White Sox To Promote Noah Schultz
White Sox top pitching prospect Noah Schultz is heading to the big leagues. The left-hander is expected to make his big-league debut on Tuesday against the Rays. Elijah Evans of Just Baseball first reported Schultz’s promotion.
Chicago has a gap in the rotation with Opening Day starter Shane Smith sent down on Wednesday. Jonathan Cannon is expected to join the club on Sunday. The righty will be an option to work behind opener Grant Taylor against the Royals, but it appears he might not be taking over the No. 5 starter gig.
Schultz is off to a strong start at Triple-A. He fired four hitless innings in his first outing of the campaign. He followed that up by allowing one earned run over five frames in consecutive starts. Schultz has a massive 40.4% strikeout rate through 14 minor league innings. He’s permitted just six base runners.
MLB Pipeline ranks Schultz behind only outfielder Braden Montgomery in Chicago’s farm system. FanGraphs’ James Fegan also had the lefty in the No. 2 spot over the winter, but with third baseman Caleb Bonemer in the top spot. The White Sox spent a first-round pick on Schultz in 2022. He’s moved quickly through the minors, reaching Triple-A before his 21st birthday.
Schultz breezed through the lower levels of the minors. He posted a 1.33 ERA with a 36.5% in 27 innings at Single-A in 2023. The massive 6’10”, 240-pound lefty pushed his workload to 88 1/3 frames the following year. He maintained a 2.24 ERA and punched out hitters at a 32.1% clip between High-A and Double-A.
The 2025 campaign was a bit of a roadblock for multiple reasons. Schultz still prevented runs at a decent rate at Double-A, but his strikeout rate fell to 23.2%, and his walk rate ballooned to 14.4%. He was blasted for 17 earned runs in 16 1/3 innings after getting moved up to Triple-A. Schultz issued free passes at a concerning 11.7% rate with Charlotte. Knee issues also limited him in the second half, though he was cleared of any concern heading into 2026.
Outside of Smith’s disastrous three starts, Chicago’s rotation has pitched reasonably well to begin the year. The unit has combined for a 3.99 ERA, which ranks 14th in the league. Davis Martin, Erick Fedde, Anthony Kay, and Sean Burke all have sub-4.00 ERAs so far. Taylor as an opener has worked swimmingly, with the righty tossing three scoreless frames with just one hit allowed across a trio of “starts.” The White Sox skewed righty-heavy last season, outside of a Martin Perez cameo, but Schultz will give them two southpaws in the mix (along with Kay).
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Justin Turner Signs With Tijuana Toros
Justin Turner isn’t hanging up his spikes just yet. The longtime Dodgers infielder and 2020 World Series champion is signing with the Mexican League’s Tijuana Toros, reports David Vassegh of 570 Sports. Turner is represented by Vayner Sports.
The 41-year-old Turner is coming off a rough 2025 campaign with the Cubs. He posted a 71 wRC+ in part-time work at first base and DH. Turner delivered a solid .759 OPS against lefties, but he hit just .141 with zero home runs versus right-handed pitching. It was the first subpar offensive season for the veteran in more than a decade. He’d continued to produce into his late 30s before the forgettable year in Chicago.
Turner’s played for seven different teams in his 17-year MLB career. He bounced around between the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners, and Cubs over the past three seasons, but he’s most remembered for his nine years with the Dodgers. After beginning his career as a reliable but unremarkable utility player, Turner emerged as a star in L.A. He burst on the scene with a .340/.404/.493 slash line as a semi-regular in 2014. He took over at third base full-time in 2016 and slugged a career-high 27 home runs. Turner finished in the top 10 in NL MVP voting twice and received two All-Star selections with the Dodgers.
L.A. went to the World Series three times in four years from 2017 to 2020, with Turner as a key contributor. Turner delivered a .849 OPS in 83 plate appearances in the Fall Classic. The club came through with a title in the shortened 2020 season, and Turner slashed .320/.346/.720 in that series.
Photo courtesy of David Banks, Imagn Images
Orioles Place Adley Rutschman On 10-Day Injured List; Select Maverick Handley
The Orioles have placed catcher Adley Rutschman on the 10-day injured list with left ankle inflammation, reports Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner. The club is selecting catcher Maverick Handley from Double-A and designating right-hander Chayce McDermott for assignment in corresponding moves.
Kostka reported earlier today that Rutschman was being scratched from the Orioles’ starting lineup. It is not clear how he incurred the ankle injury, though it is severe enough that the club will give him at least 10 days to rest and recover. Even a brief absence would be a blow to the Orioles’ offense, as they currently have a 6-7 record and have been outscored 55-48 by their opponents. After a down year in 2025, Rutschman has gotten off to a hot start this year, batting .294/.385/.471 with a 154 wRC+ in 39 plate appearances. While his .357 batting average on balls in play suggests he’s benefited from good luck, he has also posted increases in exit velocity and hard-hit rate. In any case, the club would surely appreciate more of that production as they look to return to contention.
His absence will also be felt behind the plate. Rutschman’s work at catcher hasn’t been as valuable recently as it was in 2022-23, but he remains a solid option behind the dish. Statcast valued him in the 61st percentile last year for his blocking and pop time, while his framing ability was in the 76th percentile. He was off to a good start this year as well, having already accrued two framing runs in 81 1/3 defensive innings. His backup, Samuel Basallo, is talented in his own right but hasn’t shown much defensively since debuting last year. On that basis, it’s clear that Rutschman’s production on both sides of the ball remains crucial to Baltimore’s playoff hopes.
In a broader context, the injury is the latest in a string of bad injury luck for the Orioles. Several key offensive pieces are currently on the shelf, among them second baseman Jackson Holliday (right hamate surgery) and infielder Jordan Westburg (right hamstring strain). Holliday is expected back fairly soon, while Westburg is expected to be out until at least late May. The pitching staff has arguably had even worse luck. Right-hander Zach Eflin underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this week and is out until 2027. Andrew Kittredge, Keegan Akin, and Colin Selby all went on the shelf during Spring Training, while former closer Felix Bautista remains a long shot to return this year, having undergone labrum surgery last August.
The sheer volume of injuries makes it much harder for the Orioles to rebound from their last-place AL East finish in 2025. For now, the club will have to make do with their internal options. Behind the plate, that will be a combination of Basallo and Handley. Basallo ranked as the No. 13 prospect in all of baseball last year by MLB.com. The club signed him to an extension in August, guaranteeing eight years and $67MM despite Basallo just having turned 20. Basallo, for his part, had impressed with a .270/.377/.589 batting line and a 151 wRC+ at Triple-A. He hasn’t yet established himself as a big-league hitter, with just a 54 wRC+ in 156 PA. That’s probably not a huge concern given his youth, as he still has plenty of time to find himself at the plate.
Basallo will take the majority of starts for as long as Rutschman is out, with Handley as his backup. Handley, 28, was a sixth-round pick by the Orioles in 2019 and reached the Triple-A level in 2023. He has shown a knack for getting on base, routinely posting walk rates in the 13-15% range. However, that’s been undone by a lack of power. Handley has maxed out at a .367 slugging percentage and a .109 ISO since reaching Triple-A, both of which occurred last year. Defensively, he has been passable, throwing out roughly 27% of would-be base stealers at Triple-A since 2023. As the only healthy catcher on the 40-man roster besides Basallo, Handley will hold onto his spot for now. He has two options remaining and can be sent back down or otherwise designated if the Orioles sign another catcher.
As for McDermott, the 27-year-old loses his roster spot without having made it into a big-league game this year. He has thrown 12 2/3 innings with Baltimore since the start of 2024, allowing 18 earned runs and four home runs in the process. The bulk of that damage came in 2025, when McDermott posted a 15.58 ERA in four appearances (one start). He has one option year remaining, but the club is content to designate him for assignment and expose him to waivers given his age and poor performance. It’s possible he will go unclaimed and be sent outright to Triple-A. Having less than a year of service and no prior outright assignments, McDermott would not be able to refuse one.
Photo courtesy of Lexi Thompson, Imagn Images
Astros Option J.P. France, Recall Jayden Murray
The Astros have made a pair of minor pitching moves after Tatsuya Imai exited his start with right arm fatigue. According to Chandler Rome of The Athletic, the team has optioned right-hander J.P. France to Triple-A and recalled Jayden Murray to take his spot on the roster.
France’s contract was selected from Triple-A two days ago. His selection was mostly to give the Astros a fresh bullpen arm, and he was ultimately used for 2 2/3 long relief innings in the team’s 9-6 loss to the Mariners yesterday. Although he did not earn the loss, France walked four batters and allowed four earned runs, including the game’s deciding runs. With France having thrown 59 pitches and likely being unavailable for a few days, the team opted to cycle in Murray as another fresh arm.
That the club is keeping France on the 40-man roster means is a good sign for him. He was designated for assignment back in January, but it appears he’ll get more big league opportunities this time around. That may be partly due to Cristian Javier‘s uncertain status after he incurred a shoulder injury on Wednesday. It is also due to the fact that France is now healthy after missing significant time in 2024-25. In 24 innings at Triple-A last year, the righty posted a 6.59 ERA while striking out 21.9% of opponents and walking 17.2%. While his ERA and walk rate were eyesores, some rust was expected after a long layoff, and the club was probably happy just to have him pitching in games again. For his part, France has a more manageable 4.49 ERA and 8.9% walk rate in 168 1/3 big-league innings.
In the meantime, the 29-year-old Murray joins the active roster as the last man in the bullpen. Since joining the Astros organization in a trade with the Rays in 2022, Murray has mostly pitched at the Triple-A level. He threw 64 innings in 50 relief appearances there in 2025, posting a 4.64 ERA along with a 10.6% walk rate. He made his major league debut last year with a small sample of 11 2/3 innings, although his peripherals were less impressive than his 1.54 ERA. Given his age, minimal track record, and three remaining option years, he’s probably due to cycle on and off the roster when the club needs a fresh reliever.
Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Will Place Gabriel Moreno On Injured List
The Diamondbacks are going to place catcher Gabriel Moreno on the injured list, per Steve Gilbert of MLB.com. Manager Torey Lovullo described it as a muscular issue in Moreno’s back and added that the team doesn’t expect a long absence for him.
It was reported a few hours ago that Moreno was set to undergo an MRI today after leaving yesterday’s game against the Phillies after playing just two innings. Lovullo initially described Moreno as day-to-day with lower back tightness, and for his part, the catcher downplayed the severity of his injury. From that lens, it seemed like today’s MRI was done out of an abundance of caution. The end result is a little more serious, as Moreno will now miss a minimum of 10 days, though the team is clearly confident it won’t be much longer than that.
The 26-year-old has been Arizona’s primary catcher since arriving in December 2022 via trade with the Blue Jays. That deal saw a strong defender in Daulton Varsho head to Toronto, though Moreno has shown excellent defense himself in his time with the Diamondbacks. He has been worth 32 Defensive Runs Saved from 2023-26, including an astonishing 20 DRS in 2023 alone. Statcast put him in the 61st percentile last year for caught stealing above average, while his blocking, pop time, and framing were all in the 80th percentile or better. It also helps that Moreno is a capable hitter, having posted a 102 wRC+ or higher in every season since 2023. He is off to a 107 wRC+ start this year in 45 plate appearances.
In the short term, James McCann and Adrian Del Castillo will see some more playing time behind the plate. McCann is a veteran of 13 big-league seasons and was 10% better than average offensively last year by wRC+. He is struggling so far in 2026, with six strikeouts in 18 PA. Del Castillo is 26 and has a 106 wRC+ in 230 PA from 2024-26, with most of that production coming in a limited sample in 2024. The two are passable defenders and hit from opposite sides (Del Castillo being the lefty), so it’s possible the club will use them in a platoon until Moreno is able to return. McCann could draw starts against southpaws in that scenario, as he performed better with the platoon advantage last year.
Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images
Rays Place Joe Boyle On 15-Day Injured List
The Rays announced that right-hander Joe Boyle has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right elbow strain. The placement is retroactive to April 10. Right-hander Jesse Scholtens was called up from Triple-A to take Boyle’s spot on the 26-man roster.
Tampa manager Kevin Cash told Ryan Bass and other reporters that Boyle’s MRI revealed the strain and some inflammation, without any structural damage. The plan is to “shut him down from throwing for a week…and hopefully we caught it early enough where we can start building back up,” Cash said.
Boyle himself also spoke with the media, and is “not too worried about” his elbow strain. He felt discomfort on the day following his last start on Wednesday, so the elbow wasn’t to blame for a rough outing that saw Boyle tagged for five earned runs on four hits and three walks over 4 1/3 innings against the Cubs.
Ryan Pepiot‘s season-opening IL stint (due to hip inflammation) created a spot for Boyle in Tampa Bay’s rotation, and the righty delivered a 5.17 ERA, 24.2% strikeout rate, and 9.2% walk rate over three starts and 15 2/3 innings. Apart from a significantly improved walk rate, the numbers aren’t far removed from the 5.51 ERA and 25.2K% Boyle posted over 99 2/3 innings with the Athletics and Rays over the 2024-25 seasons, with Boyle starting 19 of his 26 games in those two seasons.
Known for his high-velo and high-spin fastball, Boyle’s velocity is also down to 97.1mph after an average of 98.5mph in 2025. This could just be related to early-season build-up in a small sample size, and trading a bit of velocity for improved control is probably a good thing for Boyle in the long run. There has long been a sense that Boyle might thrive in a bullpen role, though the Rays don’t want to close the door on Boyle as a starter until his viability has been fully explored.
The IL stint will now interrupt this latest chance for Boyle to prove himself as a starter. Tampa Bay’s rotation now consists of Shane McLanahan, Steven Matz, Nick Martinez, Drew Rasmussen, and probably Scholtens in the interim until Pepiot is ready. The latest step in Pepiot’s recovery process was his first live batting practice session yesterday, so while he might not be far away from a minor league rehab assignment, Pepiot’s 2026 debut is probably a couple of weeks away.
Tigers Claim Grant Holman From Dodgers
The Tigers announced that right-hander Grant Holman was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers. Holman has been optioned to the Tigers’ Florida Coast League affiliate. To create room on Detroit’s 40-man roster, infielder Trey Sweeney was moved from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
There hasn’t been any indication that the Dodgers had designated Holman for assignment, but the 25-year-old hurler will now find himself once again riding the waiver wire to a new team. Holman was a sixth-round draft pick for the Athletics in 2021 and had spent his entire career in the organization until he was DFA’ed and then claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks in February. Arizona then designated Holman just prior to setting its Opening Day roster, and Los Angeles claimed him away once more.
One might associate this resumes of DFA and waiver claims with a player who is out of minor league options, but Holman still has two option years remaining. The Tigers therefore now have a pitcher they can shuffle up and down from the minors if a fresh arm is needed for the bullpen, which is always useful for a team who has embraced “pitching chaos” as a tactic over the last couple of years.
Holman made his Major League debut in 2024, and he has a 4.66 ERA over 38 2/3 innings and 40 career games in the Show, all with the Athletics in 2024-25. The strong strikeout ability Holman posted in the minors has yet to emerge in the big leagues, as he has only an 18.8% strikeout rate in his 38 2/3 frames. Injuries hampered Holman in 2025, as rotator cuff tendinitis limited him to 32 1/3 total innings in the majors and minors.
Braves Select Luke Williams
The Braves announced a quartet of roster moves today, including the news that Michael Harris II has been placed on the team’s paternity list. Utilityman Luke Williams‘ contract has been selected from Triple-A Gwinnett to take Harris’ spot on the active roster, and Atlanta moved left-hander Danny Young from the 15-day IL to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot. Right-hander Daysbel Hernandez was also reinstated from the 15-day IL and optioned to Gwinnett.
Williams has played for five different teams over his 221 career big league games, but he has spent the better part of the last three seasons (and his last 80 MLB games) with Atlanta. Though he has hit only .151/.213/.209 over 95 plate appearances in those 80 games, Williams has been utilized in a super-sub role, seeing time at all four infield positions, in left field, and even a few pitching appearances in a mop-up capacity.
Harris figures to be back in a few days after celebrating the new arrival to his family, so Williams will likely find himself designated for assignment in short order. Williams is out of minor league options, which is why the Braves had to outright Williams a few times last season in order to send him back to Triple-A.
Young had Tommy John surgery last May, and subsequently isn’t expected to be available to pitch until at least July. The Mets non-tendered Young in November and the Braves signed the southpaw to a split contract, with an eye towards eventually moving him to the 60-day IL once a 40-man spot needed to be opened. Hernandez began the season on Atlanta’s 15-day IL due to a sebaceous cyst in his throwing shoulder, and he’ll now continue to work at Triple-A until a need develops in the big league bullpen.
Mets Designate Richard Lovelady For Assignment
The Mets announced that Craig Kimbrel‘s minor league contract has been selected to the active roster, as reported earlier today. To create space on the 26-man roster, the Mets have designated left-hander Richard Lovelady.
This is the ninth time Lovelady has been DFA’ed in his career, with five of those transactions coming from the Mets in a relationship that began when New York first signed the lefty to a big league deal last June. Lovelady is out of minor league options, which is why the Mets and other teams have had to first expose him to waivers before outrighting him off a 40-man roster.
During the offseason, the Mets signed Lovelady to a split contract that pays him $1MM when on an active roster, and $350K while in the minor leagues. Lovelady would have to give up this guaranteed salary if he clears waivers and declines an outright assignment in favor of free agency, which makes it more likely that he’ll stick around in the Mets organization. It shouldn’t be assumed that Lovelady will clear waivers, however. The Nationals claimed the southpaw last January after the Mets’ last DFA, but New York then claimed him back in March after the Nats also designated Lovelady for assignment.
After all of these comings and goings, Lovelady made the Amazins’ Opening Day roster and at least got himself a few weeks of time in the bigs. Lovelady has a 3.68 ERA and a 54.5% grounder rate over 7 1/3 innings and six appearances for New York this season, with a modest 18.8% strikeout rate and 12.5% walk rate. Most of the damage (.958 OPS) has come from right-handed batters, while Lovelady has limited left-handed batters to a .545 OPS.
Lovelady’s career splits are pronounced enough that it is worth wondering if he came along in the wrong time — Lovelady made his MLB debut a season before the league instituted the three-batter rule, basically ending the era of the lefty specialist. The Mets clearly like what Lovelady offers as a depth arm for their ever-rotating bullpen, even if the team perpetually views him as an expendable roster piece.
Angels Designate Jeimer Candelario For Assignment
The Angels announced that infielder Jeimer Candelario has been designated for assignment. The move creates roster space for fellow infielder Vaughn Grissom, who has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list.
Candelario signed a minor league contract with Los Angeles during the offseason, and earned himself a spot on the Opening Day roster due to a few factors. The veteran’s big Spring Training numbers helped him stand out from some other infield candidates like Christian Moore and Kyren Paris, and Grissom was also lost to a wrist sprain. Unfortunately, Candelario couldn’t keep his Cactus League performance going into the regular season, as he hit only .111/.200/.222 over 20 plate appearances.
The cold start continues the downward slide that began after Candelario signed a three-year, $45MM free agent deal with the Reds prior to the 2024 season. Candelario hit only .225/.279/.429 over 463 PA in the first season of his contract, and Cincinnati released him last June after he batted .113/.198/.213 in his first 91 PA of the 2025 campaign. Injuries such as knee tendinitis and a lumbar spine strain certainly contributed to that falloff over the last two seasons, but Candelario was thought to be healthy heading into 2026.
The Yankees signed Candelario after his release from the Reds but didn’t use him at the MLB level, and his struggles didn’t stop the Angels from taking a flier on the 32-year-old this past winter. Another team may feel Candelario still has something in the tank, and he would cost only a prorated Major League minimum salary for any time spent on a team’s active roster, as the Reds are still responsible for the $15MM still owed on his contract.
Even if another club has interest in Candelario, however, they might not be willing to devote a 40-man roster spot to him, so it seems likely that the infielder will clear waivers. He has enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment and then elect free agency, so Candelario can test the market again for another minor league contract.
Grissom is now set to make his Angels debut, and get his first big league action of any kind since the 2024 season. Grissom has yet to live up to the promise of his impressive 2022 rookie season with the Braves, as he struggled in 2023 and then was a bust with the Red Sox after being dealt for Chris Sale during the 2023-24 offseason. While Sale resurrected his career in Atlanta, Grissom didn’t hit in Boston, battled injuries, and soon found himself supplanted by several other up-and-coming infield prospects.