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Nationals To Promote Andrew Alvarez For MLB Debut

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The Nationals are promoting left-hander Andrew Alvarez to the majors for his MLB debut tomorrow, interim manager Miguel Cairo told reporters (including MASN’s Mark Zuckerman) this afternoon. Alvarez is not yet on the 40-man roster and will need to have his contract selected before his scheduled start against the Marlins tomorrow. Alvarez’s promotion was first reported by TheNatsReport last night.

Alvarez, 26, was a 12th-round pick by the Nationals back in 2021. He’s been climbing the minor league ladder in the years since then and first reached the Triple-A level partway through the 2024 season. He made 16 starts at the level in the second half last year, but struggled a bit with a 4.58 ERA in 78 2/3 innings of work. He struck out just 17.7% of his opponents against a 9.6% walk rate, but in his second season at Triple-A this year his numbers have improved. In 25 starts at the level this year, Alvarez has pitched to a 4.10 ERA in 123 innings. His walk rate has mostly held steady at 9.8%, but his strikeout rate has jumped up to a much more respectable 21.5%.

Even with this year’s improvements, Alvarez is not looked at as much more than a back-of-the-rotation starter at the big league level. Alvarez is not ranked in the organization’s top 30 prospects by either MLB Pipeline or Baseball America, further emphasizing his somewhat limited upside. That shouldn’t be taken to mean he can’t be a useful piece at the big league level, however. He’s generated a solid 50.9% ground ball rate at Triple-A this year, and if he can continue to keep the ball on the ground without much regression in his K-BB% ratio, it’s easy to imagine him being a valuable up-and-down swing man or perhaps a number five starter for the Nationals going forward.

Looking ahead to 2026, the Nationals have a number of interesting arms capable of starting. MacKenzie Gore figures to lead the club’s staff next season, and Brad Lord is having an exciting rookie season that should earn him a rotation spot next year. Mitchell Parker and Jake Irvin pitched well last year but have looked more like back-of-the-rotation arms this year, while Josiah Gray and DJ Herz could also impact the rotation next year depending on how they look after returning from Tommy John surgery. Cade Cavalli could also impact the club given his former top prospect status, though his five starts in the majors this year haven’t exactly impressed.

With so many young pitchers jockeying for position in the club’s rotation mix headed into next year, Alvarez could have a real opportunity down the stretch this season to put himself into that conversation headed into Spring Training 2026 if he manages to impress throughout this September call-up. His first test will come tomorrow against a young Marlins club that has impressed this year, though injuries to players like Griffin Conine and Kyle Stowers have taken some of the teeth out of the club’s lineup.

Cubs To Sign Carlos Santana

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Veteran first baseman Carlos Santana is signing with the Cubs, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The terms of the deal are not currently known. Chicago’s 40-man roster is full, and the Cubs will need to make a corresponding move in order to add Santana to the roster.

The 39-year-old veteran was released by the Guardians last week in what president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti described to reporters (including MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins) as a “joint decision” to allow Santana to pursue a shot at the postseason with another club while affording more playing time to younger first base options in Cleveland like Kyle Manzardo and rookie C.J. Kayfus. That opportunity to play in the postseason will now come via Chicago, where the Cubs currently occupy the first of three NL Wild Card spots with a 78-58 record and have a 99.9% chance of making the postseason according to Fangraphs.

Santana is something of a curious fit for a Cubs team that already has both Michael Busch and Justin Turner on the roster as players limited to first base and DH. The veteran switch-hitter has struggled at the plate in 116 games this year, with a slash line of just .225/.316/.333 (86 wRC+) across 455 plate appearances. While he’s still taking walks at a strong 11.3% clip, Santana’s power has mostly disappeared and his 18.9% strikeout rate this year is the highest it’s been since his first full season as a big league player all the way back in 2011.

One potential use case for Santana on the roster would be to replace Turner, who has posted a lackluster wRC+ of just 70 with Chicago this year. With that being said, Turner’s primary role (and, likely, Santana’s primary role in replacing him) would be serving as a platoon partner for Busch, mostly playing against left-handed pitching. In that specific role, Turner is actually arguably a better fit than Santana given that he has an above-average 109 wRC+ against lefties this year as compared to Santana’s pedestrian 93 wRC+ against southpaws this season.

On the other hand, the switch-hitting Santana fares much better against right-handed pitching than Turner, and is also regarded as a much stronger defender. Santana is also just one season removed from a brilliant year in Minnesota where he posted a 113 wRC+ overall with a 161 wRC+ against left-handed pitching and won the AL’s Gold Glove award at first base. If the Cubs think they can help Santana get back into the form he showed with the Twins last year, it’s easy to see why they’d want to bring him into the fold.

Santana’s addition to the roster doesn’t necessarily have to come at the expense of Turner’s roster spot, of course. While carrying three players limited to first base defensively is unusual, rosters are set to expand to 28 players tomorrow. During Miguel Amaya’s brief return from the injured list earlier this month, the Cubs were comfortable utilizing both Amaya and Reese McGuire as backups to Carson Kelly behind the plate, which with Turner in the fold at first base left only one spot for a utility player. Perhaps that willingness to use defensively-limited players on the bench is thanks to the extreme versatility of utility man Willi Castro, who is capable of backing up every position on the diamond aside from first base and catcher.

The aforementioned roster expansion set to occur tomorrow often allows teams to get more creative with in-game substitutions, as well, and that’s another way Santana could offer value to Chicago. Turner has been atrocious against right-handed pitching this year with a wRC+ of 18, so while he’s been an excellent choice to spell Busch in a high-leverage at-bat against a southpaw this year, his subsequent at-bats against righties and poor glove at first base have been a hindrance to the Cubs following that pinch-hit appearance. With Santana on the roster, Turner could still pinch-hit for Busch before ceding the first base job to Santana, who has been closer to split neutral this year and carries a strong glove.

It’s also worth noting that the Cubs’ current options at first base and DH have been struggling somewhat in the second half. While Busch (136 wRC+) and Seiya Suzuki (122 wRC+) are putting together strong seasons overall, their .209/.270/.403 (87 wRC+) and .202/.340/.279 (86 wRC+) lines since the All-Star break leave much to be desired. Chicago will surely need its middle of the order to straighten things out ahead of the playoffs, and perhaps adding a steady veteran like Santana could afford those players occasional days off down the stretch to allow them that opportunity.

On the other hand, it’s worth noting that the club could’ve also offered a young player the opportunity to spell those veterans given their large crop of position player prospects on the cusp of the minors. Owen Caissie is already on the roster, while Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcantara have both already made their MLB debuts previously. None of those players play first base like Santana does, but Jonathon Long has turned heads this year with a .308/.405/.498 slash line in 123 Triple-A games this year and could easily be called upon to spell Busch and Turner at first base if the club so desired. Perhaps the Cubs feel the intense environment of a playoff race in September isn’t the best way to introduce these young players to the majors, however, and even a struggling veteran like Santana is a safer bet to round out the roster.

Astros Sign Matt Bowman To Minor League Deal

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The Astros announced this evening that they’ve signed right-hander Matt Bowman to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Sugar Land. Bowman had been released by the Orioles earlier today, but has now found a new organization to call home for the remainder of the 2025 campaign.

Bowman, 34, made his big league debut in 2016 and spent four seasons with the Cardinals and Reds, posting a 4.02 ERA and 3.67 FIP in 183 games at the big league level before injuries sidelined him for several years. He returned to the majors in 2023 for a three-game stint as a member of the Yankees, and in 2024 he bounced between four clubs before finally settling in as a member of the Orioles in August of last year. He posted a solid 3.45 ERA with a 21.2% strikeout rate in 15 games for Baltimore last year, and after being outrighted off the club’s roster he re-signed on a minor league deal last offseason.

Bowman was briefly added back to the Baltimore’s 40-man roster in March to prevent him from opting out of his deal, but was promptly outrighted to the minors on Opening Day only to be selected onto the roster once again on March 30. He was selected to the roster three more times over the course of 2025 but struggled to a 6.20 ERA in 24 2/3 innings of work with a strikeout rate of just 15.8% in the majors throughout that roller coaster of roster moves. His 4.10 ERA in 26 1/3 innings of work with Triple-A Norfolk wasn’t exactly inspiring, either, though his 21.8% strikeout rate in those outings was certainly an improvement.

Now, Bowman will try to carve out a role for himself in Houston. The right-hander will be eligible to join the Astros in the postseason if the club were to have interest in bringing him onto the 40-man roster because he was able to join the organization prior to September 1, at which point any new additions to the organization would not be eligible for the playoff roster. Of course, it’s a stretch that Bowman would receive much consideration for the club’s playoff roster given that it’s not yet clear whether or not the Astros will even afford him an opportunity on their MLB roster at all this September. Cody Bolton, Jordan Weems, and Tayler Scott are among the other non-roster relief arms in the Astros organization who could vie for playing time if the club finds itself in need of depth during the season’s final month.

Vinny Nittoli Opts Out Of Orioles Deal

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Right-hander Vinny Nittoli is opting out of his minor league deal with the Orioles, according to a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC2. Nittoli will now head into free agency and be eligible to sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs on a fresh contract.

Nittoli, 34, was a 25th-round pick by the Mariners back in 2014 and has spent his decade in professional baseball largely as a minor league journeyman. After spending a few years in Seattle’s minor league system, Nittoli departed affiliated ball in 2017 and spent two seasons pitching for the independent American Association before making his return to the minor leagues. Over the course of 12-year professional career, he’s suited up for the Mariners, Blue Jays, Diamondbacks, Yankees, Phillies, Cubs, Mets, A’s, Orioles, and Brewers at the Triple-A level. In all that time, however, he’s received only scattered playing time in the majors with 15 big league appearances in total.

In that sporadic MLB playing time, Nittoli has pitched to a 2.41 ERA with a 4.30 FIP across 18 2/3 innings of work. Nittoli has struck out just 17.3% of his opponents while walking 6.7%, but those numbers of course come in too small of a sample size to draw any substantial conclusions from. After spending a great deal of time at Triple-A, looking at his results at that level may tell a more complete story. He’s posted a 4.76 ERA at the highest level of the minors in 223 innings across parts of six seasons. With that said, he’s struck out a much more robust 28.3% of his opponents while walking 8.4%.

Those stronger strikeout numbers have been enough to get Nittoli plenty of interest from all of those aforementioned organizations on minor league deals over the years, but this year’s poor results even in the minors have limited his ability to crack a major league roster. In 39 1/3 innings of work between the Triple-A affiliates of the Brewers and Orioles this year, Nittoli has posted a 4.58 ERA, including a ghastly 6.35 in ten appearances in Baltimore’s organization after opting out of the pact he’d spent the first half of the year with Milwaukee on. Now Nittoli has opted out once again and will look to find a job that provides a better path to the majors ahead ahead of September 1, after which time newly-signed players are not eligible to participate in the postseason with their new club. As for the Orioles, they still have arms like Yaramil Hiraldo, Josh Walker, and Elvin Rodriguez on the 40-man roster as depth options for their bullpen over the season’s final month.

Orioles Outright Cody Poteet

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The Orioles announced this afternoon that right-hander Cody Poteet has been activated from the 60-day injured list and outrighted to Triple-A Norfolk. The club had not previously announced that Poteet was placed on waivers, but he evidently cleared and now will head to the minor leagues if he accepts the assignment.

Poteet, 31, made just one appearance for the Orioles this year where he surrendered five runs on six hits in 2 2/3 innings of work while walking two and striking out just one. A fourth-round pick by the Marlins all the way back in 2015, Poteet did not make his big league debut until 2021. He spent two years in Miami as an up-and-down swing man, with a 4.45 ERA and 5.15 FIP in 58 2/3 innings of work. That roughly league-average work (with below average peripherals) on the mound, but a UCL injury limited him in 2022. He signed with the Royals on a minor league deal while rehabbing from Tommy John surgery but returned to free agency following the 2023 season having made just one appearance for Triple-A Omaha that year.

Poteet signed a big league deal with the Yankees prior to the 2024 season, and it was in the Bronx where the right-hander posted the best numbers of his career. Poteet made only five appearances (four starts) for New York last year, but in those 24 1/3 frames he posted a sensational 2.22 ERA. The right-hander’s peripherals (including a 16.7% strikeout rate and a 4.03 FIP) weren’t quite as impressive as those raw results, but he still demonstrated the ability to be a valuable depth starter and swing man for the Yankees. He was tendered a contract for the 2025 campaign by the Yankees and stuck around on the club’s 40-man roster but was traded to the Cubs back in December as the return for Cody Bellinger.

The right-hander entered Spring Training with the Cubs but did not make the club’s roster out of camp after a strong showing from non-roster invitee Brad Keller. Poteet was DFA’d to make room for Keller on the roster and found himself back in the AL East shortly thereafter when he was traded to the Orioles in late March. After Poteet made his aforementioned single appearance for the Orioles on April 20, he was shelved with right shoulder inflammation that has kept him out of action ever since. Poteet did begin a rehab assignment last week and threw two scoreless innings for the Norfolk Tides, and now that he’s been activated from the shelf and outrighted to the minors he’ll continue pitching for the Tides through the end of the year if he decides to remain in the organization.

Of course, that’s not necessarily guaranteed. Poteet was outrighted to the minors by the Marlins previously in his career, meaning that he has the opportunity to reject Baltimore’s assignment in favor of electing free agency. Poteet will remain eligible for a team’s postseason roster if he signs with another organization prior to September 1, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him land elsewhere as a depth option for a pitching-hungry club still in the playoff hunt. Of course, with Poteet only built up to one inning so far and minimal work at the big league level this season, the righty might also simply go wherever gives him the best shot of cracking a big league roster in September, whether that’s staying in the Orioles organization or signing a fresh contract elsewhere.

Orioles Release Matt Bowman

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The Orioles released right-hander Matt Bowman, according to the team’s official transactions page.  Bowman was designated for assignment earlier this week, which marked the fourth time this season Baltimore had sent the righty to DFA limbo.

This time, however, the O’s opted to just release Bowman rather than outright him off the 40-man roster.  Bowman cleared waivers after his previous three DFAs and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A, even though he had the ability to elect free agency after any of those outrights.  It could be that the Orioles and Bowman agreed to a release this time just to give Bowman a bit more opportunity to catch on with a contender before August 31 (the postseason roster eligibility deadline), or perhaps the O’s are just ready to part ways with the 34-year-old.

Since Bowman is out of minor league options, his last few seasons have been a flurry of moves on and off rosters, with 59 1/3 total innings and 48 appearances with five different teams since Opening Day 2023.  That includes a four-inning stint with the Yankees in 2023, appearances with the Orioles and three other clubs in 2024, and a return to Baltimore in the form of 24 2/3 frames in the majors this year.  With only a 6.20 ERA over those 24 2/3 innings, Bowman didn’t do much to help his case to stick in the Orioles’ bullpen.

His 4.10 ERA, 21.8K%, and 5.5% walk rate over 26 1/3 innings at Triple-A Norfolk has been better, even if his ERA has been inflated by home runs.  Bowman could possibly parlay these solid numbers into another minor league contract elsewhere, and a return to Baltimore’s organization probably can’t be ruled out if Bowman can’t find a deal with a new club.

Pirates Promote Cam Devanney, Place Ronny Simon On 10-Day IL

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2:27PM: The Pirates officially announced Devanney’s promotion, with Simon heading to the 10-day IL.  Simon suffered a dislocated left shoulder, so in all likelihood his 2025 season is over.  Making his MLB debut with the Marlins earlier this year, Simon’s first year in the Show saw him hit .234/.299/.273 over 88 total PA with Miami and Pittsburgh, with the move to the Bucs coming via waiver claim in early June.

11:37AM: Ronny Simon is likely to be placed on the 10-day injured list in the corresponding move for Devanney, Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes.  Simon was removed from yesterday’s game due to a left shoulder injury after an awkward slide into home plate.  This means that Devanney could be used more in the outfield than in the infield, depending on what happens with Kiner-Falefa’s situation.

10:26AM: The Pirates are calling up infielder Cam Devanney from Triple-A Indianapolis, according to Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports.  The corresponding 26-man roster move isn’t yet known, and Devanney is already on the Bucs’ 40-man roster.

Devanney will be making his Major League debut whenever he appears in a game, though this isn’t his first time in the Show.  The Royals selected his contract from Triple-A in July but didn’t use Devanney in a game during his week-long stint on the active roster, though some of that stint was taken up by the All-Star break.  Before the second half of the season could begin, Kansas City traded Devanney to Pittsburgh in the one-for-one swap that brought Adam Frazier back to the Royals.

The change of scenery has led to a downturn in Devanney’s offense, as his .256/.327/.361 slash line over 147 plate appearances with Indianapolis is well below the .272/.366/.565 slash he had with Triple-A Omaha this season prior to the trade.  While Devanney hasn’t exactly kicked down the door and forced a promotion, the Pirates may soon have a vacancy in the infield if Isiah Kiner-Falefa is claimed off outright waivers.  Rival teams will have to acquire IKF before September 1 to include him on a postseason roster, so Devanney’s call-up could be a hint that Pittsburgh is expecting a claim soon.

Devanney could perhaps replicate Kiner-Falefa in terms of versatility.  Devanney has played mostly shortstop during his career but has a lot of experience at second and third base, plus a handful of appearances as a first baseman and left fielder.  This season’s numbers in Omaha were the high point of a generally productive run in Triple-A for the infielder, who has slashed .264/.349/.469 with 53 homers over 1404 with the top affiliates of the Pirates, Royals, and Brewers.  A 15th-round pick for the Brew Crew in the 2019 draft, Devanney was dealt to the Royals as part of the 2023-24 offseason trade that sent Taylor Clarke from K.C. to Milwaukee.

Royals Sign Spencer Turnbull To Minors Contract

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The Royals announced that right-hander Spencer Turnbull has been signed to a minor league contract.  Turnbull had been in the Cubs organization on another minors deal until two days ago, when he triggered an opt-out clause to obtain a release.

It has been an unusual season in many ways for Turnbull, who pitched well for the Phillies in 2024 before a lat strain cut short his year.  Heading into free agency last winter, he didn’t find an acceptable contract until well after Opening Day, when Turnbull signed with the Blue Jays to a prorated deal worth $1,265,306 (or just $1MM in remaining money).  He finally made his 2025 debut in June but struggled to a 7.11 ERA over three outings and 6 1/3 innings with Toronto before being released.

The minors deal with the Cubs didn’t result in any more MLB playing time, as Turnbull’s struggles continued with a 9.49 ERA over 24 2/3 innings with Triple-A Iowa.  Overall, Turnbull has a 7.96 ERA over 46 1/3 total minor league innings in 2025, with a lackluster 10.5% walk rate and 18.8% strikeout rate adding to his struggles.

Kansas City would owe Turnbull just the prorated portion of a Major League minimum salary for any time spent on the big league roster, with the Jays covering the remainder of what Turnbull is owed in 2025.  In that sense, there’s really no risk for the Royals in seeing if Turnbull can still turn things around late in the season, and perhaps become an option for the club’s pitching staff down the stretch.

Turnbull could potentially act as rotation depth for a team with multiple starters on the IL, though Cole Ragans may be able to make a return to the Royals some time in September.  Or, Turnbull could bolster the staff in another way by acting as a swingman or multi-inning reliever, akin to his role in Philadelphia in 2024.  This hinges on Turnbull finding his old form in at least the minors, of course, but every bit of pitching depth is helpful for a Royals team still battling for a wild card berth.

Mets Designate Jose Castillo For Assignment

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The Mets announced that left-hander Jose Castillo has been designated for assignment.  Right-hander Chris Devenski was called up from Triple-A Syracuse in the corresponding move.  The transaction brings Devenski’s fresh arm into the bullpen, as Castillo tossed 47 pitches over a two-inning relief outing in Friday’s 19-9 rout of the Marlins.

Castillo is out of minor league options, and thus this is the fourth time this season he has been DFA’d since has to first clear waivers before being sent to Triple-A.  The first designation came in May when Castillo was still a member of the Diamondbacks, and the Mets then brought the southpaw into the organization via trade.  In Castillo’s previous two DFAs with New York, he cleared waivers and was outrighted to Syracuse.  It stands to reason that the same will happen here, though Castillo has the right to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency if he wants to explore the open market.

Despite the roster churn, Castillo has pitched quite well during his time in Queens, posting a 2.35 ERA, 53.3% grounder rate, 25.7% strikeout rate, and 8.1% walk rate over 15 1/3 innings with the Mets.  This represents Castillo’s best stretch in the majors since his 2018 rookie season, when he broke into the Show with a 3.29 ERA over 38 1/3 relief innings with the Padres.

However, Castillo tossed just two MLB innings between the 2019-24 seasons, due to a variety of injuries that included a Tommy John surgery.  His bottom-line numbers for New York provide some proof that the 29-year-old can still be effective against big league hitters, even if the Mets see him as an expendable arm.

Nationals Place MacKenzie Gore On 15-Day Injured List

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12:13PM: Gore downplayed the seriousness of his injury when speaking with MASNsports.com’s Mark Zuckerman and other reporters, saying that he feels he can pitch again this season.  An MRI showed “nothing crazy” in Gore’s shoulder, according to the lefty.

11:49AM: The Nationals announced that left-hander MacKenzie Gore has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to August 27) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  Right-hander Mason Thompson was called up from Triple-A to take Gore’s spot on the active roster.

Given the timing of the IL placement, it is fair to wonder if the Nationals will just shut Gore down for the remainder of 2025, since Washington has nothing to play for in the final weeks of a lost season.  This would be the third time in Gore’s four MLB seasons that an injury has kept him from finishing a season, as his 2022 rookie season was cut short by elbow inflammation and the Nats chose to shut Gore down in September 2023 due to blisters on his left hand.

More will be known about Gore’s situation when Nats interim manager Miguel Cairo meets with reporters later, but it wouldn’t be a surprise to learn that Gore has been trying to pitch through discomfort for a while, given how his production has cratered since the All-Star break.  The southpaw has a 7.54 ERA over his last eight starts and 37 innings, which came on the heels of a 3.02 ERA in his first 110 1/3 innings.

That first-half performance earned Gore his first career All-Star nod, and seemingly cemented him as a building block within what seems like a somewhat stalled rebuild in Washington.  Despite interest from multiple teams at the trade deadline, the Nats refused to move Gore, viewing him as a cornerstone player who is controlled through the 2027 season.

Today’s injury news might lessen any regrets teams had about not acquiring Gore, even if his two years of arbitration control give him value beyond just the 2025 campaign.  If this is indeed it for Gore this season, he’ll finish with a 4.15 ERA over 147 1/3 innings, with a very strong 27.7% strikeout rate but a subpar 8.7% walk rate.

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