made his debut as a player in the early 1970s and went on to have a career as a coach and manager, making him a staple of the game for the bulk of five decades.
Lopes was a late bloomer. He didn’t make it to the majors until 1972, which was his age-27 season. Even then, he only got into 11 games for the Dodgers. The following year, his age-28 campaign, he finally established himself as a big league regular. He became the club’s second baseman and showed off the speed that would become his standout trait. He swiped 36 bags that year, his first of what would eventually be a 14-year streak of stealing at least 15 bases.
He stayed on the Dodger roster through the 1981 season, mostly covering the keystone but also with occasional action at shortstop, third base and in the outfield. The Dodgers had a very consistent infield during that stretch, with Steve Garvey the mainstay at first, Lopes at second, Bill Russell at short and Ron Cey at third.
Lopes played in 1,207 games for the Dodgers from his 1972 debut until the end of that 1981 campaign. He hit .262 in that time and launched 99 home runs but the eye-popping stat was his 418 stolen bases. He led the league in steals in both 1975 and 1976, with 77 in the former and 63 in the latter. The second instance was particularly impressive as injuries limited him to only 117 games. In 1978, he won a Gold Glove and also made the All-Star team, the first of four straight All-Star selections.
The Dodgers were quite good in that time but couldn’t quit win a title for most of it. They lost the World Series to the Athletics in 1974, then to the Yankees in both 1977 and 1978. In 1981, they were able to get the job done, topping the Yankees 4-2. Lopes stole ten bases in in 16 postseason games that year.
Prior to the 1982 season, he was traded to the A’s, kicking off the journeyman phase of his career. He would also bounce to the Cubs and Astros, playing past his 42nd birthday. He finished his career with 7,340 plate appearances over 1,812 games. He racked up 1,671 hits, including 155 home runs. He scored 1,023 runs and drove in 614. His 557 steals put him 26th on the all-time list.
He quickly pivoted to his post-playing career by becoming a bench coach with the Rangers. That was followed by stints as a first base coach with the Orioles and Padres. He was hired to manage the Brewers for the 2000 season. The club did not fare well and he was fired early in 2002. He never got another managerial gig and had a 144-195 record in that job. He then went back to being a first base coach, starting with a return to the Padres, followed by stints with the Nationals, Phillies, Dodgers and back to the Nationals. He retired from coaching after the 2017 season.
We at MLB Trade Rumors join the rest of the baseball world in sending condolences to the Lopes family as well as everyone else mourning him today.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Will Any Pre-Arbitration Pitchers Sign Extensions?
From a transaction perspective, this time of the baseball calendar is defined by extensions. Within the past month, we've seen two impending free agents (Nico Hoerner and Jesús Luzardo) come off the board. The Cubs got a deal done with pre-arbitration center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Philadelphia extended Cristopher Sánchez even though he was already potentially signed through 2030.
The Orioles extended arbitration-eligible starter Shane Baz. The Mariners reached the largest pre-debut extension with shortstop prospect Colt Emerson. That's likely to be a brief record with the Pirates reportedly working on a deal with #1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin. Milwaukee infield prospect Cooper Pratt is nearing an eight-year contract of his own despite being a couple tiers below Griffin and Emerson according to scouts.
Despite all that activity, there's one demographic that has stayed out of the early-season extension run. There have not been any long-term deals for pre-arbitration pitchers this spring. Teams aren't quite as aggressive in extending pitchers early in their careers as they are with elite position player talents. There's more injury uncertainty with young arms.
However, there are generally a few extensions for pre-arbitration hurlers each season. Tanner Bibee, Brandon Pfaadt and Arizona closer Justin Martinez signed extensions last spring. Brayan Bello agreed to a six-year deal the year before that. Hunter Greene, Spencer Strider, Aaron Ashby, Garrett Whitlock and Emmanuel Clase were among those to sign between 2022-23.
Will any young pitchers sign extensions within the next few weeks? Let's run through a few speculative possibilities in each service class and the kind of money which those pitchers could command.
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Rangers Outright Dairon Blanco
Outfielder Dairon Blanco has cleared waivers and will accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Round Rock, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Blanco was designated for assignment last week when the Rangers added Andrew McCutchen to their Opening Day roster. Blanco had a previous career outright and therefore had the right to elect free agency but he’ll waive that right and look to work his way back to the majors with Texas.
Blanco, 33, has spent his entire big league career with the Royals thus far. He served as a useful bench piece thanks to his speed and defense. He stole 59 bases in 73 attempts. He logged 733 innings in the outfield and was considered a bit better than par by both Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. His offense wasn’t a significant drag either, as his .257/.312/.416 batting line translated to a 99 wRC+, just barely below league average.
Despite those contributions, he got nudged off the Kansas City roster when they signed Starling Marte about a month ago. The Rangers claimed him off waivers and held him for a little over two weeks but, as mentioned, needed a spot for McCutchen.
Each club passed on a chance to get Blanco off waivers in recent days, even though he has options remaining. Even if he elected free agency, he would have been limited to minor league offers. Instead, he’ll just report to the Express and try to work his way back to the majors.
The Rangers have Brandon Nimmo, Evan Carter and Wyatt Langford in their outfield, with McCutchen in the mix alongside utility guys Ezequiel Durán and Sam Haggerty. They could get Cody Freeman back from the injured list in a few weeks. Alejandro Osuna and Michael Helman are depth options on the 40-man, currently in Triple-A on optional assignment. Blanco joins Nick Pratto, Mark Canha, Tyler Wade and Richie Martin as non-roster guys with some major league experience.
Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images
Rangers Re-Sign Ryan Brasier To Minor League Deal
The Rangers have re-signed right-hander Ryan Brasier, according to the transactions tracker on Brasier’s MLB.com profile page. Brasier had previously signed with Rangers back in February but was released just prior to Opening Day.
He returns to the organization after having failed to make the club’s roster out of camp. A veteran of nine MLB seasons, Brasier made his debut with the Angels back in 2013 but spent most of his career as a member of the Red Sox. After struggling badly to open the year in Boston back in 2023, Brasier found himself released and caught on with L.A. on a minor league deal. He wound up turning things around in a big way with the Dodgers and turned in a sensational 0.70 ERA across 39 games with the club the rest of the way. That was enough to convince the Dodgers to bring Brasier back on a two-year deal in free agency.
Brasier’s second season with the Dodgers went fairly well, though he spent a good portion of it on the injured list due to calf strain that cost him around half the year. When he was able to pitch, he was effective with a 3.54 ERA despite a 22.7% strikeout rate that was down nearly four points from his previous work with Los Angeles. That dip in strikeout rate was enough to squeeze Brasier off the club’s 40-man roster the following offseason, and as a result they traded him to the Cubs prior to the start of Spring Training. In Chicago, Brasier was once again sidelined by injuries, as he made two trips to the injured list due to a left groin strain that wound up costing him three months in total. When healthy, Brasier’s strikeout rate dipped further to just 19.0% as his ERA ticked upwards to 4.50.
Once Brasier reached free agency this offseason, he found a quiet market. While his peripherals with the Cubs (including a 3.17 FIP) were fairly solid, his strikeout rate continuing to drop and his struggles to stay healthy were enough to convince teams not to look the other way on his below-average run prevention in 2025. That left Brasier to try and fight his way onto the big league roster with the Rangers after joining the organization on a minor league deal. Unfortunately, he surrendered seven runs (six earned) during eight Spring Training appearances this year and was unable to secure a spot on Texas’s Opening Day roster. Now that he’s back with the organization, he’ll report to Triple-A Round Rock to open the year and get work in there as he attempts to ready himself for a big league opportunity down the line.
Rangers Designate Dairon Blanco For Assignment
The Rangers announced that outfielder Dairon Blanco has been designated for assignment. That opens up a 40-man roster spot for Andrew McCutchen, whose contract has been selected. It had been previously reported that McCutchen would make the team.
Blanco, 33 in April, was just claimed off waivers from the Royals a few weeks ago. He made appearances for Kansas City in each of the past four seasons, essentially as a speedy depth outfielder. In 285 plate appearances, he produced a .257/.312/.416 batting line. His 99 wRC+ indicates he was just a hair below league average. He got solid grades for his glovework and stole 59 bases in 73 attempts.
The Rangers were intrigued enough to put in a claim but Blanco was ultimately squeezed off the roster. DFA limbo can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Rangers could take as long as five days to explore trade interest. He still has options, so perhaps he could appeal to a club looking for a bit more outfield depth and speed.
Blanco has a previous career outright. That means that, if he passes through waivers in the coming days, he would have the right to reject another outright assignment in favor of electing free agency.
Photo courtesy of Peter Aiken, Imagn Images
Rangers Will Carry Rule 5 Pick Carter Baumler On Roster
The Rangers will break camp with Rule 5 right-hander Carter Baumler on the roster. In a unique moment that all fans will want to check out (video link), manager Skip Schumaker made a mound visit last night to inform Baumler he’d made the club mid-game. The entire Rangers infield converged to join in for the delivery and congratulate the 24-year-old on his first call to the big leagues. After his outing, an emotional Baumler told Laura Stickells of the Rangers Sports Network that he was blindsided by the news (video link). Naturally, when Baumler saw Schumaker heading to the mound, he assumed he was being taken out of the game earlier than expected.
“What a special way [to tell me],” Baumler said. “It caught me totally off guard. It was pretty cool. … A few years ago, I never would’ve expected this. Looking back, I’m glad I kept my head down, kept hammering away.”
A fifth-round pick by the Orioles back in the shortened 2020 draft, Baumler signed for an over-slot $1.5MM but has never been touted as a top-tier prospect. That’s in part due to persistent health troubles. He’s already undergone both Tommy John surgery and shoulder surgery in his young career. Between those injuries and the lack of a minor league season in 2020, Baumler pitched only 49 total innings in his first five seasons of pro ball.
In 2025, Baumler tossed 39 2/3 frames between High-A and Double-A. That’s still the highest single-season workload of his career, so the Rangers will be at least somewhat judicious with his usage — even in a bullpen role. Baumler worked to a sparkling 2.o4 ERA with a 29.1% strikeout rate but an 11.4% walk rate last year. He’s been outstanding with Texas this spring, tossing 9 1/3 shutout innings with a 28.6% strikeout rate, a 5.7% walk rate and a 54.5% ground-ball rate.
In order to shed his Rule 5 designation — which prevents him from being optioned to the minors at any point — Baumler will need to stick on the major league roster or injured list all season (including 90 days on the active roster). If he manages to do so, the Rangers will secure full control over the right-hander moving forward. He’d be controllable for five years and have a full slate of three minor league option years thereafter.
If at any point Texas feels the need to go in a different direction, Baumler would need to pass through waivers unclaimed and subsequently be offered back to the Orioles for a nominal sum of $50K. Given the excellent spring results and the fact that the Rangers actually sent a prospect to the Pirates in order to select Baumler for them in the draft, he should have a real chance to stick on the roster.
Baumler will join a revamped Texas bullpen that includes lefties Robert Garcia, Tyler Alexander, Jalen Beeks and Jacob Latz as well as right-handers Chris Martin, Cole Winn and Jakob Junis.
Andrew McCutchen Makes Rangers’ Roster; Kumar Rocker Named Fifth Starter
Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young announced today that veteran outfielder/designated hitter Andrew McCutchen has made his club’s Opening Day roster (link via Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News). McCutchen will earn a reported $1.25MM base salary and can double that amount via incentives. He and Ezequiel Duran will have spots on the team’s bench.
In the rotation, right-hander Kumar Rocker has won the fifth starter’s job over lefty Jacob Latz, who’ll head to the bullpen (link via Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports). Non-roster veterans Cal Quantrill and Austin Gomber have been informed they did not make the team. McCutchen is not on the 40-man roster and will thus need to have his contract selected for the move to become official.
McCutchen signed midway through camp but quickly hit his way into the Rangers’ plans. He turned 39 last October but wasn’t showing his age during Cactus League play. It’s only 24 plate appearances, of course, but McCutchen went 8-for-18 with three doubles, a homer, six walks and five strikeouts in official spring games. He’ll give the Rangers a right-handed complement to lefty swinging designated hitter Joc Pederson, and McCutchen can still mix into the outfield corners on occasion as well. If Pederson’s anemic 2025 performance carries into the 2026 season — it’s carried over into spring training already — then McCutchen could eventually find himself in a larger role.
After all, McCutchen is coming off a season where he hit .239/.333/.367 in 551 plate appearances. It’s below-average production overall, but he was slightly above average in 2023-24. And given the depths of last year’s struggles from Pederson (.181/.285/.328), even slightly below-average offense would be a sizable improvement out of the DH slot.
Rocker, 26, had a rocky go of it in his first extended look in the majors last year. The former top-10 draft pick and top prospect pitched 64 1/3 innings but was knocked around for a 5.74 ERA with a below-average 19.5% strikeout rate and a solid 8% walk rate. Rocker pitched better in 19 minor league innings but also missed considerable time with a shoulder impingement.
This spring, Rocker has looked more formidable. He’s pitched 12 2/3 innings in Cactus League play, holding opponents to six runs (4.26 ERA) on 13 hits and three walks with 14 strikeouts. His velocity on his sinker is up about a half mile per hour, and the velocity on his cutter is up more than two miles per hour. Rocker has also been using his slider more than twice as often as he did in 2025, on a rate basis. Perhaps that’s more indicative of him working on the slider during camp than it is a sign of a new approach to his pitch selection in ’26, but the new trendlines are relatively intriguing.
Latz entered camp hoping to land the final rotation spot but will settle for a bullpen role to begin the year. He’s coming off a season in which he pitched 85 2/3 innings of 3.98 ERA ball, but Latz was torched for 14 earned runs in 15 1/3 innings this spring. The Rangers could keep the left-hander stretched out in a multi-inning role, which would allow him to be first up in the event of an injury elsewhere in the rotation.
For now, Rocker will break camp in the rotation alongside his college co-ace at Vanderbilt, Jack Leiter. The “Vandy Boys” will join Jacob deGrom, Nathan Eovaldi and trade acquisition MacKenzie Gore in a rotation that has the potential to be one of the best in baseball but also has plenty of injury risk with both Eovaldi and deGrom being in their late 30s and having lengthy injury histories in recent years.
Poll: Who Will Win The AL West?
With Opening Day just around the corner, the offseason is more or less complete for MLB’s 30 clubs and teams. Until the playoffs begin, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. In the run-up to the start of the season, we will be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. The Blue Jays came out on top in the AL East, while our readers overwhelmingly (58%) voted for the Tigers in our poll on the AL Central. Today, we’ll be moving on to the AL West. All teams are listed in order of their 2025 regular season record:
Seattle Mariners (90-72)
Powered by an MVP-caliber season from star catcher Cal Raleigh, the Mariners surged ahead of the pack in the AL West last year and fell just one game short of reaching the World Series. Eugenio Suárez and Jorge Polanco departed via free agency, but the rest of that team is more or less intact. A rotation led by Logan Gilbert and Bryan Woo figures to once again be among the very best in baseball, and they’ll be backed up by a bullpen that added lefty Jose A. Ferrer to pair with Andres Munoz and Matt Brash in high-leverage situations. The big addition to the offense is utilityman Brendan Donovan, who’ll primarily play third base and help lengthen a lineup featuring Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and breakout slugger Dominic Canzone. The offense could improve even more if young second baseman Cole Young and/or top prospect Colt Emerson prove they can be impact players in 2026, but it’s easy to make the argument that Seattle remains the most well-rounded team in the division even without those improvements.
Houston Astros (87-75)
The Astros missed the postseason for the first time since 2016 last year, and the team was not as aggressive as one might have expected this winter. That’s not to say the Astros were inactive. They replaced Framber Valdez at the top of the rotation with Tatsuya Imai and brought in Mike Burrows from the Pirates to add further depth to a rotation that was often held together by duct tape and bubblegum last year. Houston will bring back a nearly identical offense, only swapping Mauricio Dubon for Nick Allen and Jesus Sanchez for Joey Loperfido while going to internal backup Cesar Salazar as a replacement for Victor Caratini. The Astros explored trades of infielder Isaac Paredes and tried to get another left-handed bat, but they’ve come up empty to date. The uncertain health of closer Josh Hader only adds to the question marks facing Houston as they look to return to the top of this division.
Texas Rangers (81-81)
After a second consecutive disappointing season, the Rangers moved on from second baseman Marcus Semien, outfielder Adolis Garcia, and catcher Jonah Heim. Semien was traded to the Mets for outfielder Brandon Nimmo, who will take over right field following Garcia’s non-tender. Heim, also non-tendered, will be replaced by catcher Danny Jansen. Nimmo and Jansen should be upgrades over Heim and Garcia, though the team lost some positional depth by forcing Josh Smith into the everyday role at second base. The addition of MacKenzie Gore to an already talented rotation should allow the Rangers’ starters to once again be among the best in baseball, but they’ll need better health from Corey Seager and more production from Joc Pederson and Josh Jung if they’re going to compete for the division title this year.
The Athletics (76-86)
While it’s been a busy and exciting offseason for fans of the A’s, that excitement has mostly been focused on extensions. Long-term deals for Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson are encouraging for the long-term health of the franchise but don’t move the needle in 2026. The A’s added Jeff McNeil to help the offense at second base, and a full season of Nick Kurtz in the majors won’t hurt. Strong as the offense looks, the club’s lack of pitching additions for a roster that struggled to prevent runs even before losing Mason Miller at the trade deadline creates plenty of concern. They’ll need a lot to break right, particularly in the bullpen.
Los Angeles Angels (72-90)
As is often the case with the Angels, it’s not impossible to squint and see the bones of a solid team. Mike Trout was healthier last season than he’s been in a very long time. Jo Adell slugged 40 homers in 2025. Jorge Soler remains a potential middle-of-the-order force when healthy. Josh Lowe was a high-upside addition, and it’s not impossible to imagine any of Nolan Schanuel, Reid Detmers, and Christian Moore following in the footsteps of Zach Neto to become high quality regulars. Unfortunately, fans in Anaheim know that the club has been in this situation virtually every year for the past decade. They’ve seen far too many potential-laden teams undercut by a lack of depth before finishing the season underwater and failing to reach the playoffs. Perhaps this year will be different, but Angels fans have earned their skepticism, especially following an offseason where Lowe, Kirby Yates, and Grayson Rodriguez (the latter of whom is already injured) were the club’s biggest additions.
How do MLBTR readers think the AL West will shake out this year? Will the Mariners continue to reign supreme? Will the Astros find a way to reestablish themselves as the class of the AL? Was the Rangers’ roster shakeup enough to get them back to the playoffs? Or could the A’s or Angels surprise with a big season? Have your say in the poll below:
Who will win the AL West in 2026?
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Seattle Mariners 66% (3,469)
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Houston Astros 11% (553)
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Texas Rangers 8% (444)
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The Athletics 8% (441)
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Los Angeles Angels 6% (329)
Total votes: 5,236
Rangers Release Ryan Brasier
The Rangers announced that right-hander Ryan Brasier has been released from his minor league contract. As an Article XX(B) free agent, Brasier could use the first of three opt-out dates if Texas didn’t add him to its 40-man roster this weekend, and the Rangers have apparently chosen to let Brasier explore his options elsewhere.
The 38-year-old was having a tough time of it in camp, with a 7.36 ERA over 7 1/3 spring innings. It wasn’t specified if Brasier exercised his opt-out clause or if the Rangers just released him, yet it didn’t seem like there was much chance he would be part of the Opening Day bullpen.
Brasier has had plenty of ups and downs over a nine-season MLB career, with the highs including World Series rings with the 2018 Red Sox and 2024 Dodgers. His move to Los Angeles partway through the 2023 season seemed to get Brasier back on track, as he had a 1.89 ERA over 66 2/3 innings in a Dodgers uniform. L.A. still chose to designate Brasier for assignment and then trade him to the Cubs last winter, and Brasier posted a 4.50 ERA, 4.8% walk rate, and 19% strikeout rate over 26 innings for Chicago.
Groin problems limited Brasier’s playing time in 2025, and a calf strain also kept him on the injured list for a good chunk of the 2024 campaign. Between these health concerns, his so-so numbers with the Cubs, and his age, Brasier was limited to just the non-guaranteed deal with Texas this winter. He’ll probably have to settle for another minors contract in his next destination as well, as Brasier didn’t do much to boost his stock in Cactus League play.