Royals To Select Contract Of Elias Díaz
The Royals are planning to call up catcher Elias Díaz from Triple-A, reports Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The ACES client is not on the 40-man roster, so corresponding moves will be needed.
Díaz, 35, signed a minor-league deal with Kansas City in late February and was invited to big-league Spring Training. While he batted .533/.533/.800 in six games there, he was mostly signed for depth given the presence of Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen. Starting the year at the Royals’ top affiliate, Díaz has so far batted .226/.294/.258 in 34 plate appearances. That’s admittedly a small sample, but it’s still pretty weak production even for the light-hitting veteran.
Instead, Díaz’s promotion could be about giving Perez a chance to rest and reset. Now in his age-36 season, the Royals’ captain has gotten out to a brutal start at the plate. In 81 PA across his first 20 games, Perez has batted just .160/.210/.307, which amounts to a meager 36 wRC+. His walk rate has mostly held constant from 2025, while his 21.0% strikeout rate is only a slight increase. Instead, Perez’s downturn has resulted from a drop in power as well as poor batted-ball luck. He posted a .209 isolated slugging percentage last year, but that has fallen to .147 so far in 2026. Of greater note is that Perez is batting just .161 on balls in play, which would easily be the worst mark of his career.
A look at Perez’s batted ball metrics offer some explanation. His average exit velocity has declined to 89.0 MPH, continuing a year-over-year decline since the 2024 season. Meanwhile, his soft and hard contact percentages have both trended in the wrong direction by about 7%. Obviously, it’s hard to draw conclusions from only 20 games’ worth of data, but the bottom line is that Perez has been a liability in the Royals’ offense to start the year. That led manager Matt Quatraro to give Perez a “mental breather” against the Yankees today by withholding him from the starting lineup (link via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). Perez ultimately did not play in the game, which the Royals lost 13-4.
The fact that the Royals are bringing up Díaz despite his own lack of offense could signal a few more days off for Perez. In that scenario, the Royals would turn to Jensen as the starting catcher, with Díaz as the temporary backup. Jensen has a 97 wRC+ in 19 games as a DH and backup catcher to Perez. That’s a step down from the 159 wRC+ he posted last year, although that was also in a small sample of 69 PA. Nonetheless, Jensen has continued to hit for power, and his overall output is roughly average for catchers, so it makes sense to give him more playing time for now.
Meanwhile, Díaz joins the big-league club as a defensive backup. He was valued at -15 Defensive Runs Saved in 2022 for the Rockies, followed by -16 DRS in 2023. He’s mostly turned it around since then. Statcast gave him plus marks for his caught stealing rate, framing, and pop time in 2024, while his blocking graded out in the 61st percentile in 2025. Díaz hits from the right side, while Jensen hits from the left. Díaz has hit about the same against lefties and righties in his career, but he did better against righties in 2025. Jensen also hits righties better, so it’s unlikely the two will be used in a platoon arrangement. More likely is that Jensen starts every day while Díaz acts as a bench option until Perez is back in the lineup.
Corresponding moves for Díaz have not been announced. Outfielder Isaac Collins is currently day to day with a right knee contusion, according to the Royals’ injury report. He went through a full pregame workout yesterday, so he seems likely to avoid the injured list. On the pitching side, Mitch Spence threw 84 pitches in a four-inning relief appearance today. He could be sent down for active roster space, leaving the club with 12 pitchers rather than 13 in the short term. Clearing room on the 40-man roster would require one of the club’s injured players to be transferred to the 60-day IL, or someone else to be designated for assignment.
Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images
Angels Recall Walbert Ureña, Option Sam Aldegheri
The Angels have announced that they’ve recalled right-hander Walbert Ureña from Triple-A. Lefty Sam Aldegheri is being optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.
Ureña returns to the big leagues after making two appearances during the club’s season-opening series against the Astros. That was the 22-year-old’s first big-league experience. Though he didn’t allow an earned run in 1 2/3 innings, he surrendered five hits and six unearned runs while also giving up three unintentional walks. He was optioned to Triple-A on March 29 and has since made two starts with a 6.48 ERA. He spent most of 2025 at the Double-A level, where he posted a 4.39 ERA in 27 starts along with an impressive 58.5% groundball rate.
The right-hander was signed as an amateur free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He currently ranks as the Halos’ No. 18 prospect according to MLB.com, although his inconsistent command has kept him from becoming a top prospect. Ureña has posted walk rates around 12% in the upper levels of the minors. While his scouting report lauds him for his plus fastball, his secondary pitches haven’t developed to the point where a long-term future as a starter seems possible. Still, he is very young and just debuted this year, so he has plenty of time to prove himself. Whatever his long-term role, Ureña’s success hinges on his ability to keep racking up groundballs while improving his secondary pitches enough to achieve an average strikeout rate.
Aldegheri’s demotion comes after just one appearance for the big-league club this season. He threw 33 pitches in Thursday’s win over the Yankees, striking out two while allowing one run on a solo homer. Since debuting in 2024, the 24-year-old has made a total of eight appearances (five starts) without much success. His 16.2% career strikeout rate puts him right around Ureña’s minor-league numbers, while his 14.2% walk rate is untenable against big-league hitters. Aldegheri had a 3.72 ERA in 23 starts at Double-A last year, but he hasn’t been able to put it together yet at Triple-A or in the majors.
Despite their struggles, both Ureña and Aldegheri should get their share of opportunities with the big-league club this year. The Angels’ bullpen ranks as a bottom-10 unit in the league by fWAR (-0.1) through April 17. The group’s 4.46 ERA ranks 18th in the league, and their 4.72 FIP suggests they’ve been somewhat lucky to achieve that performance. Brent Suter and Sam Bachman have done well, and Ryan Zeferjahn has made up for a subpar 4.82 ERA with stronger peripherals, including a 32.5% strikeout rate. The rest of the arms, including veterans Shaun Anderson and Drew Pomeranz, have struggled. Despite their 11-10 start, the Angels are still in a place where they will prioritize opportunities for young players over immediate contention.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
Phillies Place Jhoan Duran On 15-Day Injured List
4:25 pm: Duran felt something in his side on Wednesday and again today when he got on the mound, reports Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Thomson said that imaging showed a “very mild strain” and that Duran’s absence is “not going to be long,” according to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com. In the meantime, Keller will get most of the closing opportunities.
1:52 pm: The Phillies announced five roster moves, with the most prominent being Jhoan Duran‘s placement on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) due to a left oblique strain. Right-hander Seth Johnson and utilityman Felix Reyes were brought up from Triple-A in other moves, with Reyes’ contract selected to the 40-man roster for the first time. Utilityman Otto Kemp was optioned to Triple-A, and outfielder Pedro Leon was released.
Duran hasn’t pitched since last Saturday, but since the Phillies went 1-4 with an off-day during that stretch, the lack of usage was thought to be due to game situations rather than injury. More details on Duran’s injury and the severity of the strain should surface later today once manager Rob Thomson meets with the media, but unless the closer has the very mildest of strains, Duran is likely looking at at least a month on the shelf.
It’s a big loss for a Phillies team that is off to an underwhelming 8-11 start. While the bullpen as a whole has been shaky, Duran has been a stabilizing force at the back end. The closer has a 1.35 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate, and zero walks over 6 2/3 innings, while recording saves in all five of his opportunities.
There’s no obvious candidate to step into the ninth-inning role, so the Phils might explore a committee situation until Duran is healthy. Jose Alvarado has an ugly 10.50 ERA over six innings, though that number is inflated by a huge .450 BABIP and Alvarado has past closing experience. Brad Keller, Orion Kerkering, or Tanner Banks could also get some save chances depending on the in-game situation.
Kemp has gotten only 22 trips to the plate this season, but just two hits in that small sample size has led to a .282 OPS and a ticket back to Lehigh Valley. Taking Kemp’s spot as a multi-positional bench player is Reyes, who will be making his MLB debut as soon as he enters a game.
Reyes was an international signing for the Phillies in 2020, and he isn’t considered a top-30 Philadelphia prospect in the eyes of either Baseball America or MLB Pipeline. The 25-year-old didn’t even make his Triple-A debut until he played six games with Lehigh Valley in 2025, but he has burst out of the gates this season by hitting .333/.345/.654 with six home runs over 84 PA. This production comes on the heels of an impressive Double-A season in 2025 that saw Reyes named Eastern League MVP for his work (.335/.365/.572 with 15 homers and 13 steals over 395 PA) in Reading.
It’s probably unlikely that Reyes will hit anything close to that level against MLB pitching, yet the Phillies have nothing to lose by giving a hot hitter a chance in place of the unproductive Kemp. Reyes has experience in both corner outfield and corner infield slots, so the Phils might look to give Reyes some work at third base since Alec Bohm‘s bat has been ice cold.
Leon was claimed off the Orioles’ waiver wire back in November, and his brief time on the 40-man roster didn’t result in any looks on the active roster. Leon was hitting .285/.358/.326 over his first 53 PA at the Triple-A level this season, and while Leon still has a minor league option remaining, the Phillies may have just valued the 40-man slot over whatever they felt Leon could provide to the organization. The 27-year-old returns to the open market in search of another chance to build on his limited MLB resume of seven games and 21 PA with the 2024 Astros.
Diamondbacks Reinstate Lourdes Gurriel Jr., DFA Luken Baker
After suffering a torn right ACL on September 1, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is ready for his return to the majors, as the Diamondbacks officially reinstated the outfielder from the 10-day injured list. To make room for Gurriel on the 26-man and 40-man rosters, first baseman Luken Baker was designated for assignment.
D’Backs manager Torey Lovullo hinted yesterday that Gurriel could be in Arizona’s lineup as soon as this weekend, completing what has been a remarkably quick comeback from such a serious knee surgery. Gurriel was projected to miss 9-10 months given the usual timeframe for ACL tears, yet he made such solid progress in Spring Training and in just two games of a minor league rehab assignment that the D’Backs felt comfortable in bringing him back after a little over seven and a half months.
Depending on how Gurriel’s knee holds up, he might end up getting fairly regular duty in his old left field position pretty soon, without the need for steady DH duty. Pretty much no matter where Gurriel plays, it was easy to project Baker as the odd man out of a roster crunch, as Baker has appeared in only three games (with five plate appearances) since his minor league contract was selected on April 7.
Arizona signed Baker to that minors deal in December, and possibly with an eye towards platooning Baker and Pavin Smith at the position. Carlos Santana was signed later in the season to fill that role, yet the first base situation was thrown into total flux shortly after Opening Day. Smith played in two games before being placed on the IL due to a balky elbow that has now required surgery, and Santana has also been out since April 6 due to an adductor strain.
Baker’s contract was selected in the wake of Santana’s injury, yet Baker didn’t get much opportunity due to the unexpectedly strong play of Jose Fernandez and utilityman Ildemaro Vargas in handling the first base duties. The D’Backs seem content to leave the position (and a share of the DH workload) to that duo, leaving Baker now exposed to the waiver wire.
If Baker clears waivers, he has the right to decline an outright assignment to Triple-A Reno in favor of free agency, since Baker has a previous outright in his career (last August, when Baker was in the Dodgers organization). The first baseman could opt to just move on given how Arizona’s first base picture has remained crowded, or another team might look to claim Baker just as the Dodgers did last August when the Cardinals parted ways with the 29-year-old.
Baker spent his first three MLB seasons in St. Louis, hitting .206/.317/.338 with four home runs over 189 PA. While his power hasn’t translated much against big league pitching and Baker is defensively limited as a first base-only player, he has posted good numbers at Triple-A, and could be viewed as at least a depth option.
Astros Claim Dustin Harris, Designate J.P. France For Assignment
The Astros announced that outfielder Dustin Harris was claimed off waivers from the White Sox. To create space for Harris on Houston’s 40-man roster, right-hander J.P. France was designated for assignment, as reported by The Athletic’s Chandler Rome shortly before the team’s official announcement.
Houston has 10 pitchers on the injured list, so it is a little surprising to see the team part ways with France when he has a minor league option remaining. Lack of pitching depth aside, however, France didn’t do much to hang onto his spot by posting an 8.10 ERA over 6 2/3 innings and three appearances for the Astros this season. The Astros also already designated France and subsequently outrighted him off the 40-man roster back in February, before selecting his contract again on April 10 when Cristian Javier went on the IL with a grade 2 shoulder strain.
Because of that past outright, France has the ability to elect free agency if he clears waivers again. Given how he wasn’t claimed last time around and he hasn’t done much to improve his stock since Opening Day, France may well clear waivers and then decide on either testing the open market or accepting another outright to Triple-A. Given how the Astros are in such dire need of pitching, France might feel comfortable biding his time in the minors until Houston gives him another look.
France has spent his entire career in the Astros organization, beginning as a 14th-round pick in the 2018 draft. He broke into the majors with a solid 3.83 ERA over 136 1/3 innings and 24 games (23 of them starts) in 2023, but has since delivered a 7.00 ERA over only 36 big league frames, as shoulder problems sidelined France for the bulk of the 2024-25 seasons.
Beyond all of Houston’s pitching injuries, the loss of Jake Meyers (oblique strain) and Zach Dezenzo (right elbow sprain) also depleted what was already a thin outfield picture. Harris can provide some depth given his experience at all three outfield positions, and his left-handed bat adds some balance to a very right-handed Astros roster. However, fellow outfielders Joey Loperfido and Taylor Trammell are two of the three other lefty swingers on the 26-man, leaving Harris a bit of an imperfect fit in terms of platoon work.
Harris has played in each of the last three MLB seasons, hitting .224/.318/.414 with two homers over 66 plate appearances and 27 games for the Rangers and White Sox. After being outrighted off the Texas roster in November, Harris elected free agency and signed with the Sox on a minor league deal. Chicago selected Harris to the 26-man on April 7 and he got into six games for the team before being DFA’ed earlier this week.
Cubs Select Corbin Martin’s Contract
11:39PM: The Cubs officially announced Martin’s selection and Horton’s move to the 60-day IL.
11:04AM: The Cubs will select the contract of right-hander Corbin Martin prior to today’s game with the Mets, The Athletic’s Patrick Mooney reports. Cade Horton (who underwent Tommy John surgery yesterday) will be moved to the 60-day injured list to open up a 40-man roster spot for Martin, and the Cubs already had an open spot on their active roster after Daniel Palencia was placed on the 15-day IL yesterday.
Horton and Palencia are two of a whopping 10 pitchers on Chicago’s injured list, leaving the Cubs scrambling for extra arms. The situation has given Martin a path back to the majors after the righty signed a minor league deal back in January.
Martin is himself no stranger to injuries, as he missed the entirety of the 2020 season due to a TJ surgery and all of 2023 recovering from a lat tendon surgery. In the wake of the latter procedure, Martin spent all of 2024 in the minors before making his return to the Show to post a 6.00 ERA over 18 innings with the Orioles last season.
Over parts of four MLB seasons, Martin has a 6.54 ERA, 20.7% strikeout rate, and 12.8% walk rate across 75 2/3 innings with the Astros, Diamondbacks, and Orioles. Since his lat surgery, Martin has worked almost exclusively as a relief pitcher, but the role change hasn’t helped alleviate the control problems that have plagued Martin for much of his career.
Martin is out of minor league options, so Chicago would have to designate the righty for assignment and expose him to waivers before trying to send him back down to Triple-A via an outright. Given how the Cubs are hurting for pitching, Martin probably won’t be DFA’ed any time soon if he can provide decent results and eat a few innings out of the pen.
Mets Place Jorge Polanco On 10-Day Injured List
The Mets announced that infielder Jorge Polanco has been placed on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to April 15) due to a right wrist contusion. Catcher Hayden Senger was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and Senger is already on New York’s 40-man roster.
The wrist issue is a new injury for Polanco, who has been bothered by left Achilles soreness for most of the season. Polanco hasn’t played since Tuesday, and Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the New York Post’s Mike Puma and other reporters that Polanco underwent an MRI on Thursday. The results of that MRI weren’t yet known yesterday, though the fact that Polanco’s IL placement is officially termed as just a contusion probably indicates that the MRI didn’t reveal any structural damage.
It could be that between Polanco’s wrist and Achilles problems, the Mets decided it was simply time to give the veteran a full recuperation period, as well as basically a reset to his 2026 season. After signing a two-year, $40MM free agent deal this past winter, Polanco has hit only .179/.246/.286 over his first 61 plate appearances in a Mets uniform. The Amazins’ plan was to use Polanco primarily as a first baseman, but he has played only two games in the field and the rest at DH due to his Achilles discomfort.
Polanco is far from the only struggling Mets player, as Friday’s 12-4 loss to the Cubs extended New York’s losing streak to nine games. Francisco Alvarez and (to a lesser extent) Luis Robert Jr. are the only Mets regulars hitting well in the early going, as Juan Soto‘s hot start was cut short by an IL stint due to a calf strain.
The lack of offense could be why the Mets called up Senger, even though Alvarez and Luis Torrens are already on hand as the catching core. Having a third catcher allows Alvarez to remain in the lineup on an everyday basis as either the catcher or the DH, and plus Senger is himself hitting .257/.316/.714 with five homers in only 38 PA for Triple-A Syracuse.
Even with this huge power surge, Senger’s career Triple-A slash line is still a modest .238/.295/.397 over 408 PA with Syracuse. The 29-year-old made his Major League debut in 2025, and hit .181/.221/.194 in 78 PA over 33 games with the Mets.
Blue Jays Place Lazaro Estrada On 15-Day Injured List
The Blue Jays placed right-hander Lazaro Estrada on the 15-day injured list due to an impingement in his throwing shoulder. The placement is retroactive to April 5, which was the day the Jays optioned Estrada to Triple-A. As Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi explains, Estrada’s injury was discovered to have occurred when he was on the active roster, and as such Estrada has been placed on the big league version of the IL.
The transaction means that Estrada logs some extra MLB service time, which is no small matter for a player who entered the season with only four days’ worth of service time. Estrada made his big league debut in 2025, posting an 8.59 ERA over 7 1/3 innings and two appearances for Toronto. The righty only got into one game this season, but Estrada looked much sharper in tossing four shutout innings against the White Sox on April 4, issuing just two walks in the long relief appearance.
Estrada (who turns 27 later this week) began his pro career as an international signing in 2018 and has spent his entire career in the Jays organization. He didn’t reach Triple-A until 2025 and Estrada then posted a 5.73 ERA over 97 1/3 innings for Buffalo, though a .331 BABIP somewhat inflated Estrada’s ERA. Working mostly as a starter in the minors, Estrada is viewed as a long reliever or depth arm at best as a big league option.
Estrada now becomes the seventh pitcher and 11th player overall on Toronto’s big league injured list, as the Jays have been hammered by injuries in the early part of the 2026 season. The health woes may not be over yet, as Daulton Varsho left yesterday’s 6-3 loss to the Diamondbacks due to left knee discomfort. Varsho’s issue is considered minor enough for now that an MRI isn’t being planned (as per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson), yet losing Varsho even on a day-to-day basis is another hit to the Blue Jays lineup.
Astros To Sign Miguel Yajure To Minor League Deal
The Astros are adding right-hander Miguel Yajure on a minor league agreement, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The 27-year-old has spent the past two seasons pitching in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He last appeared in the big leagues with the Pirates in 2022.
Yajure’s stateside return comes after he posted a 3.72 ERA across two years in NPB. He had an underwhelming campaign this past season with the Rakuten Eagles, but was productive in 2024 with the Yakult Swallows, delivering a 3.34 ERA across 23 appearances. Yajure tossed 129 1/3 innings with the Swallows, his highest mark as a professional since 2019.
Yajure was once a prospect of note in the Yankees’ system. New York signed him out of Venezuela as a 17-year-old. He worked his way up the minor league ladder, reaching the majors as a 22-year-old in the shortened 2020 season. Yajure was solid out of the bullpen for the Yankees, allowing a run over seven innings with a 27.6% strikeout rate.
The Pirates acquired Yajure in the Jameson Taillon trade, along with right-hander Roansy Contreras, shortstop Maikol Escotto, and outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba. Contreras would become a semi-regular member of Pittsburgh’s pitching staff in the seasons following the deal. Yajure and Smith-Njigba had brief stints with the club but failed to stick around long-term. Escotto topped out at Double-A.
Yajure was blasted for 14 earned runs in 15 innings with Pittsburgh in 2021. He was even worse the following year, notching an 8.88 ERA across 12 appearances, mostly out of the bullpen. Yajure had as many walks as strikeouts in 2022. He was scooped up off waivers by the Giants at the end of that season. After posting an ERA above 6.00 between three minor league levels in San Francisco’s system, he departed for Japan.
Houston continues to deal with a slew of injuries in the rotation. Cody Bolton recently joined Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier, and Tatsuya Imai on the injured list. Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski, and Brandon Walter were already there to start the year. Peter Lambert was recalled to start tonight against the Cardinals. Like Yajure, he was in NPB last year and came to the Astros on a minor league deal. Lambert will be the 10th starting pitcher for the Astros in their 21st game of the season.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Brewers Acquire Junior Fernández
The Diamondbacks have traded right-hander Junior Fernández to the Brewers, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville. It’s unclear what Arizona gets in return, but since they signed Fernández to a minor league deal in the offseason, it was probably just a nominal amount of cash.
Fernández, 29, has long had intriguing stuff. He tossed 54 big league innings from 2019 to 2022. His 5.17 earned run average in that time wasn’t especially impressive but both his four-seamer and sinker averaged over 98 miles per hour in his most recent season. He also featured a slider and changeup in the upper 90s. Like a lot of power arms, control has been an issue. Fernández has walked 13.9% of the batters he has faced in the majors so far.
For the past few years, he’s been stuck in the minors and also spent 2024 in Japan. He’s still flashing the big velo but also the lack of control. He signed a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks this winter and was in camp with them last month. He faced 22 batters and walked three of them without striking anyone out. At the end of camp, the Triple-A Reno Aces put him on the development list, so he hasn’t pitched in any official minor league games yet this year.
The Brewers have a good reputation when it comes to getting good results out of pitchers, so perhaps they see some way to make it all work for Fernández. The skills are there but he hasn’t been able to fully utilize them yet. If he eventually gets up to the majors, he is out of options.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images