Cubs Sign Billy Hamilton To Minors Contract
The Cubs signed Billy Hamilton to a minor league contract last week, according to Hamilton’s MLB.com profile page. The signing specifically took place on August 31, which means that Hamilton is eligible for a spot on Chicago’s postseason roster.
Hamilton (who turns 35 in two days) was assigned to the Cubs’ Arizona Complex League team and hasn’t yet seen any game action. It could be that Hamilton is simply being ramped up in a Spring Training-esque environment given that he hasn’t played much in 2025, and hasn’t taken part in affiliated baseball since 2023. The outfielder appeared in 132 games in 2024 between stints in the Mexican League and in winter league action, but he has played in just 10 games during the 2025 Mexican League season.
A veteran of 11 Major League seasons from 2013-23, Hamilton is known for his excellent defense and incredible speed, with 326 career stolen bases (out of 398 attempts). Only Starling Marte has more steals since the start of the 2013 season, and Marte amassed his 349 steals with the benefit of over 500 more games than Hamilton. Despite those elite tools, Hamilton has never been much of a hitter, with only a .239/.292/.325 slash line to show for 3285 career plate appearances in the Show.
After beginning his career as the Reds’ regular center fielder, Hamilton’s last few Major League seasons were largely spent bouncing around between several teams as defensive depth and as a pinch-running specialist. This includes a prior stint with the Cubs, and it was exactly five years ago today that Chicago claimed Hamilton off waivers from the Mets. Hamilton started only one of his 14 regular-season games in a Cubs uniform, and came off the bench again in one playoff game, as the Cubs were swept in two games during their wild card series with the Marlins.
A similar role is surely in store for Hamilton if the Cubs decide to add him to their active roster. The Cubs have a sizeable lead in the NL wild card race and are looking like a virtual lock to reach the playoffs, allowing the team some flexibility in using September as a chance to get healthy and to decide on its optimal postseason roster. Chicago isn’t exactly hurting for speed (ranking third in baseball with 142 steals) or outfield depth, but having Hamilton in the organization gives the Cubs yet another option to consider, especially if an injury arises.
Mariners Outright Joe Jacques
The Mariners outrighted left-hander Joe Jacques to Triple-A yesterday, according to the transactions log on his MLB.com profile page. Jacques was designated for assignment by the club earlier this week when southpaw Jose Castillo was claimed off waivers from the Mets.
Jacques, 30, was a 33rd-round pick by the Pirates all the way back in 2018. He climbed the minor league ladder with Pittsburgh but ultimately departed the organization following the 2022 season without making it to the big leagues. He signed on with the Red Sox and made his major league debut with the club in 2023, but posted a lackluster 5.06 ERA in 26 2/3 innings of work. He remained on Boston’s 40-man roster throughout the 2023-24 offseason, but ultimately made just one appearance at the big league level in 2024 before he was designated for assignment and plucked off waivers by the Diamondbacks. He made only one appearance with Arizona as well before he was once again DFA’d.
He elected minor league free agency during the offseason and landed with the Dodgers on a non-roster deal last November. His 6.04 ERA in 22 1/3 innings of work with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City left much to be desired and prevented him from making it to the big leagues in L.A., but the Mariners were sufficiently intrigued by his solid underlying metrics to roll the dice on him back in June and acquire him in a minor trade with the Dodgers. His performance at the Triple-A level did not improve with the move to Tacoma, as he has struggled to a 6.93 ERA in 24 appearances with the Rainiers this year. Seattle added him to their 40-man roster a month later, but he was never recalled from Tacoma to make his Mariners debut before being DFA’d earlier this week.
Should Jacques accept his outright assignment, he’ll remain in Tacoma for the remainder of the year as a non-roster depth piece for Seattle before having another chance to elect minor league free agency after the season concludes, if he isn’t added back to Seattle’s 40-man roster before then. If he decides to elect minor league free agency, perhaps he can catch on somewhere as a depth option for the stretch run, though he might also look to get a head start on the offseason market and begin searching for a place to play in 2026.
As for the Mariners, they now have Castillo to join Gabe Speier and Caleb Ferguson as left-handed options in their bullpen at the big league level. Tayler Saucedo is in Triple-A and already on the 40-man roster, likely making him the club’s top depth option for filling that role, but if Jacques remains in the organization he could compete with Austin Kitchen to be the next man up after that quartet.
Dodgers Place Dalton Rushing On 10-Day Injured List
The Dodgers placed catcher Dalton Rushing on the 10-day injured list this evening due to a right shin contusion, per a team announcement. Rushing’s spot on the active roster will go to catcher Chuckie Robinson, who the Dodgers have selected from Triple-A Oklahoma City. Robinson will take the 40-man roster spot of right-hander Matt Sauer, who was designated for assignment.
Rushing, 24, appeared likely to get some runway behind the plate with L.A. while Will Smith is out of commission due to a bone bruise in his throwing hand. After Rushing fouled a ball of his leg earlier this week, he too found himself sidelined. Rushing told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) earlier today that a CT scan revealed that he had avoided a fracture in his shin, but is still suffering from a deep bone bruise. While Smith’s bone bruise is something the club has felt they could avoid placing him on the IL over, that did not end up being the case for Rushing, who will now head to the IL for at least the next ten days. Depending on the severity of the bruise, he could of course be sidelined for much longer than that.
While losing Rushing from the roster would be unfortunate, it’s not the massive blow that losing a top prospect might normally be expected to be. The 2022 second-rounder hasn’t hit much in his first taste of the majors this year, with a lackluster .190/.254/.298 (54 wRC+) slash line across 45 games. That poor performance has come with a massive 38.8% strikeout rate, though it of course must be acknowledged that taking to the majors is easier said than done for any rookie, much less one stepping into a backup catcher role that has afforded Rushing only 134 plate appearances across his first three-and-a-half months in the majors.
Regardless of Rushing’s results, however, the injury only serves to compound the issues L.A. is facing behind the plate with Smith not presently available. Ben Rortvedt was called up to serve as a third catcher on the roster while Smith is unavailable, and he’ll now step into regular catching duties for the short-term, with Robinson now poised to be his backup. Rortvedt’s .092/181/.108 slash line in the majors between the Rays and Dodgers this year is nothing to write home about, but he was a passable (87 wRC+) hitter while working behind the plate for the Rays last year thanks to a solid 10.7% walk rate. That’s more success than Robinson has had in the majors, offensively speaking. Robinson has 51 games in the big leagues to his name and in that time has hit just .132/.170/.194 with a career wRC+ of -3, meaning he’s 103% worse than a league average hitter.
Now in his age-30 season, Robinson’s value comes entirely from his ability as a quality defender behind the plate, and with Rortvedt’s own strong resume in that regard the Dodgers should have a solid defensive tandem at catcher even if the duo won’t offer much of anything in terms of offense. L.A.’s bats have been slumping, and their 193 runs scored is a bottom-ten figure since the All-Star break. Smith’s 154 wRC+ exiting the lineup for the time being is the most significant loss, of course, but downgrading from Rushing’s below-average numbers to the pitcher-level offensive production offered by Rortvedt and Robinson surely won’t help matters either. It’s hard to say for sure which of Robinson and Rortvedt will stick around on the roster once Smith is fully healthy and can resume primary catching duties, and perhaps if one or the other shows signs offensively over the next few days that could be a deciding factor.
As for Sauer, the right-hander made his big league debut with the Royals last year but struggled to a 7.71 ERA in 14 appearances. Now with the Dodgers, he’s pitched 29 2/3 innings of work in ten games at the big league level but has struggled to a 6.32 ERA in that time despite solid enough peripheral numbers, including a 4.24 xFIP and a 4.02 SIERA. He’ll now be available on waivers to be claimed by another club, and if he goes unclaimed the Dodgers will have the opportunity to outright him to Triple-A as non-roster depth.
White Sox Outright Bryse Wilson
The White Sox have outrighted right-hander Bryse Wilson to Triple-A Charlotte, according to a report from James Fegan of Sox Machine earlier today. Wilson was designated for assignment earlier this week and evidently cleared waivers in the following days.
Wilson, 27, signed on with Chicago on a major league deal this past winter when he hit free agency after being outrighted off of the Brewers’ 40-man roster. A former top-100 prospect who had bounced between Atlanta, Pittsburgh, and Milwaukee and had significant success as a pure reliever with the Brewers back in 2023, it was understandable for the Sox to jump at the chance to bring him in on a one-year, $1.05MM deal this winter. The White Sox did not return Wilson to the full-time relief role he had previously found success in, however, and instead used him as a swing man.
It was not a decision that went over especially well. Wilson immediately struggled after giving up his first run of the year during a three-inning outing on April 4, and went on to post a 7.33 ERA across his next 43 innings before being designated for assignment and outrighted off the club’s roster back in June. While he was briefly brought back to the majors after Aaron Civale was claimed off waivers by the Cubs, his two scoreless innings of work evidently weren’t enough to wash away his deep struggles from earlier in the season and he was designated for assignment once again shortly thereafter.
While Wilson certainly had the opportunity to elect free agency rather than stick around the organization, it’s worth noting that he would’ve forfeited the remainder of his 2025 salary by doing so due to having less than five years of MLB service time. Wilson could be retained via arbitration if added back to the 40-man roster before the end of the season, but the most likely outcome is that he’ll simply head back into free agency this winter. After posting an ugly 6.65 ERA with the White Sox this year, it seems likely that Wilson will be limited to minor league deals.
Perhaps Wilson’s next season could be a more fruitful one if his next club opts to keep him in a pure relief role. Of the 35 earned runs Wilson has allowed with Chicago this year, 27 of them were in outings where he pitched more than two innings. That works out to a 7.36 ERA allowed in outings lasting longer than two frames, even worse than his season-long numbers. As previously mentioned, Wilson’s best season being with the Brewers in 2023, for whom he never threw more than 53 pitches in an outing. By contrast, Wilson threw more pitches than that in eight of his 20 appearances with the White Sox this year.
Whatever lies ahead for Wilson, he’ll be a non-roster depth pitcher for the White Sox in the short-term. Chicago currently has Tyler Alexander and Tyler Gilbert pitching in long relief roles, with arms like Jonathan Cannon and Sean Burke on the 40-man roster as potential options to come up and help out if needed. That leaves Wilson fairly buried on the depth chart, though it’s possible the club will keep Cannon and Burke in the minors through the end of the season for development purposes.
Marlins Select Christian Roa, Release Declan Cronin
The Marlins announced a trio of roster moves, including the news that right-hander Christian Roa‘s contract has been selected from Triple-A Jacksonville. To open up space on the 28-man and 40-man rosters, Miami placed right-hander Freddy Tarnok on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 3), and released right-hander Declan Cronin.
Roa will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in his first Marlins game. A second-round pick for the Reds in the 2020 draft, Roa struggled with control problems in 2023-24 and his 2024 season was cut short by injury. This didn’t stop the Marlins from claiming him off waivers last November, and the righty has rebounded with a better showing in a full-time relief role in 2025.
Over 57 1/3 innings in Jacksonville, Roa has a 2.83 ERA and a 26.1% strikeout rate. The 12% walk rate is still on the high side and Roa has benefited from a tiny .221 BABIP, but the bottom-line efforts have been enough to earn Roa his first taste of Major League action.
Tarnok is dealing with a left ankle sprain, and the timing of the injury means that he could be shut down for the rest of the season unless there’s some quick progress in his recovery. With a whopping 17 players now on the injured list, the Marlins as a whole are to some extent just trying to get to the finish line of the season, though Kyle Stowers, Ryan Weathers, and Janson Junk are all expected to be activated from the IL within the next week.
A minor league signing for the Marlins last winter, Tarnok had his minors contract selected to the active roster in mid-June, and he has made five appearances for Miami while being frequently optioned back and forth from Triple-A. Within the small sample size of 7 1/3 innings, Tarnok has a 2.45 ERA and a big 35.7% strikeout rate, with a 14.3% walk rate. This marks Tarnok’s first big league action since 2023, and he has a career 3.97 ERA across 22 2/3 innings with the Marlins, Athletics, and Braves.
Cronin’s release comes as the right-hander has been on Jacksonville’s IL for about the last three weeks, due to an undisclosed injury. Cronin already missed the first two months of the season due to a hip problem, and with a 4.87 ERA over 20 1/3 Triple-A innings, Cronin didn’t seem to be 100 percent.
After tossing 11 innings with the White Sox in his 2023 debut season, Cronin became a regular in Miami’s bullpen last year. Cronin’s 4.35 ERA wasn’t too impressive, but that statistic was inflated by a .365 BABIP, as the righty didn’t receive much good fortune from his 57.6% grounder rate. His 23.2% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate were also solid, and Cronin was a workhorse in tossing 70 1/3 innings over 56 appearances.
These numbers were strong enough that it is a little surprising to see Cronin released entirely, even despite his tough 2025 season. It could be that the Marlins have a handshake deal in place to bring Cronin back, and today’s move was made just to open up a 40-man roster spot.
Mets Sign Joe La Sorsa To Minors Contract
1:12PM: The Mets have signed La Sorsa to a minor league contract, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports. La Sorsa will provide some left-handed bullpen depth for a New York team that has had a revolving door of relievers going up and down from Triple-A all season.
11:59AM: Left-hander Joe La Sorsa has chosen to become a free agent instead of accepting an outright assignment to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, according to reporter Charlie Goldsmith. Cincinnati designated La Sorsa for assignment earlier this week, and after he cleared waivers, La Sorsa had the ability to decide his next step since he has been previously outrighted in his career.
Over his first two MLB seasons, La Sorsa posted a 4.47 ERA over 50 1/3 innings and 41 games with the Rays and Nationals in 2023-24. Cut loose by the Nats over the offseason, the southpaw caught on with Cincinnati on a minors contract, and that contract was selected to the active roster in early June.
The Reds made only sporadic use of La Sorsa and frequently only kept him in the majors for brief stints, and the up-and-down usage may have contributed to his ugly 10.80 ERA over five appearances and 6 2/3 innings. Within that small sample size, La Sorsa was tagged for four home runs.
Time is running out on La Sorsa’s chances of landing a big league job with another team before 2025 is over, yet signing elsewhere on another minors deal might at least give the lefty a head start on the offseason. La Sorsa has another minor league option year remaining, and clubs might be intrigued by La Sorsa’s career 2.88 ERA over 134 1/3 Triple-A innings. These excellent bottom-line results come with a modest 19.05% strikeout rate, and La Sorsa’s walk rate also drastically spiked upward when pitching with Triple-A Louisville this season.
Brewers Place Nick Mears On 15-Day Injured List
Prior to yesterday’s 5-2 win over the Pirates, the Brewers placed right-hander Nick Mears on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 2) due to back tightness. Right-hander Carlos Rodriguez was called up from Triple-A Nashville to take Mears’ spot in Milwaukee’s bullpen.
Mears had a 5.20 ERA over 107 1/3 career innings heading into the 2025 season, including a 7.30 ERA in 12 1/3 frames for Milwaukee after the Brewers acquired him from the Rockies prior to the 2024 trade deadline. In the latest example of the Brewers getting results from an unheralded pitcher, Mears has stepped up as a reliable member of the bullpen this year, posting a 3.42 ERA over 52 2/3 frames. His 21.3% strikeout rate is subpar, and Mears has allowed a lot of hard contact that has been mitigated by a .225 BABIP. On the plus side, his tiny 5.0% walk rate is excellent, and Mears has one of baseball’s best chase rates due in large part to his outstanding slider.
The numbers would look even better if Mears hadn’t allowed three runs in his last game, as the righty was hit hard over an inning of work in the Brewers’ 10-8 loss to the Phillies on September 1. It is fair to assume that Mears’ bad back played in a role in that rough outing, and the injury may have been lingering for a while, as Brew Crew manager Pat Murphy first mentioned that Mears was dealing with back problems in late July.
A club official told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy that Mears may be able to return after just a minimal 15-day absence, though back injuries tend to have an uncertain timeline. Even if Mears isn’t out for too long, he is now the fifth Brewers reliever to hit the IL in the last weeks. Closer Trevor Megill, DL Hall, Grant Anderson, and Shelby Miller are all also sidelined, and in Miller’s case, his season has been ended by a UCL sprain that will likely require Tommy John surgery.
Murphy provided some other injury updates Friday, telling McCalvy and company that Anderson is slated to begin a Triple-A rehab assignment today. Megill hasn’t pitched since August 24 due to a flexor strain, but he has started throwing bullpen sessions and the club has set September 16 as a tentative target date for the closer’s return.
The Brewers have baseball’s best record and a pretty comfortable 5.5-game lead in the NL Central, so they have some luxury in waiting out this spate of bullpen injuries. The chief priority is to have as many healthy pitchers as possible heading into the playoffs, so if Mears or anyone else needs an extra few days to recover, Milwaukee will be as risk-adverse as possible.
Rangers To Place Adolis Garcia On Injured List
The Rangers are placing Adolis García back on the 10-day injured list, manager Bruce Bochy tells reporters (including Jeff Wilson of DLLS Sports). García has been out for the past three days nursing a Grade 2 quad strain. Texas will backdate the placement to September 2, and Bochy suggested he could be back after one more week on the shelf.
Dustin Harris was selected onto the big league roster to backfill the outfield depth. Texas transferred Jon Gray from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot. Gray was already known to be out for the season after being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.
García suffered the injury while beating out a fielder’s choice on Monday. It didn’t seem especially likely that he’d be able to avoid the injured list. The Rangers preferred to play a man short for a couple games to see if García could at least factor in as a pinch-hitter for this weekend’s huge series against the Astros. That apparently wasn’t going to be on the table. García just returned from a sprained ankle and had hit .368 in his past nine games.
Harris is up to provide an extra man off the bench. The Rangers had outrighted him off the 40-man roster shortly after the trade deadline. Harris had a solid August while in Triple-A, batting .326/.379/.453 across 104 plate appearances. Texas has been forced to stretch their outfield depth with Evan Carter also injured.
29-year-old rookie Michael Helman has taken over center field and has played very well in a limited sample. Alejandro Osuna will get the majority of the right field playing time while García is out. The Rangers are going with Ezequiel Duran in right today because Houston called up rookie left-hander Colton Gordon to start the opener.
Diamondbacks Claim Elvin Rodriguez
The D-backs have claimed righty Elvin Rodriguez off waivers from the Orioles, per announcements from both teams. Arizona transferred first baseman/designated hitter Pavin Smith to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Smith was placed on the 10-day IL in late August, so the move to the 60-day injured list officially ends his season.
Rodriguez signed a split major league deal with the Brewers over the winter after pitching well in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball from 2023-24. He pitched 18 2/3 innings with Milwaukee and just one inning with Baltimore, combining for an ugly 9.15 ERA between the two teams. He’s been far better in Triple-A, logging a combined 40 1/3 frames with a 4.46 ERA, 18.3% strikeout rate and 5.3% walk rate between Norfolk and Nashville.
The now-27-year-old Rodriguez made his MLB debut with the 2022 Tigers (29 2/3 innings) and pitched even more briefly with the 2023 Rays (3 1/3 innings). He’s allowed more than a run per inning in his 52 2/3 big league frames but has a decent track record in Triple-A and turned in a sparkling 1.80 ERA in 45 innings pitching in Japan. Rodriguez is in the second of three minor league option years. If the D-backs hold onto him into the 2026 season, he’d still have one option remaining, but given his rough performance in the majors this year, it’s far from a sure thing he’ll stick on the roster that long.
As for Smith, the quad injury will formally end a season that started in impressive fashion but faded as the year progressed. Smith hit .270/.348/.547 in 158 plate appearances last year and came roaring out of the gate with a .291/.347/.473 slash in 174 plate appearances through the end of May. He’s since cratered with a .208/.310/.375 batting line in 114 plate appearances and now won’t get a chance to pull himself out of that slump.
Even with the poor finish, Smith touts a .262/.357/.475 slash and 17 homers in 446 plate appearances dating back to last year. By measure of wRC+, he’s been 29% better than average in the batter’s box. The lefty-swinging Smith has the benefit of being platooned, and the D-backs will surely look to pair him up with a righty bat next year, but he’s emerged as a viable contributor on the strong side of a first base or DH platoon — a welcome development for a former top-10 pick who hit just .240/.319/.379 through his first 1094 MLB plate appearances from 2020-23.
Marlins Announce Several Roster Moves
The Marlins have designated right-hander Luarbert Arias for assignment and selected the contract of infielder Jack Winkler from Triple-A Jacksonville, per a club announcement. They’ve also placed third baseman Connor Norby and outfielder Derek Hill on the 10-day injured list — the former due to a quad strain and the latter due to a hamstring strain. Lefty Josh Simpson and infielder Maximo Acosta have been recalled from Triple-A to take that pair of roster spots.
Arias, a 24-year-old righty, made his major league debut with Miami this season but was torched for 13 runs in 10 1/3 innings. He’s posted a 3.93 ERA in 18 1/3 innings in Triple-A but walked nearly twice as many batters (13) as he’s punched out (seven). The Marlins selected Arias, a former minor league Rule 5 pickup out of the Padres organization, back in November to protect him from being nabbed in the major league phase of the most recent Rule 5 draft.
At the time, it wasn’t hard to see why. Arias was coming off a strong year in Jacksonville, having totaled 68 innings with a 3.04 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate and 9.3% walk rate. He’s taken notable steps back this season and has already been designated for assignment and passed through waivers once this summer. Because of that prior outright, he can reject a minor league assignment in favor of free agency if he once again goes unclaimed.
Winkler’s contract is being selected to the roster for the second time this season. The 26-year-old utilityman went 2-for-12 with a pair of singles in a very brief MLB look earlier this year but has since been designated for assignment and outrighted. He’s back in the majors now despite struggling through a 9-for-58 skid in Triple-A between big league stints. He’ll add a righty bat with some defensive versatility to the Marlins’ bench while Norby is out, but Winkler posted a lackluster .220/.291/.328 batting line in 261 plate appearances during his Triple-A debut this year, so fans shouldn’t expect much in the way of offensive contributions.
It’s the third IL stint of the season for both Norby and Hill. Given the minimal time left on the regular-season calendar, either injury could feasibly be season-ending, but there’s been no definitive word from the club on that front just yet.
Norby, acquired alongside Kyle Stowers in last summer’s Trevor Rogers trade with Baltimore, hasn’t hit nearly as well as hoped this year. The former top prospect has been sidelined by oblique and wrist injuries previously, batting .274/.298/.373 when healthy enough to take the field. Hill, 29, has played strong defense but hit just .213/.275/.331 in 141 plate appearances on the year. He’s previously missed time due to wrist and finger injuries.