John Brebbia Elects Free Agency
Right-hander John Brebbia elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment by the Braves earlier this week.
Brebbia, 35, is undeniably having a bad season. He has tossed 23 1/3 innings between Detroit and Atlanta, allowing 7.71 earned runs per nine. His 22.6% strikeout rate is close to average but his 10.4% walk rate is a bit high. It’s surely not quite as bad as the ERA would indicate. His .338 batting average on balls in play and 56.8% strand rate are both to the unfortunate side. His 5.76 FIP and 4.21 SIERA aren’t amazing figures but they do suggest that the ERA isn’t a perfect reflection of his work this year.
Regardless, he hasn’t been able to stick on a roster for long. The Tigers signed him to a one-year, $2.75MM deal in the offseason. He wasn’t released until mid-June but he also missed close to a month due to a right triceps strain. Atlanta scooped him up on a minor league deal after Detroit let him go. He was back in the majors in late August but lasted barely a week on Atlanta’s roster.
Players with at least five years of service time have the right to reject outright assignments and keep their salary commitments in place. Brebbia is well over that line and has exercised his right. Since the Tigers released him, they are on the hook for the majority of what remains to be paid out of his salary. Any other club could sign Brebbia and would only have to pay him the prorated portion of the league minimum for any time spent on the roster.
As mentioned, he has not been in good form this year but the track record is decent. He came into this year with 355 big league innings, a 3.80 ERA, 25.9% strikeout rate and 7.3% walk rate. This year’s major league results haven’t been at that level but he showed potential on the farm. Between signing that minor league deal with Atlanta and getting selected to the majors, he tossed 19 Triple-A innings with a 1.89 ERA, 26.9% strikeout rate and 3.8% walk rate.
It’s possible there are clubs who can see past this year’s struggles in the majors, though there’s still limited short-term appeal. Though Brebbia is cheap and has a good résumé, the regular season has barely two weeks remaining and he wouldn’t be postseason eligible for any club he signs with now. Perhaps he will latch on somewhere for the next few weeks but it’s also possible he goes into offseason mode a bit early.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
Dodgers Activate Tommy Edman From Injured List
6:22pm: Manager Dave Roberts tells reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) this afternoon that Edman, who is in center field today, may be on the grass on a regular basis going forward against left-handed pitching. He added that Edman could also see time at second base depending on how he looks running full-speed following his ankle injury.
5:39pm: Dodgers utility man Tommy Edman is being activated from the injured list today, the club announced today. Rookie center fielder Justin Dean was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move to make room for Edman on the roster.
Edman, 30, joined the Dodgers in a three-team trade with the White Sox and Cardinals last year. In 123 regular season games since then, Edman has slashed .231/.285/.403 with 18 homers, nine steals, and a 17.9% strikeout rate in 485 plate appearances. That’s good for only a wRC+ of 90, although it’s worth noting that Edman hit .328/.354/.508 during the Dodgers’ World Series run last year and even earned NLCS MVP honors for his work against the Mets.
The switch-hitter was signed to an extension during the offseason that guaranteed him $74MM over five seasons. That might seem like a hefty price to pay for a player who is typically below average offensively, but Edman makes up for his less than impactful bat by being a Gold Glove caliber defender capable of playing virtually any position on the diamond. He’s primarily played second base and shortstop throughout his career, but also has more than 600 innings of work both in center field and at third base over the course of his career.
After splitting time fairly evenly between shortstop and center field last year, Edman has mostly played second base with semi-regular reps in center and at the hot corner during the 2025 campaign. That’s when he hasn’t been on the injured list, as the Dodgers have needed to get through much of the season without him on the roster due to a pair of ankle injuries. The most recent occurred in early August and has left him shelved for just over a month. Now that he’s healthy, he joins a Dodgers lineup that also recently saw Will Smith and Max Muncy some back from injuries of their own.
With both Edman and Muncy back in the fold to handle regular duties at second and third base, that could leave rookie Hyeseong Kim without a regular position in the lineup. The Dodgers have at times in recent weeks suggested that Kim could get looks in left field over struggling veteran Michael Conforto. Perhaps that will come to pass now that Edman has returned to bump Kim off the keystone, given his 78 wRC+ on the year and similarly mediocre performance in recent weeks. Regardless of what sort of domino effects Edman’s return from the injured list might have on the Dodgers’ lineup down the stretch, it can only be a good thing for Los Angeles to have a deeper cache of options from which to work as they look to stave off the Padres in the NL West and defend their 2024 World Series championship in October.
As for Dean, the 28-year-old rookie has appeared in 18 games with the Dodgers this year. That work has almost exclusively been as a pinch runner and defensive replacement, as Dean has just two MLB plate appearances to his name that saw him go 0-for-2 with one strikeout, though he is 1-for-1 on the basepaths in the majors. A 17th rounder plucked by the Braves organization during the 2018 draft, Dean has parts of four seasons at Triple-A under his belt where he’s slashed .233/.340/.350 with 57 steals in 69 attempts. He’ll head back to the minor leagues for the time being, but could still be an option for the Dodgers off the bench later this year if the need for a speedster arises.
Braves Outright Luke Williams
Infielder/outfielder Luke Williams has been sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week. He has the right to elect free agency though the log doesn’t indicate he has done so.
Williams, 29, had spent parts of 2023 and all of 2024 as a versatile depth piece for Atlanta. However, he exhausted his final option season in 2024, which squeezed him to the edge of the roster. He was passed through waivers and outrighted in March of 2025, just before the season began.
He was called back up in early May and spent over three months on the active roster, but without much playing time. He got into 44 games but only stepped to the plate 33 times, mostly being used as a pinch runner or defensive replacement, in addition to some mop-up work on the mound. He stole five bases but slashed just .133/.182/.200 when he did get to hold the bat.
He landed on the injured list in late August due to an oblique strain. Shortly after being reinstated, he was designated for assignment to open a roster spot. He could have elected free agency this week but will seemingly stay with Gwinnett. According to the log, his outright actually occurred on September 6th. Since he hasn’t elected free agency in the intervening four days, it seems fair to conclude he won’t do so.
If he’s not added back to the roster by the end of the season, he’ll have another chance to elect free agency at that time. He has just a .213/.271/.281 line in his big league career but has a decent Triple-A slash of .257/.339/.418 going back to the start of 2022. He can steal a few bases and has experience at every position on the diamond apart from catcher.
Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images
Rangers Sign Donovan Solano, Cal Quantrill To Minor League Deals
The Rangers have signed infielder Donovan Solano and right-hander Cal Quantrill to minor league contracts, the team informed reporters (including Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News). Both players had recently been released — Solano by the Mariners, Quantrill by the Braves.
Solano follows in the footsteps of former M’s teammate Dylan Moore. He signed with Texas days after being released by Seattle in late August. Marcus Semien had just landed on the injured list, and Texas lost Corey Seager to an appendectomy a couple days later. Moore was quickly called up and is usually in the lineup when the Rangers face a left-handed starting pitcher. Texas also has Rowdy Tellez operating as a bench bat after signing him following a release from Seattle in June.
The 37-year-old Solano provides veteran depth in that injury-riddled infield. Cody Freeman and Josh Smith are the primary middle infield duo. First baseman Jake Burger has been injured three times this year. Moore and Ezequiel Duran are ahead of Solano as right-handed bench bats. Solano might be the first one up if another player goes down before Seager returns, as Texas hasn’t wanted to give Justin Foscue (their only position player on optional assignment) much playing time.
Solano signed a $3.5MM free agent contract with Seattle over the winter. His .252/.295/.344 slash across 69 games was below his typical level. Solano had been an average or better hitter each season from 2019-24. Seattle didn’t start him anywhere other than first base, but he has plenty of experience at second and third base as well.
Quantrill is on his third team of the year. The veteran starter signed with the Marlins for $3.5MM over the offseason. Quantrill struggled to a 5.50 earned run average over 24 starts. Miami didn’t find a taker at the trade deadline and placed the former eighth overall pick on waivers last month. The Braves placed a claim that got the Fish off the hook for the rest of the salary.
It proved an ill-advised move for Atlanta. They only gave Quantrill two starts, over which he was blasted for 12 runs in eight innings. The Braves released him last week. Quantrill now has an ERA a little north of 6.00 across 117 2/3 frames. His 16.6% strikeout rate is well below average. Quantrill throws a lot of strikes but has become increasingly susceptible to the home run over the past couple seasons. He’s now three years removed from a career season in Cleveland, when he took the ball 32 times and posted a 3.38 ERA through 186 1/3 innings.
The injury bug for Texas has carried into the rotation. Tyler Mahle will need at least one more rehab start as he works back from a shoulder injury. Nathan Eovaldi probably won’t be back this year due to a strained rotator cuff. Jon Gray is done for the season. Texas has gotten solid work from lefty Jacob Latz, who has stepped in as the fifth starter behind Jacob deGrom, Merrill Kelly, Jack Leiter and Patrick Corbin.
Any other injury, at least until Mahle returns, would essentially leave them with no one who can step in as a fifth starter. Kumar Rocker is out of the short-term picture as he works on mechanical issues. Tampa Bay claimed swingman Caleb Boushley off waivers this week. Quantrill isn’t a high-upside pickup but is at least stretched out and could make a spot start if anyone else goes down.
Texas has managed to stay within a game and a half in the Wild Card race despite the injuries. Neither Solano nor Quantrill would be eligible for the playoff roster if they qualify. They’ll each be free agents again at season’s end. These additions are solely about adding organizational depth for the next three weeks. Texas would owe either player the prorated $740K league minimum for however long they spend in the majors if they promote them.
Red Sox Promote Connelly Early, Place Dustin May On Injured List
5:50pm: Early’s promotion is official. May lands on the 15-day IL, retroactive to September 6, with elbow neuritis. Boston created the necessary 40-man spot by recalling infielder Vaughn Grissom from Triple-A and placing him on the 60-day injured list. Grissom’s season is over due to plantar fasciitis.
10:46 am: The Red Sox will promote pitching prospect Connelly Early to make his major league debut tonight versus the A’s, as first reported by Foul Territory. Katie Morrison-O’Day of MassLive.com noted earlier in this week that Early, a 2023 fifth-round pick, was scratched from his start at Triple-A Worcester because the Sox wanted him to be ready if the big league club had a need this week. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo wrote yesterday that Early was “very much in play” to make his MLB debut within the next couple of days.
Early isn’t on the 40-man roster, so Boston will need to make corresponding transactions to open space on both the active and 40-man rosters. Righty Dustin May will head to the injured list to open an active roster spot, per Foul Territory and Cotillo.
The 23-year-old Early has thrived in both Double-A and Triple-A this season, combining for 100 1/3 innings with a 2.60 earned run average, a huge 31.9% strikeout rate and a 9.7% walk rate. The 6’3″, 195-pound lefty is sitting 93.4 mph on his four-seamer, complementing the pitch with a deep variety of secondary offerings including a slider, changeup, sinker, cutter and curveball (listed in descending order of usage rate). He’s kept the ball on the ground at a strong 50% clip and has thus far posted an excellent 14.3% swinging-strike between Double-A and Triple-A.
Early entered the season ranked tenth among Boston prospects at Baseball America but has climbed to sixth, even after the draft added several new entrants to the top tiers of every system in the sport. Scouting reports at BA, FanGraphs and MLB.com tout Early’s changeup as a plus offering. There’s a wider range of opinions on his slider, but the general consensus is that it at least has the potential to be an above-average, if not plus offering. The Virginia product will join fellow rookie Payton Tolle as a fairly high-profile September addition who could not only help into and throughout the postseason but could very well be auditioning for a 2026 rotation spot.
Although Early wasn’t on the 40-man roster on Sept. 1, he’ll still be eligible for postseason play. Players only need to be in the organization to have eligibility. The Sox will technically need to petition to have Early added to their postseason roster as an injury replacement, but teams do that every year. Depending on May’s timetable, he could simply be added as a replacement for the same pitcher he’s replacing on the active roster today.
There was at least one scenario where the Red Sox wouldn’t have had Early as an option to call up. When speaking with the Diamondbacks about Merrill Kelly and Zac Gallen prior to the trade deadline, Early was of interest to Arizona’s front office, Alex Speier and Tim Healey of the Boston Globe report. The Sox were willing to discuss lefty Brandon Clarke but deemed Early too steep a price to pay in those talks, per the Globe duo. Kelly went to the Rangers for a package of three pitching prospects. Gallen stayed in Arizona and will likely receive a qualifying offer.
As for May, it’s not yet clear exactly what type of injury he’s facing. Boston acquired him from the Dodgers at the trade deadline, sending 2024 first-round pick James Tibbs III (whom they’d acquired from the Giants for Rafael Devers) back to Los Angeles in return.
That trade hasn’t gone at all as the Red Sox hoped. May has made six appearances, five of them starts, and pitched to an ugly 5.40 ERA with a lower strikeout rate (19.5%) and higher walk rate (9.8%) than he’d logged in what was already a shaky season with Los Angeles (4.85 ERA). He’s a free agent at season’s end and doesn’t necessarily have a spot on the postseason roster set in stone, so if May needs even three weeks on the injured list, it’s at least feasible that his Red Sox tenure is effectively over. Certainly, both he and the organization will hope he can get back in minimal time and pitch his way into postseason consideration, but time will tell whether that’s plausible.
Mets Activate Jose Siri, Designate Wander Suero
The Mets announced Tuesday that they’ve reinstated outfielder Jose Siri from the 60-day injured list. Reliever Wander Suero was designated for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot, and outfielder Jared Young has been optioned to Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets also announced that righty Justin Garza, whom they’d previously designated for assignment, cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Syracuse.
Siri, 30, appeared in just 10 games with the Mets before suffering a fractured tibia that wound up sidelining him close to five months. New York acquired him from the Rays in an offseason deal sending reliever Eric Orze back to Tampa Bay.
Though Siri strikes out far too often (career 35.8%) and posts poor batting averages and on-base percentages as a result, he’s an elite runner and defender with considerably above-average power. Last year, Statcast pegged Siri’s sprint speed (99th), outfield range (99th) and outfield arm strength (97th) in at least the 97th percentile of MLB players. He popped 43 home runs and stole 26 bags in just 812 plate appearances with the Rays from 2023-24 but did so with a grim .203/.260/.424 batting line overall (91 wRC+).
The Mets placed Tyrone Taylor on the injured list a couple weeks ago and are already expecting to be without Jesse Winker for the balance of the regular season. Siri steps back into an outfield mix that includes Brandon Nimmo and Juan Soto in the corners, with deadline pickup Cedric Mullins in center field. Starling Marte, Jeff McNeil and Luisangel Acuña are all options on the grass as well.
Siri’s right-handed bat is a natural complement for the lefty-swinging Mullins in center field — or so it would seem. However, Siri’s career .194/.251/.378 slash against lefties is markedly worse than his career .211/.269/.411 batting line in right-on-right situations. Neither is a strong mark, however, and Mullins is a better hitter in left-on-left situations than Siri is in right-on-left situations — historically speaking, anyhow. For now, Siri seems like he’ll operate as a fourth outfielder and late-game option off the bench, be that in a pinch-running, defensive upgrade or pinch-hitting scenario.
As for the 33-year-old Suero, he was only just claimed off waivers five days ago and only reported to the team four days ago. He didn’t appear in a game during his brief time with the Mets. His only big league work in 2025 has come with the Braves, for whom he yielded eight runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Ugly Atlanta stint aside, Suero was a frequently used bullpen arm for the Nationals from 2018-20, when he pitched 142 2/3 innings of 4.10 ERA ball. He picked up a save and 27 holds along the way. Suero’s production has taken a nosedive since; he’s pitched in each of the past four MLB seasons but has a 7.11 ERA in 57 innings thanks to an alarming susceptibility to home runs. After yielding just 0.63 homers per nine frames in his first three MLB seasons, Suero has surrendered an average of 2.53 big flies per nine innings since 2021.
To his credit, Suero has been outstanding in Triple-A this season. He’s pitched 46 2/3 innings with the Braves’ top affiliate in Gwinnett and recorded a 1.35 ERA with a dozen saves, a 31.2% strikeout rate and a 6.9% walk rate. Now that he’s been designated for assignment, he’ll head to outright waivers and again be made available to all 29 other clubs.
Rays Claim Caleb Boushley
The Rays have claimed right-hander Caleb Boushley off waivers from the Rangers, per a team announcement. Fellow righty Brian Van Belle was transferred from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to make roster space.
Boushley, 32 next month, has pitched a career-high 43 1/3 innings with Texas in 2025 but has been tagged for an unsightly 6.02 earned run average in that time. However, he’s posted respectable strikeout and walk rates of 21.2% and 7.3% in that time, and he’s done a nice job keeping the ball in the park (1.04 HR/9). Boushley has been plagued by a sky-high .374 average on balls in play, which has surely contributed to his struggles in terms of stranding baserunners (just 58.7%).
Tampa Bay has placed two relievers — Van Belle and Mason Englert — on the injured list within the past five days. Boushley adds a fresh arm to the bunch, bringing those decent rate stats and the ability to be optioned to his new organization. He’ll give the club some flexible depth that is stretched out enough to throw multiple innings, if need be. Boushley has just one outing greater than an inning so far this month, but he tossed three innings of long relief with the Rangers as recently as Aug. 20.
Boushley didn’t make his big league debut until he was already 29 years old (with the Brewers in 2023). As such, despite being on the cusp of his 32nd birthday, he can be controlled for a full six seasons. Given his minimal track record, it’s unlikely that’s a prominent consideration right now, but if he impresses the Rays enough to stick on the 40-man roster this winter (or to re-sign as a minor league free agent in the event that he is cut loose), it could become part of the thinking in 2026.
Marlins To Activate Ryan Weathers On Thursday
Ryan Weathers is listed as the Marlins’ probable starter for Thursday’s game against the Nationals. He’ll be activated from the 60-day injured list and take the ball for the first time in three months. Miami will need to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Weathers has struggled through a second straight injury-riddled year. An index finger strain on his throwing hand cost him most of the second half of 2024. This year saw him miss the first six weeks after he suffered a Spring Training forearm strain. Weathers returned and took five starts over three weeks before he sustained the lat injury.
The health problems have interrupted a potential breakout. The former seventh overall pick turned in a 3.63 ERA with solid strikeout and walk numbers across 16 starts a year ago. He has worked 24 2/3 frames of 3.28 ERA ball while punching out 22.5% of opponents this year. Weathers has pushed his average fastball velocity above 97 MPH. His changeup and breaking ball have each gotten strong results. Weathers has also shown far better command over his two seasons in Miami than he did early in his career with the Padres. He has the ability to be a mid-rotation starter if his arm holds up.
Weathers has crossed the three-year service threshold and will reach arbitration for the first time in the offseason. His limited body of work will keep his salary affordable, and he’s under team control for three years. He’s part of a talented but volatile collection of starting pitchers in Miami.
The Fish have Sandy Alcantara signed for $17MM next season. Weathers, Edward Cabrera, Braxton Garrett and Max Meyer are all eligible for arbitration. They’ve all shown flashes of promise but haven’t proven they can stay healthy. Eury Pérez is still in his pre-arbitration years. Janson Junk and Ryan Gusto could compete for spots at the back end. That’s before accounting for a minor league pipeline that features Thomas White, Robby Snelling and Noble Meyer. Alcantara will probably be on the trade block during the winter. Much of the Marlins’ short-term future will hinge on the health and development of their collection of younger arms.
Cabrera may be the biggest x-factor. He has had a career season, working to a 3.57 earned run average over a personal-high 24 starts. He has performed at a top-of-the-rotation level going back to the beginning of May: 110 innings of 2.95 ERA ball with a 26.5% strikeout rate. The run was halted when an elbow sprain sent him to the injured list last week. Cabrera also has a history of shoulder problems and hadn’t reached 100 MLB innings in a season until this year.
The Marlins shut the righty down for a week after the diagnosis. Manager Clayton McCullough said this afternoon that Cabrera will now ramp up a throwing program that gives him a chance to return this season (link via Christina De Nicola of MLB.com). McCullough unsurprisingly suggested the team would quickly shut things down if Cabrera’s elbow doesn’t respond well but indicated the pitcher and team both want to see how he feels as he throws with more intensity. Even if Miami isn’t playing for anything in the standings, Cabrera would surely feel a lot better about his offseason if he’s able to get back on the mound for an appearance or two before the year closes.
Angels Select Sebastian Rivero, Transfer Jorge Soler To 60-Day Injured List
6:17pm: Rather than shutting Anderson down, the Halos moved Jorge Soler from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list as the corresponding move. The designated hitter/corner outfielder has been out since July 24 with lower back issues. The transfer backdates to his initial IL placement, so Soler could theoretically return for the last week of the season. He hasn’t begun a rehab assignment, though, and it seems there’s a good chance he doesn’t make it back this year.
4:35pm: The Angels selected catcher Sebastián Rivero onto the big league roster, notes Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register. Rivero is starting tonight and hitting eighth against Twins righty Simeon Woods Richardson. Logan O’Hoppe heads to the seven-day concussion injured list after being hit on a backswing by A’s infielder Jacob Wilson yesterday.
Rivero was not on the 40-man roster, so the Halos will need to announce another move before game time. Tyler Anderson recently suffered what is expected to be a season-ending oblique strain and could be moved to the 60-day injured list if the Halos officially rule him out for the year.
O’Hoppe and Travis d’Arnaud have divided the work behind the plate all season. The Angels had gotten away with carrying only two catchers on the 40-man roster as a result. O’Hoppe’s injury forces them to tap into their non-roster depth with a few weeks remaining in the season. The 26-year-old Rivero signed an offseason minor league contract and has been at Triple-A Salt Lake all year. He’s hitting .264/.309/.429 with nine homers, below-average production in a hitter-friendly league.
As is the case with most third catchers, Rivero isn’t going to provide much offensively. He’ll look to offer capable defense while backing up d’Arnaud for at least a week. Tonight will mark his first MLB action in three years. He has 34 career games under his belt, all of which came with the Royals between 2021-22. The righty hitter batted .167 with a .234 on-base percentage over 73 trips to the plate.
Phillies Place Trea Turner, Alec Bohm On Injured List
The Phillies placed shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm on the 10-day injured list, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Otto Kemp and Donovan Walton are up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take their roster spots. Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports that the Phils are moving reliever Daniel Robert from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot for Walton, whose minor league contract was selected. Turner has a Grade 1 hamstring strain, manager Rob Thomson tells the Phillies beat (link via Lochlann March of the Philly Inquirer).
Bohm is battling left shoulder soreness. Gelb reports that the third baseman has been plagued by a bothersome cyst that’ll need to be drained and treated with an injection. There’s nothing structurally amiss, however, and Thomson expressed confidence it’ll be a minimal 10-day IL stint. The Phils have a comfortable enough seven-game lead in the NL East that they can afford that absence. Their margin over the Dodgers for the #2 placement in the National League and the associated first-round bye is smaller, but they’re still four games up in that race.
Turner suffered a hamstring strain during Sunday’s game. An injured list stint was inevitable. The far more significant question was whether it’d threaten his availability for the postseason. Thomson left open the possibility that he’ll be back before the end of the regular season. That’d allow him to take a few at-bats to get up to speed before the playoffs. The Division Series are scheduled to begin on October 4. The Phillies would automatically qualify as long as they hang on to the #2 seed. That’d give Turner a month to get back to action.
Edmundo Sosa will take over shortstop for as long as Turner is out of action. Kemp will jump from Lehigh Valley to regular playing time in Philly for at least a week and a half. He’s starting at third base tonight and batting ninth against Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean. Walton will replace Sosa as the team’s utility infielder.
It’ll be the first major league action of the season for the 31-year-old Walton. Philly acquired him from the Mets at the beginning of July. Walton was playing on a minor league deal with New York and was assigned to Lehigh Valley. He was batting .222/.315/.377 in 73 games with the Mets’ affiliate. His numbers have picked up since the trade. Walton has hit .339/.413/.424 with almost as many walks as strikeouts across 209 plate appearances for the IronPigs.
A former fifth-round pick of the Mariners, Walton has played parts of five seasons in the majors. The lefty batter has played in 70 games and carries a .174/.227/.305 line against big league pitching. Walton’s value lies primarily in his defensive flexibility. He’ll provide cover throughout the infield and has experience in left field (though the Phils have enough outfield depth that he probably won’t get much time there).
Walton was in the organization before September 1. That means he’s eligible for the postseason even though he was not on the 40-man roster until today. The Phils will hope to have Turner and Bohm back in plenty of time so that doesn’t need to be a consideration. Walton is out of options, so the Phillies would need to designate him for assignment to take him off the roster during the regular season.
Robert just went on the injured list last week with a forearm strain. His season is over. He made 15 appearances in an up-and-down role this season, allowing seven runs across 13 innings. The Phils acquired him in a DFA trade with Texas in May. They’ll need to reinstate him to the 40-man roster or put him on waivers at the start of the offseason.