Brewers Promote Robert Gasser, Designate Peter Strzelecki
The Brewers announced that left-hander Robert Gasser has been called up from Triple-A, and will start today’s game against the Twins. Gasser was already on Milwaukee’s 40-man roster, but to create a 26-man spot, the Brewers designated right-hander Peter Strzelecki for assignment.
Strzelecki signed a minor league contract with the Brew Crew this past winter, and has a 4.12 ERA, 47.3% grounder rate, 24.7K%, and 4.9BB% over 19 2/3 innings for Triple-A Nashville. This work earned him a selection to the Brewers’ roster just yesterday, but he was only up for a cup of coffee before being DFA’ed. Since Strzelecki wasn’t used in Saturday’s game, his last official MLB appearance remains August 12, 2024, when the right-hander pitched for the Guardians.
A veteran of 77 games and 83 2/3 big league innings with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Guardians from 2022-24, Strzelecki spent 2025 in the minors with the Pirates and Rays before returning to the Brewers (his original team) this winter. If he clears waivers and is outrighted, Strzelecki can refuse that assignment in favor of free agency since he has a past outright in his career.
Coleman Crow was called up from Triple-A to make a spot start in Friday’s game, and now Gasser will also make his 2026 debut in a spot appearance today. The Brewers have been digging into their depth chart for some rotation help with Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester both on the IL, and even with these injury concerns, Milwaukee has just kept on winning due to its excellent pitching development system.
Gasser was a second-round pick in the 2021 draft, and he drew some top-100 prospect attention prior to his big league debut in 2024. His 2.67 ERA over 33 2/3 innings is impressive, though his secondary metrics over his brief MLB career have left a lot to be desired. Gasser missed most of the 2024-25 seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, so his chief goal for 2026 may simply be to log some innings and rebuild his arm back up to the point that he can resume a full starter’s workload by 2027.
Reds Announce Five Roster Moves
The Reds made five moves prior to today’s game with the Guardians, including the placement of catcher Jose Trevino on the 10-day injured list. Trevino is dealing with a left hamstring injury, and he’ll be replaced on the active roster by catcher P.J. Higgins, whose contract was selected from Triple-A Louisville. To create room for Higgins on the 40-man roster, Cincinnati designated outfielder Rece Hinds for assignment. In two other moves to get a fresh arm into the bullpen, the Reds called up right-hander Jose Franco from Triple-A, and optioned righty Luis Mey.
This is already the second IL stint of the year for Trevino, who missed about three weeks in April due to a thoracic spine sprain. Trevino hasn’t contributed much when he has been able to play, delivering only a .143/.172/.179 slash line over 30 plate appearances. Though Trevino is far better known for his strong defense than his subpar hitting over his career, the combined lack of production from Trevino, Higgins, and starter Tyler Stephenson have resulted in a -0.1 bWAR from the Reds’ catching position this season.
Higgins had his minor league contract selected to the 26-man roster when Trevino was first sidelined in April, and Higgins posted a .450 OPS over 12 plate appearances while appearing in five games. Upon Trevino’s return, the Reds designated Higgins for assignment and then outrighted him to Triple-A, with Higgins opting to stay in the organization rather than reject the outright in favor of free agency.
That decision has now rather quickly led to another stint in the majors for Higgins, even if he’ll likely be DFA’ed again once Trevino is healthy. Higgins has signed minor league deals with the Reds in each of the last three offseasons, and his five games in April marked his first taste of MLB action since 2022, when he appeared in 74 games with the Cubs.
A second-round pick for the Reds in the 2019 draft, Hinds hit .261/.333/.717 with five homers in 51 plate appearances after making his MLB debut in 2024. Those early fireworks didn’t carry over, however, as Hinds hit only .118/.150/.250 over 80 PA (with 39 strikeouts) during the 2025-26 seasons.
The near-total lack of production at the big league level has now made Hinds expendable in Cincinnati’s view, though manager Terry Francona is still a supporter. “Maybe for his sake, I really hope he gets an opportunity he didn’t get here,” Francona told Charlie Goldsmith and other reporters today. “I love the kid. There are obviously tools there. Sometimes, things have a way of working out for guys.”
To Francona’s point about Hinds’ tools, Hinds has been crushing Triple-A pitching for the last two seasons, he has elite speed, and he has the ability to play all three outfield positions. Though Hinds’ Triple-A strikeout rate is still at 27.9%, he has greatly increased his walk total in Louisville. It seems quite possible that another team might be intrigued enough to claim Hinds off the waiver wire, but if he does clear waivers, he doesn’t have the ability to reject an outright assignment to Triple-A.
Blue Jays Place Tommy Nance On 15-Day IL, Recall Adam Macko
The Blue Jays announced that right-hander Tommy Nance has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his right forearm. Left-hander Adam Macko was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move, and Macko is already on Toronto’s 40-man roster.
Nance threw an inning of relief work in the Jays’ 2-1 win over the Tigers yesterday, so it would seem as if his injury only surfaced in the aftermath of that outing. That said, Macko was part of the Blue Jays’ taxi squad yesterday, and manager John Schneider hinted that Macko could be officially added to the roster depending on the state of some unnamed relievers who were less than 100 percent. It could be that Nance was one of those pitchers, though teams generally proceed with caution with any sort of forearm-related issues.
Over 21 innings this season, Nance has a 3.86 ERA and a significantly better 2.81 SIERA, as his real-world ERA hasn’t reflected his 29.4% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. Now in his third season with Toronto, Nance has a 3.13 ERA, 25K%, and 7.9BB% over 74 2/3 bullpen frames, with this solid production earning him a few looks in higher-leverage roles.
Nance now becomes the eighth pitcher on the Blue Jays’ injured list, though the rotation has been hit harder than the pen as the Jays continue to try and get through this swarm of health issues. Losing Nance is another blow to the relief corps, but it now opens the door for Macko to get his first taste of Major League action.
The 25-year-old southpaw was a seventh-round pick for the Mariners in the 2019 draft, and he came to Toronto along with Erik Swanson in the November 2022 trade that sent Teoscar Hernandez to Seattle. MLB Pipeline ranks Macko as the 21st-best prospect in the Blue Jays’ farm system, while Baseball America has him 25th.
A starter for most of his minor league career, Macko got some looks at a multi-inning reliever in 2025 and he has pitched exclusively out of the pen at Triple-A Buffalo this year. The door may not be entirely closed on Macko’s future as a starter, but working as a long reliever or bulk pitcher may be a nod to Macko’s injury history, which includes a meniscus surgery last year. Macko has a four-pitch arsenal that lacks a true plus pitch, with Pipeline and BA differing on whether his curveball or his slider is his best offering.
Red Sox Place Trevor Story On 10-Day Injured List
TODAY: Story told the Boston Globe’s Tim Healey and other reporters that he has been dealing with lower-body discomfort since partway through Spring Training, and “it just kind of got to the point where we’ve got to call timeout here. Obviously, I haven’t been able to really move like myself.” Story is meeting with doctors to discuss his next step, and surgery is a consideration, which would keep him out for roughly 6-10 weeks.
MAY 16, 2:50PM: The Sox officially promoted Sogard and placed Story on the 10-day IL, with Story’s injury termed as a sports hernia. The placement is retroactive to May 15.
11:55AM: The Red Sox are placing Trevor Story on the 10-day injured list prior to tonight’s game with the Braves, MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith reports. Infielder Nick Sogard will be called up to replace Story on the active roster, as Tommy Cassell of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette first reported earlier today.
As noted by Smith and Chris Cotillo, Story has been dealing with a groin problem for a few weeks, dating back to Boston’s April 24-26 series with the Orioles. Story was given a few off-days in the interim to see if some added rest could fix the problem, but the decision has been made to give the veteran at least 10 days to fully recover.
It’s probably a wise move given Story’s long injury history, and because this IL stint might serve as an unofficial reset to what has been a rough season for the 33-year-old. Story is hitting only .206/.244/.303 over his first 176 plate appearances, translating to a brutal 47 wRC+. Between the lack of offense and subpar metrics (-1 Defensive Runs Saved, -2 Outs Above Average) regarding his work at shortstop, Story has been playing at below replacement level, with -0.4 fWAR to show for his 41 games.
Story had a .585 OPS over his first 232 PA in 2025 and then an .827 OPS in his final 422 PA, so it is certainly possible he can again rebound from another slow start. The Red Sox certainly hope Story has more to offer since he is only in the fifth guaranteed year of a six-year, $140MM free agent deal that has yet to deliver much in the way of results.
Andruw Monasterio, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, or Sogard (who is getting his first taste of MLB action this season) could all see some time at shortstop in Story’s absence. The Red Sox could also possibly move Marcelo Mayer from second base over to his original shortstop position, though Mayer has yet to play anywhere but the keystone this season.
Rays Place Jake Fraley On 10-Day IL, Recall Carson Williams
The Rays announced a trio of moves this morning, including the news that outfielder Jake Fraley has been placed (retroactive to May 16) on the 10-day injured list due to a hernia. Shortstop Carson Williams was called up from Triple-A Durham to take Fraley’s spot on the 26-man roster. Tampa also noted that right-hander Aaron Brooks has been outrighted to Triple-A after clearing waivers.
Fraley was scratched from yesterday’s lineup, and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported yesterday that the outfielder was headed for an IL stint (and that Williams was the likely replacement). It isn’t known yet how long Fraley could be out of action, though Topkin floated a six-week estimate depending on the severity of the hernia.
The Rays claimed Fraley off the Braves’ waiver wire last November, then cut him loose at the non-tender deadline only to quickly re-sign the outfielder to a one-year, $3MM contract a week later. The left-handed hitting Fraley has been used almost exclusively in platoon duty in right field, though he has yet to get going at the plate, hitting .232/.300/.390 over 90 plate appearances.
Jonny DeLuca and Ryan Vilade have each been used as the right-handed hitting complement within the right field platoon. Tampa Bay could give more playing time to either outfielder while Fraley is sidelined, or stick to a platoon structure by using Richie Palacios (a lefty bat) in right field rather than his usual second base spot. Topkin believes the latter scenario is more likely, as evidenced by the call-up of Williams to add to the Rays’ infield depth.
Heralded as one of baseball’s top prospects at the time of his MLB debut last season, Williams is still a fixture on top-100 rankings except further down the lists heading into the 2026 campaign. Between 32 games in 2025 and seven games this season, Williams has hit only .164/.209/.320 over 131 PA against big league pitching. His numbers at Triple-A have also not stood out — Williams has hit .216/.318/.433 with 28 homers over 607 PA for Durham.
Williams has struck out in 203 of those 607 trips to the plate in Triple-A, while also whiffing 53 times in his 131 PA in the Show. While Williams is still over a month shy of his 23rd birthday, the alarming amount of swing-and-miss in his game may have already dropped his stock as a potential Rays building block. Defensively, Williams has primarily played shortstop but he has logged a handful of games as a second and third baseman, so he could get some action at the keystone if Palacios is indeed ticketed for more time in right field.
Brooks was signed to a minor league contract in April, and he was selected to the Rays’ roster last weekend for what ended up being a brief tenure with the club. The righty’s one appearance resulted in an 81.00 ERA over a third of an inning of work, as Brooks allowed a walkoff grand slam to Daulton Varsho in Wednesday’s 5-3 loss to the Blue Jays.
Tampa Bay designated Brooks for assignment two days ago, and now that Brooks has cleared waivers, the ball is in his court about his future with the club. Because Brooks has been outrighted in the past, he can reject this latest outright assignment in favor of free agency.
Giants Place Heliot Ramos On 10-Day Injured List
9:44 PM: Vitello said that Ramos will miss a minimum of two weeks, but more likely a “handful of weeks,” according to Justice de los Santos.
5:44 PM: The Giants are placing outfielder Heliot Ramos on the 10-day injured list, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Per Justice de los Santos of The Mercury News, Ramos has a right quad strain. The team is also activating Erik Miller from his rehab assignment, optioning Tristan Beck to Triple-A, and recalling Will Brennan.
Ramos suffered the injury in the fifth inning of yesterday’s 5-2 loss to the Athletics. He attempted a sliding catch on a line drive from Jeff McNeil and came up short, with McNeil reaching on a single. Ramos looked uncomfortable in his at-bat in the sixth, striking out swinging before leaving the game with a trainer. Casey Schmitt replaced Ramos in left field.
Ramos underwent an MRI today, and evidently the quad strain was severe enough to warrant a trip to the injured list. It’s only the second time Ramos has been on the IL in his career. The first was in 2023, when he missed two months with a right oblique strain. As for his current injury, Ramos can expect to miss a couple of weeks for a mild quad strain, or several months if it’s severe. The precise timeline should be known in the coming days as the team reviews the test results.
In the meantime, the Giants will be without their everyday left fielder and a slightly above-average bat. Ramos broke out with a 120 wRC+ in 121 games in 2024. He declined to a 106 wRC+ last year, though he still hit 21 home runs and was still plenty productive. Ramos was out to a similar start this year, with a .267/.307/.424 line in his first 176 plate appearances. That amounts to a 105 wRC+, indicating Ramos is 5% better than average at the plate. Even accounting for his poor defense (-9 Outs Above Average in left field last year), Ramos is a serviceable all-around player for the Giants.
The team has a few options for left field in Ramos’ absence. Drew Gilbert was a first-round draft pick by the Astros four years ago, but he has a 70 wRC+ through his first 189 career plate appearances. Utilityman Jesus Rodriguez hit well at Triple-A last year, though he’s a catcher by trade and only has 41 innings of outfield experience at Triple-A (and only nine innings in the Majors). Brennan is now up from Triple-A, but he’s only taken 22 big league plate appearances since the start of 2025, so he won’t be trusted with regular at-bats.
It’s telling that the Giants turned to Schmitt in left after taking Ramos out of the game. It was reported a week ago that the club was considering using Schmitt in the outfield to keep his bat in the lineup. Schmitt has a team-leading 129 wRC+ at the moment, so the struggling Giants are playing it smart by exploring all options for him. Statcast has Schmitt’s arm strength and sprint speed as above-average, so his athleticism and current offensive prowess make him an appealing option compared to Gilbert, Rodriguez, and Brennan. Indeed, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports confirms that Schmitt will be part of the left field mix, based on comments from manager Tony Vitello.
Meanwhile, Miller returns from a minimum stint on the IL with a lower back strain. The 6’5″ lefty has thrown 108 2/3 innings as a reliever and opener since debuting in 2024. Miller has a 3.15 ERA in that time, with a solid 27.4% strikeout rate but also a 13.9% walk rate that’s worse than average. In light of those metrics, Miller thrives by leveraging a high-90s sinker to generate groundballs 50.2% of the time, which is well above league average.
Miller’s return will be a boon to the Giants’ bullpen. In his place, Beck will go back to Triple-A five days after being recalled. The right-hander showed impressive control in 56 2/3 innings last year but had a middling 4.61 ERA. Beck only made two appearances during this latest stint in the Majors, allowing two hits in three scoreless innings and striking out one. He’ll serve as depth at Triple-A and is likely to be called up again at some point.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
Phillies Sign Lou Trivino To Minor League Contract
The Phillies have signed reliever Lou Trivino to a minor league contract, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The deal comes four days after Trivino elected free agency following his designation for assignment by the Orioles. Trivino is a client of Pro Edge Sports Management.
Trivino, 34, signed a different minor league pact with the Phillies in February. He got an invite to big league spring training in that deal but ultimately started the year at Triple-A. To his credit, Trivino had a 2.77 ERA in 13 innings there, along with solid strikeout, walk, and groundball metrics. The Phillies did not promote him to the Majors, so Trivino opted out of his deal on May 1st. He signed a major league pact with Baltimore on May 4th and only made two appearances, allowing six earned runs in half as many innings. Trivino was designated for assignment on May 10th.
This current minor league deal is Trivino’s third with the Phillies. The first and most impactful one was last August, which followed Trivino’s release from the Dodgers. Trivino held his own over 10 appearances with Philadelphia from August 27th onward. He allowed just two earned runs in nine innings in that sample.
Altogether, Trivino had a 3.97 ERA in 47 2/3 innings between the Giants, Dodgers, and Phillies last year. His 17.9% strikeout rate was low, and Trivino’s 5.10 expected ERA suggested he was lucky to achieve that performance. Still, having not appeared in the Majors from 2023-24 due to Tommy John surgery, it was an accomplishment for Trivino to simply stay healthy for a full season.
There is little harm in the Phillies stashing Trivino in Triple-A as depth. The team’s bullpen has a solid 3.85 ERA and 2.5 fWAR, the latter metric ranking second in the Majors behind the Padres. Jhoan Duran is among the most dominant closers in the game. Brad Keller has a 3.86 ERA and an above-average 21.8% strikeout to walk differential. José Alvarado and Tanner Banks have high ERAs right now, but they’re do for positive regression. Opponents are batting over .460 on balls in play on both of them, which obviously won’t hold over time.
Each member of the back end of the bullpen is strong in terms of talent, peripherals, or both. The low-leverage arms aren’t too bad either. Out of Orion Kerkering, Tim Mayza, Chase Shugart, and Jonathan Bowlan, Mayza is the only one with a negative fWAR right now. The other three have been plenty serviceable. With the bullpen being a team strength and the rotation led by Cristopher Sánchez also performing well, the 23-23 Phillies may be less inclined to mess with their pitching than they are to improve their offense, which has a below-average 94 wRC+. As was the case with his second Phillies deal, Trivino will bide his time in Triple-A until the bullpen needs a fresh arm, be it from overuse or injury.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Braves Sign Austin Gomber To Minor League Deal
The Braves have signed left-hander Austin Gomber to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News previously reported that the Rangers released Gomber from their own minor league pact. Gomber is a client of THE·TEAM agency.
Gomber, 32, joined the Rangers organization in a non-roster deal in January. He was a candidate to be their fifth starter, though Gomber was sent to Triple-A when the job ultimately went to Kumar Rocker. Gomber’s results at Triple-A haven’t been pretty. In 33 2/3 innings over nine appearances (eight starts), Gomber had a 7.75 ERA while allowing 41 hits and 14 unintentional walks.
That follows a 2025 season defined by injuries and underperformance. Gomber started the year on the injured list with left shoulder soreness and did not return to the Rockies until June 15th. He made 12 starts in the following two months, but the results were a far cry from Gomber’s previous back-of-the-rotation work. In 57 2/3 innings, Gomber had a 7.49 ERA and just a 12.5% strikeout rate.
Although his control was typically excellent, Gomber allowed a staggering 16 home runs in that time, or 2.50 HR/9. That mark was unacceptable even for Coors Field. Gomber was released by the Rockies on August 22nd. He quickly signed a minor league pact with the Cubs, but he did not make it back to the Majors by the end of the year. Gomber elected minor league free agency in November.
That said, Gomber is only two seasons removed from being a serviceable starter. He threw 165 innings over 30 starts for the Rockies in 2024, with an impressive 5.5% walk rate and a 4.75 ERA. The latter figure seems uninspiring on the surface, but it’s roughly league average when adjusting for Coors Field. FanGraphs valued Gomber at 1.3 WAR that year – perfectly fine for a No. 5 starter.
Even though that performance is two years old now, there’s no harm in the Braves taking a flier on Gomber. Atlanta’s rotation leads the Majors with a 2.93 ERA through 45 games, and their 23.6% strikeout rate is tied for eighth with the Pirates. Chris Sale and Bryce Elder have ERAs under 2.00. Spencer Strider returned from the injured list on May 3rd and has done well in three starts (aside from walk issues). Grant Holmes is a fine as a No. 4 starter. JR Ritchie is 22 and only just debuted, so he’ll continue to get chances in the back of the rotation.
Spring injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep depleted the group’s depth somewhat, but Martin Perez is on hand as a long reliever and has made five starts of at least five innings this year. With Perez as the main depth option for now, Gomber can try to re-establish himself at Triple-A and stay ready for a callup if somebody else gets injured.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
Angels Select Jose Siri, Transfer Ben Joyce To 60-Day IL
The Angels are selecting the contract of outfielder Jose Siri, per a team announcement. Reliever Ben Joyce is being transferred to the 60-day injured list to clear space on the 40-man roster. Outfielder Bryce Teodosio has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding active roster move.
Siri joined the Halos on a minor league pact in February. He was invited to big league Spring Training but ended up starting the year at Triple-A. That was hardly surprising, as Siri missed most of 2025 with a left tibia fracture and only played in 16 games for the Mets. New York designated Siri for assignment in September, and he later elected minor league free agency rather than accept an outright assignment.
Now back in the Majors, Siri will take the role of Teodosio as a backup outfielder. Jo Adell has a hold on the right field job, and obviously Mike Trout isn’t going anywhere in center. Josh Lowe is struggling badly as the everyday option in left. Through his first 117 plate appearances, Lowe is batting a measly .167/.216/.287 with a 37 wRC+. It’s possible he and Siri could split time, though the Angels won’t give up on Lowe entirely. They only just acquired him in a three-team trade in January, and Lowe was an average hitter as recently as 2024.
In contrast, Siri’s recent track record is more suspect. He was a 106 wRC+ bat in 2023 with the Rays and hit 25 homers that year. However, he also struck out in 35.7% of his plate appearances and got on base at a .267 clip that was far below average. Siri needed to maintain that power and get on base more to remain valuable, but the exact opposite happened in 2024. Siri batted just .187/.255/.366 in 448 plate appearances that year, amounting to just a 78 wRC+.
More likely, Siri is on the active roster for his defense. Statcast has him at 39 Outs Above Average since debuting in 2021, including 16 OAA in center field in 2024. In addition to his plus range, Siri showed 97th percentile arm strength and 99th percentile sprint speed that year. It remains to be seen how he’ll hold up after missing so much time last year, but at the very least, Siri is a capable defender at all three outfield spots. He could see time as a late-inning replacement for Lowe and especially Adell.
Siri’s defense and ceiling as an average hitter give him an edge over Teodosio, who now goes to Triple-A. Teodosio debuted for the Angels in 2024 and has taken 213 plate appearances since then, mostly in 2025. Unfortunately, he’s offered just about nothing at the plate, batting .198/.242/.279 with a single home run and a 43 wRC+. Like Siri, Teodosio is no slouch on defense, with 13 OAA in just under 600 innings of outfield work. However, Teodosio strikes out over 30% of the time and, unlike Siri, doesn’t have the power to even approach respectable hitting. He’ll bide his time as a depth option at Triple-A until an injury crops up.
As for Joyce, his transfer to the 60-day IL is unsurprising. Joyce has been slowed in his rehab assignment by minor shoulder discomfort, although a recent MRI came back clean. The team is hopeful it’s just normal soreness and that Joyce can return soon after May 26th, when he’s first eligible to come off the IL. The Angels, who have a 5.17 bullpen ERA, could use Joyce back sooner rather than later.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Royals Place Matt Strahm On 15-Day Injured List
The Royals have placed reliever Matt Strahm on the 15-day injured list with right knee inflammation, MLB.com’s Jeff Jones reports. Bailey Falter (left elbow inflammation) was reinstated from the IL in Strahm’s place.
Strahm has dealt with right knee inflammation in the past. The first occurrence was in September 2020, and in that case, Strahm missed only 12 days. The second case was about a year later, and again, Strahm missed only two weeks. He went on the IL twice in 2022, but not for knee injuries. Strahm was fully healthy from 2023 onward, so between that and his minimal absences for knee inflammation in the past, the Royals can expect him to be back in short order.
Kansas City acquired Strahm from the Phillies in December in a one-for-one swap for Jonathan Bowlan. Strahm was coming off an excellent 2.30 ERA in 125 relief innings from 2024-25 and a recent All-Star nomination in 2024. His acquisition added an experienced lefty to the Royals’ bullpen at an affordable $4.5MM salary for 2026.
Strahm has been serviceable for the Royals, though he’s taken a step back from last year’s 2.74 ERA with the Phillies. In 16 1/3 innings over 17 appearances, Strahm has a 3.86 ERA. His 23.9% strikeout rate and 9.9% walk rate are both worse than last year, albeit to league average. More concerningly, Strahm’s velocity is down across the board. His four-seamer, which he uses 36.3% of the time, is down from 92.2 to 91.1 MPH, which Statcast has in just the seventh percentile.
Meanwhile, Strahm’s 4.88 FIP is a full run higher than his ERA, suggesting he’s been fortunate to perform as he has. The downturn could be a mix of age-related decline (Strahm is now 34) and the knee injury. Royals manager Matt Quatraro told reporters today that Strahm has “been pitching through it all year” and that the inflammation flared up in the ninth inning of yesterday’s game. In any case, the club is hoping the knee inflammation is a minor issue and that Strahm can return with a minimal absence.
The Royals’ bullpen has been a Bottom-5 unit in the Majors in 2026. On the whole, the group has a 4.50 ERA and similar expected numbers in 154 innings, along with a 13.4% walk rate that tops only the Reds’ bullpen. Daniel Lynch IV has a standout 1.96 ERA, although he’s due for regression with just a .205 opposing average on balls in play. Closer Lucas Erceg has a 3.44 ERA but a troubling 15.8% walk rate. Nick Mears, John Schreiber, and Alex Lange have walk rates of 12.3% or higher and expected ERAs over 5.30.
The return of Falter probably won’t move the needle much. The 29-year-old lefty has been a starter since debuting in 2021 with the Phillies. His work from 2024-25 consists of 267 2/3 innings over 54 appearances (52 starts). Falter had a 4.44 ERA in that time, not striking out many hitters but posting better-than-average walk rates. Like Strahm, Falter has low-90s four-seam velocity, though there’s a chance it could play up in a relief role. At the very least, Falter will fill Strahm’s role as a lefty in middle relief until the latter returns from the IL.
Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images