Marlins Designate Chris Paddack For Assignment
1:08pm: The Marlins have now officially announced the Paddack and Kempner moves.
8:22am: The Marlins are designating veteran righty Chris Paddack for assignment, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The team has yet to formally announce the move or a corresponding transaction, but Christina DeNicola of MLB.com reports that reliever William Kempner will be recalled from Triple-A Jacksonville. It’s Kempner’s first big league promotion. He’ll be making his MLB debut when he gets into a game.
It’s a hook on the 30-year-old Paddack, who signed a one-year, $4MM deal to return to the organization that originally drafted him (but traded him to the Padres in a 2016 swap for reliever Fernando Rodney). The hope had been that Paddack could provide some stable innings following offseason trades of Ryan Weathers (to the Yankees) and Edward Cabrera (to the Cubs). He looked great this spring (two runs, 13 innings pitched) but was shelled in seven regular season appearances with Miami (six of them starts).
Paddack only completed five frames once in his return to the Marlins organization: a quality start against his former Tigers teammates in Detroit (six innings, two runs). He allowed at least two runs in fewer than five innings each other time he took the mount, including a trio of appearances that saw him tagged for five, seven and eight runs apiece. His time with the Fish will draw to a close with a 7.63 ERA, an 18.5% strikeout rate and a 6.8% walk rate in 30 2/3 innings.
A former top prospect, Paddack debuted with a 3.33 ERA in 140 2/3 innings for the 2019 Padres. He’d have been a Rookie of the Year finalist, if not winner, in most seasons, but he happened to be up against Pete Alonso‘s 53-homer debut, Michael Soroka‘s 174 2/3 innings of 2.68 ERA ball, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Bryan Reynolds; excellent as Paddack’s debut was, he didn’t even receive a down-ballot vote.
Injuries have held Paddack back in the years since. He missed time with a UCL sprain in 2021 and then underwent his second career Tommy John surgery — his first came as a prospect — with the Twins in 2022. His 2024 season was cut short by a forearm strain.
In 471 2/3 innings since his terrific debut campaign, Paddack has posted a 5.23 ERA. He regularly shows strong command but has never missed bats at the same level he did as a rookie. He’s also been far too homer-prone, serving up an average of 1.55 round-trippers per nine frames from 2020-26.
It’s fair to wonder how many more rotation opportunities Paddack will get. He struggled out of the rotation more often than not in Minnesota, and the Tigers dropped him to the bullpen after just seven starts last summer following a trade to acquire him. The Marlins, obviously, are moving on in quick fashion.
Perhaps another club with a pile of rotation injuries will plug Paddack into its starting five when he’s inevitably released, but other clubs will surely be interested in what he might look like as a reliever. When Paddack returned from his second Tommy John procedure with the Twins late in the 2023 season, he pitched 8 2/3 innings between the regular season and postseason, allowing three runs with a 14-to-1 K/BB ratio. He looked particularly dominant in the postseason, and his typically 93 mph four-seamer was averaging 95.5 mph. He was hit hard out of the Detroit ‘pen last year, but they were using him as a long man, and not the short-relief role in which he excelled during that brief, post-surgery run with the Twins.
For the time being, the Marlins will have five days to trade Paddack or release him. (They could also place him on outright waivers, but he’d surely clear due to his salary and struggles, and Paddack has enough service time to reject an outright assignment while retaining his remaining guaranteed salary.) It’s possible they’ll find a taker who’s willing to pay a nominal portion of that guarantee, but the most common outcome in these scenarios is a simple release. The Marlins will remain on the hook for that $4MM salary. A new team would owe Paddack just the pro-rated league minimum for any time spent on the major league roster.
As for the 24-year-old Kempner, he came to the Marlins in a Jan. 2025 swap that sent international bonus pool space back to the Giants. The 2022 third-round pick had a big season in the minors last year between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A, combining for a 2.26 ERA with a 33.6% strikeout rate in 67 2/3 frames of relief. Command is a clear flaw, as Kempner walked 14.1% of his opponents along the way.
Kempner was selected to the 40-man roster back in November, thus shielding him from December’s Rule 5 Draft. He’s out to a tough start in ’26, with a 6.46 ERA in his first 15 1/3 frames at Triple-A. However, he’s fanned a preposterous 47.9% of opponents and allowed only a 63.8% contact rate. Kempner sits 95.5 mph with his heater and pairs it with a low-80s slider. He has a seldom-used cutter for a third offering but is primarily a two-pitch righty.
Kempner gives Miami a fresh arm for the next few days. Paddack’s spot in the rotation would be up this weekend. De Nicola lists Braxton Garrett and top prospect Robby Snelling as options to step into the rotation. Both pitchers have sub-2.00 ERAs with strong strikeout rates (Snelling in particular) but poor walk rates through their first handful of starts in Jacksonville.
Braves Designate Carlos Carrasco For Assignment
The Braves announced Tuesday that veteran righty Carlos Carrasco has been designated for assignment. His spot on the roster goes to closer Raisel Iglesias, who has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list.
It’s the second time this season Atlanta has designated Carrasco for assignment. He seems quite amenable to being used as a de facto 41st man on the roster — being selected to the majors when an extra arm is needed, then riding the DFA carousel and re-signing a new minor league deal when he’s outrighted or released. He’s now been designated for assignment by the Braves three times dating back to last August. Each time he’s cleared waivers and re-signed. It’s the same gambit we saw with Atlanta and Jesse Chavez late in his career. Plenty of other clubs have done this with out-of-options pitchers in recent years as well (e.g. Mariners/Casey Lawrence, Yankees/Ryan Weber).
Carrasco has pitched in two games with the Braves this year. He’s logged 2 1/3 innings and held opponents scoreless on one hit and no walks with a pair of strikeouts. The former Cleveland ace has pitched well in Triple-A, too, tossing 21 innings (four starts) with a 1.71 earned run average.
At 39 years old, Carrasco is a good bet to again pass through waivers and return to Triple-A Gwinnett — whether by accepting an outright assignment or becoming a free agent and quickly re-signing, as he did after his most recent DFA in mid-April. Teams are typically very open and straightforward with veterans in this type of situation, so Carrasco is surely on board with the setup. It’s feasible that he’ll continue to pitch well enough that a team will eventually claim him off waivers, although in that scenario, he still makes out nicely, as he gets to stick in the big leagues and collect a major league paycheck even longer.
The Braves also noted that lefty Dylan Dodd is heading out on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Gwinnett. Shortstop Ha-Seong Kim‘s rehab assignment has been moved from Double-A to Triple-A as well. Both are on the mend and should be activated before too much longer.
Tigers To Sign Paul DeJong
9:15am: DeJong would earn a prorated $1MM base salary in the majors, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.
8:38am: The Tigers and veteran infielder Paul DeJong have agreed to a minor league contract, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The C.L. Rocks client recently opted out of a minor league deal with the Yankees.
DeJong, 32, is a veteran of nine big league seasons. The slick-fielding, righty-swinging shortstop can handle any infield position at an average or better level. At the plate, he’s a strikeout-prone, low-OBP hitter with above-average power. DeJong has taken exactly 3500 plate appearances in the majors and slashed .229/.294/.416 with 146 home runs, fanning at a 27.9% clip against a below-average 7.1% walk rate.
Though he only took 83 plate appearances with the Yankees’ top affiliate in Scranton, DeJong popped six home runs in that short time. He also drew walks at a huge 19% clip. However, he hit only .203, leading to an oddball slash line of .203/.361/.516 during his relatively short stint in the Yankees organization.
DeJong has played in each of the past nine big league seasons. Last year’s 208 plate appearances with the Nationals were the fewest he’s logged in a 162-game season, though his playing time was hindered by a frightening injury early in the season, wherein DeJong took an errant fastball to the face. He suffered facial fractures and lacerations, ultimately spending about two months on the shelf. DeJong hit .228/.269/.373 with only six homers last year, but a year prior he ripped 24 long balls in semi-regular work for the White Sox and Royals while slashing .227/.276/.427.
The Tigers aren’t immediately adding DeJong to the big league roster, though it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see him get a look before long. Javier Báez, Zach McKinstry and Trey Sweeney are all on the injured list (the latter on the 60-day IL). Rookie Kevin McGonigle has seized an everyday role while splitting time between third base and shortstop. Gleyber Torres is locked in at second base. Colt Keith is playing third base frequently — particularly against right-handed pitching.
That doesn’t leave much room for regular playing time, but Detroit’s bench currently features journeyman Zack Short and rookie Hao-Yu Lee. Short is hitless through his first three plate appearances, which isn’t a concern for any batter in and of itself, but he’s a lifetime .171/.269/.295 hitter in 597 big league plate appearances (including a prior stint in Detroit). It’s not reasonable to expect him to provide even DeJong’s modest levels of offense at the plate. Lee, meanwhile, has struggled in a part-time role. If the Tigers want to get the 23-year-old regular at-bats to build on last year’s .243/.342/.406 line from Triple-A (14 homers, 22 steals, 106 wRC+), they could option him out and plug DeJong into the bench mix.
Braves Trade Jonah Heim To A’s
The Braves announced they’ve traded catcher Jonah Heim to the Athletics for cash. He was just designated for assignment this evening when Atlanta welcomed Sean Murphy back from the injured list.
The A’s subsequently announced the trade as well, placing Shea Langeliers on the paternity list in a corresponding move. They already had an opening on the 40-man roster after losing infielder Andy Ibáñez on waivers to the Mets last week. They’re off tonight but will presumably have Heim available for tomorrow’s series opener in Philadelphia.
Heim goes back to the team for which he made his MLB debut six years ago. Originally an Orioles draftee, he was traded to the Rays and then to the A’s (for infielder Joey Wendle) while in the minor leagues. The switch-hitter reached the Majors during the shortened season, playing in 13 games. The A’s traded him to the Rangers the following offseason as part of the Elvis Andrus/Khris Davis swap.
That turned out to be an excellent pickup for Texas. Heim struggled as a rookie in 2021 but broke through as a capable starting catcher the following year. He took another step forward in ’23, earning an All-Star selection and winning a Gold Glove while hitting .258/.317/.438. Heim was the starting catcher for the Rangers’ World Series run that season.
His production has taken a nosedive over the last couple years. Heim combined for a .217/.269/.334 batting line in more than 900 plate appearances between 2024-25. Although his strikeout rate was mostly unchanged, his walk rate dipped slightly and he lost a couple points on his hard contact percentage. Texas non-tendered him last winter, cutting him loose for what would have been his final season of arbitration.
Heim signed a $1.25MM free agent contract with Atlanta early in Spring Training. Murphy was rehabbing from last fall’s hip labrum surgery. The Braves needed a short-term backup but would have had a tough time carrying three catchers once Murphy returned to join Drake Baldwin. Heim showed reasonably well over 12 games, hitting .231/.311/.410 with one home run in 45 plate appearances. He had an even number of walks and strikeouts (five apiece). The defense was a little more concerning, as he failed to catch any of the 13 runners who attempted to steal against him. He didn’t commit any passed balls but was behind the dish for six wild pitches in 103 innings.
Like the Braves, the A’s have one of the best starting catchers in MLB. Langeliers will be back within the next three days or so. Austin Wynns has backed Langeliers up all season, but he’s out to an .086 start without an extra-base hit through 13 games. The A’s probably wouldn’t have assumed Heim’s salary only to carry him on the roster for a few days. Both he and Wynns have over five years of service time and could refuse a minor league assignment while collecting their remaining salaries. Wynns is playing on a $1.1MM arbitration deal.
Orioles Outright Albert Suárez
The Orioles announced this evening that righty Albert Suárez accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Saturday. Suárez has the service time and previous outright to elect free agency but decided to remain with the O’s as non-roster rotation or long relief depth.
This is Suárez’s third season with the organization. He was a nice find as a minor league signee who had spent the 2019-23 campaigns in Asia. Suárez surprisingly held a rotation spot for a good chunk of the ’24 season, working to a 3.70 earned run average across 133 2/3 innings. He spent most of last year rehabbing a shoulder strain and dealt with forearm discomfort at the end of the season.
The injuries limited Suárez to 11 2/3 MLB frames in 2025. The Orioles non-tendered him as a result, though they brought him back on a minor league deal. He has had a couple stints at the MLB level this season, working 15 2/3 innings over six appearances. His 3.45 ERA isn’t bad on the surface, but Suárez has also allowed four unearned runs and has as many walks as strikeouts (nine apiece).
Baltimore has preferred Suárez in a relief role at the MLB level over the past year-plus. The rotation has taken a few injury hits that could eventually open an opportunity for him to make a spot start or two. Suárez is out of options, so there’s a decent chance he’ll go through the selection/outright cycle a few times over the course of the year.
Cubs Outright Ben Cowles
The Cubs have sent infielder Ben Cowles outright to Triple-A Iowa, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. That indicates he cleared waivers after being designated for assignment last week.
Cowles, 26, has been on waivers a lot in the past eight months. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster in November of 2024, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He was designated for assignment in September of 2025, getting claimed by the White Sox. This offseason, he went back to the Cubs, then to the Blue Jays and back to the Cubs again via a series of claims.
Those transactions speak to the fact that he has been an attractive player but with some downward trends. He generally hit well on his way up the minor league ladder. In 2024, the Cubs acquired him from the Yankees as part of the Mark Leiter Jr. trade. Between the two clubs, he slashed .286/.372/.457 at Double-A that year for a 141 wRC+. He also stole 14 bases while bouncing between shortstop, second base and third base.
That was a nice mix of qualities but his results haven’t been as strong lately. He got promoted to Triple-A to start 2025 and hasn’t done anything at that level yet. He now has 611 total plate appearances at Triple-A dating back to the start of last year with a .234/.303/.370 line and 72 wRC+. That performance has pushed him to a fringe roster position but he kept getting claimed, until this week.
This is his first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, still not having made his major league debut. He therefore does not have the right to elect free agency. He’ll stick with the Cubs as non-roster depth and will try to play his way back onto the roster.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Astros Select César Salazar
The Astros are selecting catcher César Salazar back onto the big league roster, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. Infielder Shay Whitcomb was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move. Houston opened a spot on the 40-man roster this afternoon when they designated outfielder Daniel Johnson for assignment.
Salazar’s promotion is spurred by what appears to be a minor injury for starting catcher Yainer Diaz. He’s out of tonight’s lineup with a left abdominal issue. The Astros haven’t placed him on the injured list but seemingly want to stay away from him tonight. Christian Vázquez draws into the lineup against the Dodgers and Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Salazar provides some insurance as a reserve catcher.
Unless Diaz eventually needs an injured list stay, it’ll probably be a brief stint on the roster for Salazar. He’s out of minor league options and was designated for assignment at the end of Spring Training when Houston opted for Vázquez as their backup catcher. They surely don’t have any regrets about that decision, as the veteran is out to a .333/.390/.519 start to his age-35 season.
Salazar appeared in 36 MLB games as Houston’s third catcher between 2023-25. He’s hitting .193/.333/.281 with one home run over 19 games with Sugar Land this season. The 30-year-old has a solid reputation for his glove and work with a pitching staff but isn’t likely to be much of an offensive threat.
Carl Edwards Jr. Elects Free Agency
Veteran righty Carl Edwards Jr. elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, reports Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. He’d been designated for assignment by the Mets on Thursday.
Edwards had a brief stint on the active roster, pitching twice over six days. He showed well in that limited look, striking out 11 across six innings of one-run ball. Edwards issued four walks but only allowed three hits. He got swinging strikes at a massive 17.2% rate.
Those six innings matched his MLB workload last season, divided over four games between the Rangers and Angels. He failed to record an out in his lone MLB appearance in 2024. Edwards hasn’t had an extended look at the big league level since he was a member of the Nationals three years ago.
He has continued to bounce around the league via a series of minor league contracts. Edwards has been a reliever for the majority of his career but started four games for Triple-A Syracuse before the Mets called him up. He worked multiple innings in both of his MLB appearances. He should find a new minor league deal, perhaps returning to the Mets, within the coming days.
Giants Designate Jerar Encarnacion For Assignment
The Giants announced that outfielder Jerar Encarnacion has been designated for assignment and fellow outfielder Will Brennan has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento. Those are the corresponding moves for the recalls of Bryce Eldridge and Jesús Rodríguez, moves that were reported yesterday. The Giants also recalled right-hander Trevor McDonald and placed left-hander Erik Miller on the 15-day injured list with a low back strain, retroactive to May 1st.
Encarnacion signed a minor league deal with the Giants in May of 2024. At that time, he had just come off a massive .366/.439/.989 showing in 26 Mexican League games. That’s a hitter-friendly league but that line was impressive regardless. He then put up a .352/.438/.616 showing in Triple-A and got added to the big league roster in August.
He has been on the 40-man ever since. Due to him being out of options, he has also been on the active roster that whole time, apart from IL stints. He spent a lot of 2025 on the IL, with stints due to a hand fracture, an oblique strain and a hamstring strain.
His numbers against major league hitting haven’t been nearly as impressive as his work in the minors or in Mexico. He has stepped to the plate 210 times as a Giant. His 3.3% walk rate and 27.1% strikeout rate in that time are both poor numbers. His .223/.248/.371 line in the sample leads to a wRC+ of 71, indicating he’s been 29% below league average overall. That includes a dismal .176/.200/.206 line here in 2026.
The San Francisco offense as a whole has been underwhelming. Encarnacion has been just a small part of that but he is the casualty for the club trying to shake things up. Since he’s out of options, he’s been bumped into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Giants could take five days to field trade interest, but they could also put him on waivers sooner than that.
Based on how much he’s been struggling, it seems fair to expect him to clear waivers. He has flashed talent in the past but not in the majors. Even the exciting numbers he put up in Mexico and in the minors are two years old at this point. He has a previous career outright and would therefore have the right to elect free agency if he is outrighted again in the coming days.
Turning to the pitching moves, it’s unclear how long Miller will need to be shelved, but the Giants lose one of their more interesting relievers. Miller walks too many batters but has high-90s velocity and can get guys out. His 35.4% strikeout rate and 56% ground ball rate this year are both huge, though he has given free passes to 12.5% of opponents. With Miller out, the Giants are down to Matt Gage and Ryan Borucki as their southpaw relievers.
McDonald is starting tonight’s game and it appears to be a spot start. The Giants had to play a doubleheader on Thursday, with Logan Webb and Adrian Houser starting the two contests. Then Robbie Ray, Landen Roupp and Tyler Mahle started the three subsequent games. No one in that quintet would be available on regular rest tonight. After McDonald starts tonight’s game, it’s possible he gets sent back down to the minors, with a fresh arm coming up to join the bullpen.
Photo courtesy of Justine Willard, Imagn Images
Braves Designate Jonah Heim For Assignment, Activate Sean Murphy
The Braves announced they’ve reinstated catcher Sean Murphy from his season-opening injured list stint. That pushed Jonah Heim off the team, as he has been designated for assignment to create space for Murphy on the active roster. Atlanta’s 40-man count drops to 39.
It’s an unfortunate but probably expected outcome for Heim. The switch-hitting backstop signed a $1.5MM free agent deal early in Spring Training. The Braves knew Murphy would need some time to recover from last fall’s hip labrum surgery. NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin was the clear #1 option behind the dish, leaving Heim mostly as a fill-in backup until Murphy was back from injury.
The Braves could have carried three catchers, but that’s generally not the way teams prefer to use two of their four bench spots. They’re also currently playing a little shorthanded in the outfield. Not only did they lose Ronald Acuña Jr. to the injured list yesterday, they haven’t felt comfortable playing Michael Harris II in center field since Wednesday.
Harris has been dealing with left quad discomfort that kept him out of the starting lineup on Thursday and Friday. He worked as the designated hitter on Saturday but didn’t play yesterday and is out again tonight against Seattle righty Logan Gilbert.
The thinner outfield led the Braves to select Jose Azocar for a bench role over the weekend. They’ve pushed Mauricio Dubón from shortstop to center field for the past few games, drawing Jorge Mateo into the lineup. Kyle Farmer sticks around as the backup infielder. The moving pieces didn’t leave much room for three catchers. Murphy had reached the end of his 20-day rehab window and needed to be activated tonight.
Heim had a respectable showing over 12 games in an Atlanta uniform. He walked as often as he struck out while hitting .231/.311/.410 with one home run in 45 plate appearances. The defense was a little more concerning, as he failed to catch any of the 13 runners who attempted to steal against him. He didn’t commit any passed balls but was behind the dish for six wild pitches in 103 innings.
There’s nevertheless a decent chance another club takes a flier on Heim within the next week. He was an above-average starting catcher for the Rangers between 2022-23, earning an All-Star nod and a Gold Glove while helping Texas to a championship in 2023. Heim’s production plummeted after that, but he’s only making around twice the league minimum salary and would probably upgrade the backup catching spot for a few teams. The Guardians, Reds, Angels, Pirates, Phillies and Nationals are among clubs that have gotten little to no production from the position this season.
The Braves have five days to line up a trade or place Heim on waivers. If they can’t find a trade partner, he’ll probably be released, as he has the five years of service time necessary to retain his salary while refusing a minor league assignment.
Murphy will be behind the plate tonight for his season debut at T-Mobile Park. Baldwin gets a second consecutive start at DH. Murphy hit 16 homers last year but struck out at a career-high 31% clip while hitting below .200 for a second straight season. He’d played through the hip discomfort for some time before undergoing surgery. The Braves will hope that procedure gets him back closer to peak level, though he showed some rust on his minor league rehab assignment after missing all of Spring Training.