Yankees Place Amed Rosario On 10-Day Injured List
The Yankees have placed utility player Amed Rosario on the 10-day injured list with a left SC joint sprain. The team announced the move this morning, ahead of their afternoon matchup with the Astros. To replace Rosario on the active roster, they recalled catcher J.C. Escarra from Triple-A.
The 29-year-old Rosario signed a one-year, $2MM contract with the Nationals over the offseason, and Washington sent him to New York ahead of the trade deadline last month. While he slashed a respectable .270/.310/.426 (104 wRC+) in 47 games with the Nationals, he hit the ground running with his new team, going 3-for-7 with a double over his first four games. The Yankees acquired him to help against left-handed pitching, and that’s precisely what he did, taking six of his seven plate appearances against southpaws.
Rosario is no longer an everyday player like he was during his years with the Mets and Guardians, but he remains a productive short-side platoon bat. He has a career .801 OPS and 121 wRC+ against opposite-handed opponents, and he’s only improved those numbers in 2025, with an .838 OPS and 132 wRC+ with the platoon advantage. Rosario also offers value through versatility. Once an everyday shortstop, he now sees more time at second and third base and can also cover a corner outfield spot.
Unfortunately for the Yankees, Rosario is the second of their recently acquired righty bats to hit the shelf this month; outfielder Austin Slater suffered a hamstring strain and won’t be back for about four to six weeks. As for Rosario, he injured his non-throwing shoulder running into the outfield wall on Friday, but the sprain does not seem to be serious. According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Rosario does not expect to be out for any more than the minimum of 10 days.
In his place, the Yankees will have to rely a little more heavily on fellow righty-batting utility player José Caballero. Escarra is a lefty bat (of which the Yankees already have many), but with Aaron Judge leading an offense that also features Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, Anthony Volpe, Caballero, and the switch-hitting Jasson Domínguez, it’s not as if the team is devoid of right-handed bats. In fact, the Yankees lead the majors in OPS and wRC+ against left-handed pitching.
Phillies Recall David Robertson
The Phillies announced today that they have recalled right-handed reliever David Robertson for his 2025 debut. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Alan Rangel was optioned to Triple-A. If Robertson appears in today’s game, he’ll be facing his team from last season, the Rangers.
Robertson, who turned 40 in April, is gearing up for his 17th MLB season (and his third with the Phillies). Aside from an injury-plagued rough patch from 2019-21, he has been one of the best relievers in the league since his breakout season with the Yankees in 2009. In 876 2/3 career innings, he owns a 66-46 record, 177 saves, and a sub-3.00 ERA. Just over 200 of those frames came in the past three years (2022-24), when Robertson pitched to a 2.82 ERA with a strikeout rate over 30%. He ranked among the top 10 relievers in innings pitched and Win Probability Added (WPA).
So, it was more than a little surprising that Robertson, no. 47 on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list, failed to secure a contract this past offseason. It wasn’t until mid-July that he signed with the Phillies on a prorated one-year, $16MM deal that will ultimately pay him about $6MM in 2025. While $6MM is well below the $11MM salary MLBTR predicted for Robertson on a one-year deal and the $10MM salary Robertson was reportedly seeking in the offseason, the $16MM value of his contract technically makes him one of the highest-paid relievers in the game this year.
There is little question that Robertson’s advanced age is what gave potential suitors pause during the offseason. The question now is if their resistance to sign him becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. The veteran showed last season that he was still one of the game’s elite relievers at 39 years old. However, he’s now trying to get back to that level after missing spring training and the first four-plus months of the year. If his shaky performance during his handful of Triple-A outings is any indication, he could be in for a rough adjustment period in the majors. With only seven weeks left to play before October, that adjustment period could end up being most of his season.
The Phillies will hope Robertson can pick up right where he left off last year. Their bullpen has done well as of late, but on the year, it hasn’t been the strength it was in 2023 or ’24. Offseason signing Jordan Romano has not been able to rediscover his All-Star form from 2020-23, while long-tenured fireballer José Alvarado has missed much of the season on a PED suspension. He’ll be back soon but won’t be eligible to pitch in the playoffs. The addition of Jhoan Duran is already helping – he has three saves in three perfect appearances – but the Phillies could certainly use another high-leverage arm to join Duran, Orion Kerkering, and Matt Strahm as the club looks to go on a deep postseason run.
Diamondbacks Sign Nabil Crismatt To Minor League Deal
The Diamondbacks have signed right-hander Nabil Crismatt to a minor league deal, per an announcement from the Triple-A Reno Aces. Crismatt was previously with the Phillies on a minor league deal but was released a few days ago, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com.
Crismatt, 30, has pitched 177 major league innings in his career with a 3.71 earned run average. His 21.5% strikeout rate is a bit south of average but his 7.2% walk rate and 50.3% ground ball rate are both solid figures. That includes a brief stint with the Diamondbacks in 2023, when he tossed two scoreless innings in his lone appearance as a Snake.
This year, he’s been stuck in the minors with the Phillies. He’s been working as a starter in Triple-A, making 19 starts with a 4.04 ERA, 16.2% strikeout rate, 6.2% walk rate and 40% ground ball rate.
The Diamondbacks have been hemorrhaging pitching this year. They have lost Corbin Burnes, A.J. Puk, Justin Martínez, Tommy Henry and Blake Walston to Tommy John surgeries. Additionally, Cristian Mena, Christian Montes De Oca, Ryan Thompson and Kevin Ginkel are on the injured list due to other reasons. Those injuries played a notable role in knocking the Diamondbacks out of contention, which led them to trading Merrill Kelly and Shelby Miller ahead of the deadline.
Given all of those fallen soldiers, the club may have some innings available down the stretch. Crismatt has worked both as a starter and a reliever in his career. He’ll give the Diamondbacks a depth arm for now but could perhaps be useful for the big league club as they play out the string on the season.
Photo courtesy of Orlando Ramirez, Imagn Images
Astros Outright Luis Contreras
The Astros have sent right-hander Luis Contreras outright to Triple-A Sugar Land, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment earlier this week when the club signed righty Enyel De Los Santos.
Contreras, 29, will stick with the Astros as non-roster depth. He has less than three years of big league service time and does not have a previous career outright. That means he does not have the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency.
He will therefore have to report to the Space Cowboys and try to pitch his way back onto the roster. His big league track record is still quite limited. He has pitched 18 innings for the Astros across this season and the 2024 campaign. He allowed 15 earned runs in that time via 18 hits and 10 walks while striking out 19. His minor league track record is greater in both quality and quantity. He has thrown 76 1/3 innings for the Space Cowboys since the start of 2024 with a 2.36 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate and 12.7% walk rate.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
White Sox Release Gus Varland
The White Sox have released right-hander Gus Varland, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment earlier this week when the Sox selected infielder Jacob Amaya.
A release was inevitable once Varland entered DFA limbo. A trade wasn’t possible since the deadline had passed. Varland was also on the minor league injured list at the time of his DFA. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers.
He’ll now head to the open market and see what offers await him. He won’t be able to help any club in the short term. Per Scott Merkin of MLB.com, a forearm strain sent him to the IL earlier this year. James Fegan of Sox Machine reports that Varland now has a lat strain, suggesting he may be out for the rest of the year.
Clubs should still be interested in Varland as a long-term play. The 28-year-old has some major league success on his track record. Overall, he has a 4.82 earned run average in 46 2/3 innings, but his most recent big league stretch was better than that. The Sox claimed him off waivers from the Dodgers in August of last year. After that claim, he went on to toss 20 1/3 innings for the Sox down the stretch with a 3.54 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate, 4.7% walk rate and 40.4% ground ball rate.
Here in 2025, he had a rough spring and started the season on optional assignment in the minors. He made just two appearances before landing on the IL. He tried rehabbing in June but that rehab assignment only lasted six appearances. Varland will still have an option remaining after this season and less than a year of service time. Even though he can’t help this year, teams will be interested in him for 2026 and beyond.
Photo courtesy of Stan Szeto, Imagn Images
Minor MLB Transactions: 8/9/25
Leading up to the trade deadline, dozens of moves were made. In the wake of those trades, several players were designated for assignment. Here are the results of a few recent DFAs which MLBTR hasn’t yet covered…
- Right-hander Sean Hjelle has been sent outright to Triple-A Sacramento, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment by the Giants when they traded Tyler Rogers to the Mets. Two of the players the Giants received, José Buttó and Blade Tidwell, required 40-man roster spots. The departure of Rogers opened one spot, with Hjelle DFA’d to open another. This was Hjelle’s first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, meaning he didn’t have the right to elect free agency. He will give the Giants non-roster depth and try to earn his way back to the majors. His Triple-A numbers have been good this year, having tossed 41 2/3 innings with a 2.81 ERA, 25.7% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 52.7% ground ball rate.
- Left-hander Zach Penrod has been outrighted to Triple-A Oklahoma City, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment by the Dodgers when left-hander Blake Snell was reinstated from the 60-day injured list. This was his first career outright and he has less than three years of big league service time, meaning he had to accept the assignment. Penrod was just acquired from the Red Sox in a DFA trade in June and was kept on optional assignment, so he still hasn’t pitched for the Dodgers in the majors.
- Right-hander Connor Gillispie has been outrighted to Triple-A St. Paul, per his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been designated for assignment by the Twins in late July when Michael Tonkin was selected. This was Gillispie’s first career outright and he has less than three years of big league service time, meaning he had to accept the assignment. He reported to the Saints but they put him on the minor league injured list a few days later. It’s unclear what his current health status is but he hasn’t pitched since July 27th.
- Right-hander Geoff Hartlieb is back with the Tigers on a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He was designated for assignment in late July when Detroit signed Luke Jackson. Hartlieb cleared waivers and elected free agency, which was his right as a player with a previous career outright, but reunited with the Tigers on a new minor league deal. He has a 7.95 career ERA in the majors but better minor league numbers. He has tossed 41 Triple-A innings this year with a 3.29 ERA, 27.5% strikeout rate, 6% walk rate and 40.6% ground ball rate.
Photo courtesy of Eakin Howard, Imagn Images
A’s Place Luis Severino On 15-Day IL Due To Oblique Strain
The Athletics announced that Luis Severino has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a left oblique strain. Left-hander Hogan Harris was called up from Triple-A to take Severino’s spot on the active roster.
The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, but anything more than a Grade 1 strain (the least-serious type) could put the remainder of Severino’s 2025 season in jeopardy. Since the A’s are out of contention, the team might choose to just shut the right-hander down if he’s going to miss anything beyond six weeks of action, as there would be little point in bringing Severino just to make a token start or two at season’s end.
Severino’s injury adds another layer to what has been an unusual first season for the veteran’s Athletics tenure. The A’s shocked many in the baseball world last winter with an uncharacteristic spending splurge when they signed Severino a three-year, $67MM free agent contract. Even if this deal and other relatively larger expenditures from the A’s were as much about avoiding a grievance from the players’ union as much as they were about improving the roster, on paper Severino certainly seemed like a solid addition to the club’s pitching staff.
Instead, Severino has a 4.82 ERA over 136 1/3 innings, as well as very poor strikeout and whiff rates. While Severino hasn’t missed many bats over his last few seasons, he has allowed far more hard contact this year than he did during his more successful 2024 campaign with the Mets.
The story of Severino’s 2025 season may lie in his home/road splits, as the righty has a 3.17 ERA over 65 1/3 away innings and a garish 6.34 ERA in 71 innings at Sutter Health Park. Severino has been public about his displeasure with playing in the minor league ballpark, and this reportedly made A’s management eager to trade the righty. Despite some rumors, no deal was struck prior to the deadline, which isn’t surprising given how the Athletics reportedly weren’t keen on eating much or any of Severino’s salary to accommodate any potential move.
Severino is owed $20MM in 2026, and he has a $22MM player option for the 2027 season. Given his feelings about Sutter Health Park, an opt-out might seem like a possibility even if his numbers continue to be uninspiring, which perhaps creates an unusual situation for both the player and the team down the road. Barring a trade for another team’s unwelcome contract, Severino’s opt-out clause and recent performance would make an offseason move tricky, and this oblique strain now adds another wrinkle to the situation.
Padres Release Mike Brosseau
The Padres released infielder Mike Brosseau from his minor league contract on Friday, as initially reported by the Mad Friars website. Brousseau inked his deal with San Diego back in December, but didn’t receive any time on the active roster during his stint in the organization.
With only a .222/.308/.358 slash line over 344 plate appearances with Triple-A El Paso, Brosseau didn’t do much to force the issue for a call-up. Even with the Padres hurting for bench depth for much of the season, it would seem that Brosseau simply didn’t hit enough to get himself on the team’s radar. It perhaps didn’t help that Brosseau has played almost exclusively as a third baseman in El Paso, and the Padres naturally had no needs at that position due to Manny Machado‘s presence.
Brosseau hit .242/.313/.428 over 647 plate appearances with the Rays and Brewers from 2019-23. He posted particularly big numbers during the shortened 2020 season for Tampa Bay’s pennant-winning club, and also hit well in 2019 and 2022. However, Brosseau’s numbers tailed off during the 2023 season, and the Brewers released him midway through the season so Brosseau could sign with the Chiba Lotte Marines of Nippon Professional Baseball. That brief stint in Japan was followed up by minor league contracts with the Royals and Mets during the 2024 season, before Brosseau signed on with the Padres this past offseason.
Though most of his 2025 has been spent at the hot corner, Brosseau has plenty of experience at a first and second baseman, plus he has played as a shortstop and at both corner infield slots in the past. Teams could have interest in adding Brosseau for the remainder of the 2025 campaign either as a depth option, or just to fill out any Triple-A roster vacancy left open by prospect trades at the deadline.
Brewers Place Logan Henderson On 15-Day IL Due To Flexor Strain
Prior to yesterday’s 3-2 win over the Mets, the Brewers placed right-hander Logan Henderson on the 15-day injured list with what was initially termed as elbow inflammation. Manager Pat Murphy revealed to reporters (including MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy) postgame that an MRI indicated Henderson is dealing with a right flexor strain. A rehab timeline isn’t yet known, but it is at least a good sign that the rookie pitcher has avoided structural damage.
Henderson had been scheduled to start today’s game, but Tobias Myers will now take the ball for his first start since May 17. Milwaukee called Myers up from Triple-A Nashville in the corresponding move for Henderson’s IL placement. Reliever Shelby Miller (acquired from the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline) was also activated from the 15-day IL, with right-hander Easton McGee optioned to Triple-A on Thursday to open up roster space in advance of Miller’s reinstatement.
It was just a week ago that Henderson was himself recalled from Triple-A as an injury replacement, taking over Jacob Misiorowski‘s rotation spot after Misiorowski was sidelined by a left tibia contusion. Since that injury wasn’t considered to be too serious, it is possible Misiorowski could be activated from the 15-day IL when first eligible on August 15. Since the Brew Crew have an off-day on Thursday, Myers might just be needed for one turn in the rotation if all goes well with Misiorowski’s recovery.
Milwaukee’s rotation was crushed by injuries in the first few weeks of the season, which opened the door for Henderson to make his Major League debut on April 20. He was optioned back to Nashville after that outing, called back for three more starts in May, then sent down again until his return to the big leagues last week.
It is a testament to the Brewers’ pitching depth that Henderson has been a spare part, even though he has a 1.78 ERA, 33.3% strikeout rate, and an 8.1% walk rate over his first 25 1/3 innings in the Show. His 3.12 SIERA is only slightly less impressive, and Henderson has benefited from the big outlier of a 96.2% strand rate, and a favorable .255 BABIP. This batted-ball luck is noteworthy since Henderson has only a 22.8% grounder rate, but opposing batters are only making hard contact 33.2% of the time against the righty’s offerings.
Between these numbers in the majors and a 3.59 ERA over 77 2/3 Triple-A frames, there has been a lot to like about Henderson’s 2025 season. A fourth-round pick for the Brewers in the 2021 draft, Henderson has lined himself up nicely to be a big part of the club’s rotation plans going forward, probably as soon as 2026. Brandon Woodruff and Jose Quintana are both expected to become free agents this winter once their mutual options are declined, leaving a couple of holes to be filled on the pitching staff.
This assumes, of course, that Henderson is able to recover properly from this flexor strain. Even a relatively minor strain will certainly result in more than 15 days on the IL, just out of natural precaution about arm-related injuries. It is probably safe to rule Henderson out for the remainder of August, and his availability for the rest of the regular season (and the playoffs) could potentially be in jeopardy. As noted by McCalvy, Henderson’s injury history includes a surgery to fix a fractured elbow, which limited him to 13 2/3 innings during the 2022 minor league season.
Cubs Sign Forrest Wall To Minor League Deal
The Cubs are in agreement with outfielder Forrest Wall on a minor league contract, reports Tommy Birch of The Des Moines Register. He opted out of a non-roster deal with the Padres last week.
Wall had spent the entire season in Triple-A with San Diego. He hit .298/.384/.429 while going 21-22 in stolen base attempts. Wall only hit four home runs but reached base at a strong clip behind a high batting average and a solid 10.4% walk rate. That wasn’t enough to get an MLB look from the Padres. Wall did get brief big league stints with the Braves and Marlins last year, combining for 16 games. He had eight hits (all singles) with a trio of walks and eight strikeouts in 35 plate appearances.
A former supplemental first-round pick, Wall has played parts of six Triple-A seasons. He owns a .273/.360/.391 slash in nearly 1900 trips to the plate. Wall is a plus runner who has played all three outfield positions, but his big league experience has mostly come in left field. He’s a patient hitter but doesn’t have a ton of power and only makes contact at a league average rate.
The Cubs have a crowded outfield picture. Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker have the spots secure. Seiya Suzuki is at designated hitter but would play the corner outfield in the event of an injury. Kevin Alcantara and top prospect Owen Caissie are on the 40-man roster and on optional assignment. Wall’s best path to a big league job is probably as a September call-up who could serve as a pinch-runner. He has more than 300 steals in nearly 1000 career minor league games.