Guardians’ Kolby Allard Granted His Release
The Guardians granted left-hander Kolby Allard his release yesterday, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. Allard had an opt-out clause in his contract, and Cleveland apparently didn’t have a spot for him on the big league roster. He’ll be free to explore opportunities with other teams, though Stebbins adds that the Guardians would prefer to re-sign Allard on a new minor league pact if possible.
Allard, 28, has been hit hard in a small sample of 8 2/3 innings with Cleveland this season. He’s served up 10 runs on 16 hits and three walks in that time, fanning nine of his 45 opponents (20%). He’s also allowed more runs than innings pitched in an even smaller sample of 5 1/3 Triple-A frames.
Though his 2026 season hasn’t gone as planned, Allard was terrific with Cleveland as recently as last season. In 2025, he ate up 65 innings in a swingman role and notched a tidy 2.63 earned run average. Allard’s 15.3% strikeout rate was about seven percentage points shy of league average, but his 5.3% walk rate was excellent (more than three points lower than average).
A former first-round pick, Allard was dogged by repeated back injuries early in his career with Atlanta. He never wound up establishing himself as the steady No. 4 starter many believed him capable of becoming, but he’s consistently found big league work as a journeyman bouncing from team to team in the same type of swing role in which he thrived last season. Allard has never thrown particularly hard, though this year’s 89.4 mph average four-seamer is down about a half mile from last year’s 89.9 mph and well shy of its 92.4 mph peak back in 2019.
Any team in need of some length in the bullpen or perhaps a handful of spot starts in the near future could plausibly consider Allard as an option. He’d have a stronger case for a big league spot with better 2026 performance, but Allard was great last year, solid this spring (4.05 ERA in 13 1/3 innings) and isn’t going to cost a new club much more than the league minimum for any time spent on the big league roster.
If Allard does end up back in Cleveland, they’ll be glad to keep the depth. The Guards have managed to make it to this point in the season only needing five starters: Parker Messick, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo and Slade Cecconi. However, Cecconi has struggled to a 5.60 ERA, and the depth options in Triple-A are somewhat lacking.
Logan Allen, Trent Denholm, Pedro Avila and Ryan Webb all have ERAs of 5.45 or higher with the Guardians’ top affiliate in Columbus — the latter pair closer to 9.00. A triceps injury has limited Austin Peterson to four starts, though he recently returned from the injured list. Yorman Gómez has yet to pitch this season due to a shoulder injury. Former top prospect Daniel Espino is working exclusively in short relief after a yearslong injury absence. Twenty-six-year-old Rorik Maltrud (2.50 ERA in 39 1/3 frames) is the only starter in Columbus who’s taken the mound at least five times and kept his ERA under 5.00.
KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes Sign Keston Hiura
The Kiwoom Heroes of the Korea Baseball Organization announced this week that they’ve signed former big league infielder Keston Hiura for the remainder of the 2026 season (link via Jee-ho Yoo of South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency). They’ve waived another former big leaguer, outfielder Trenton Brooks, in a corresponding move. Hiura drew interest from Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball as well before signing with the Heroes. The GSI client will be guaranteed $400K for the rest of the 2026 season and has another $100K available to him via incentives.
Hiura, 29, was the ninth overall pick by the Brewers back in 2017. He ranked as a top prospect for years and has a huge track record in the upper minors but has struggled with high strikeout rates in the majors. He still sports a .235/.314/.442 line in the majors (101 wRC+), but the vast majority of that production came in a standout rookie showing back in 2019, when he hit .303/.368/.570 with 19 homers (and a 30.7% strikeout rate) in 348 plate appearances. In parts of five seasons since, Hiura has batted .203/.289/.381 while striking out at a 38.3% clip.
Big league struggles notwithstanding, Hiura has repeatedly shown himself to be a force against Triple-A pitching. He’s played parts of six seasons at the top minor league level and laid waste to Triple-A pitching, slashing .291/.392/.563 with 103 round-trippers, 77 doubles and five triples in 1684 plate appearances (392 games). Strikeouts have still been an issue, but not to the same level as in the majors. He’s fanned in 27.8% of his Triple-A plate appearances and drawn walks at a 10.3% clip. Hiura was drafted as a second baseman but has played more first base and left field in recent years.
Brooks, 30, appeared briefly in each of the past two major league seasons, totaling 72 plate appearances between the Padres and Giants. He hit .136/.208/.212 in that tiny sample but is a .279/.382/.472 hitter in his career at Triple-A. He struggled to find his footing in South Korea, going 31-for-143 (.217) without a homer. He’ll wrap up his Heroes tenure with a .217/.286/.259 slash.
Mariners Promote Colt Emerson, Place Brendan Donovan On IL
The Mariners are adding top prospect Colt Emerson to the big-league squad, first reported by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. The 20-year-old shortstop is among the highest-ranked young players in the sport. The team has officially announced the promotion. Brendan Donovan was placed on the 10-day IL with a groin strain as the corresponding move.
The Mariners released an updated lineup for Sunday Night Baseball against the Padres. Emerson is now batting ninth and playing third base instead of Leo Rivas. He’ll be the youngest Mariner to make his debut since 19-year-old Félix Hernández in 2005, according to the team.
Emerson fell short of an MLB gig out of Spring Training, despite a 111 wRC+ in 18 games. The 20-year-old has slashed .255/.347/.469 through 38 games at Triple-A this season. He’s popped seven home runs to go with 10 stolen bases.
Seattle inked Emerson to an eight-year, $95MM extension in late March. The price tag is a record figure for a player who has yet to appear in the majors. MLB Pipeline has Emerson ranked sixth among all prospects. FanGraphs has the infielder just outside the top 10.
The Mariners didn’t give Emerson an opportunity in the majors when shortstop J.P. Crawford was working through a shoulder injury early in the year. It would seem another injury to an infielder has opened the door for the youngster. Donovan had been out of the lineup since Friday. He’s been the club’s everyday third baseman when healthy. Emerson has played mostly shortstop with Tacoma, but he’s made five starts at the hot corner this season.
Donovan has dealt with groin issues since the offseason. He underwent sports hernia surgery before the 2026 campaign got underway. The infielder hit the IL in late April with a groin strain. After just seven games, Donovan is back on the injured list with the same injury. With Emerson taking over at third base, the versatile Donovan will move around to multiple spots when healthy, per Adam Jude of the Seattle Times. There’s no timetable for his return, but the club hopes he can get back to full strength in a few weeks, per Divish.
Seattle took Emerson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2023 draft. He moved quickly through the lower levels of the minors. Emerson posted an impressive 129 wRC+ across three levels last year, capped off by a massive .364/.444/.727 line in a brief sample at Triple-A. He hasn’t been as dominant so far this season, particularly in terms of contact. Emerson has a career-high 27.2% strikeout rate over 169 plate appearances in the minors this year. The power and speed have been among the best he’s shown, though. Emerson’s 16 homers and 14 steals in 2025 were both career highs. He would’ve blown past those marks if he had stayed with Tacoma much longer.
Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images
Cubs Claim Christian Roa
The Cubs have claimed right-hander Christian Roa, the Orioles announced. Baltimore designated Roa for assignment on Friday after acquiring fellow righty Eduarniel Núñez in a trade with the Athletics. MLBTR has learned that left-hander Riley Martin was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot for Roa. Martin hit the IL in late April with a flexor strain that was expected to cost him about eight weeks.
The 27-year-old Roa is no stranger to the waiver wire. He broke camp with the Astros, but was sent down after the first series of the season. Roa was designated for assignment after a second brief stint with the club in April. It set off a series of transactions that saw him bounce to multiple organizations. Roa was claimed, then DFAed by the Twins and Orioles in the span of a few weeks. He’s now landed in Chicago.
Roa permitted five earned runs over 8 2/3 innings with Houston. He had more walks (7) than strikeouts (6) across seven appearances. Roa’s time as an Astro represents his longest MLB look so far. He tossed three innings for the Marlins in 2025, his only other stretch in the big leagues.
Cincinnati took Roa in the second round of the 2020 draft. The righty put up solid numbers in the minors, but also struggled with walks, especially at the higher levels of the minors. Roa delivered a 31.0% strikeout rate across Double-A and Triple-A in 2023. Those swing-and-miss numbers, particularly for a pitcher who was already 24 years old, could’ve led to a call-up, except they came with an ugly 16.6% walk rate. Roa worked mostly as a reliever for the first time in 2024. He scuffled to a 5.55 ERA with Louisville and was DFAed at the end of the season.
Miami took a shot on Roa off the waiver wire. He was excellent as a full-time reliever with Jacksonville, posting a 2.83 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning in 50 appearances. Roa trimmed the free passes to 11.4%, which was an improvement. He debuted with the Marlins in September. Roa walked three but only permitted one hit. He tested free agency at the end of the year, landing with Houston on a minor league deal.
Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images
Dodgers Place Jack Dreyer On 15-Day Injured List
The Dodgers announced that left-hander Jack Dreyer has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to discomfort in his throwing shoulder. Southpaw Charlie Barnes was also optioned to Triple-A, as Los Angeles called up right-handers Paul Gervase and Chayce McDermott to fill the two open spots in their bullpen. No further roster maneuvers were required since Gervase and McDermott are already on the 40-man roster.
After going undrafted in 2021, Dreyer signed a free agent deal with the Dodgers that August and has developed into a valuable member of the club’s bullpen. Dreyer made his MLB debut last season and finished ninth in NL Rookie of the Year voting after posting a 2.95 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate, and 7.8% walk rate over 76 1/3 innings. The southpaw was even sharper in his sophomore year, with a 2.08 ERA, 28.6K%, and 7.1BB% over his first 21 2/3 frames of 2026.
This impressive run will now be interrupted for at least the next 15 days, though manager Dave Roberts believes Dreyer will miss a minimal amount of time. Roberts told The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and other reporters that Dreyer felt the discomfort while warming up yesterday, though imaging showed only inflammation.
Gervase and McDermott will add two fresh arms to the L.A. bullpen, and McDermott was actually in the team’s clubhouse yesterday in advance of a possible move. Formerly a notable prospect in the Orioles’ farm system, McDermott has a 12.79 ERA over 12 2/3 career big league innings, and he is now lined up for his first MLB action of 2026 in a new environment. Baltimore designated McDermott for assignment in April, then traded him to Los Angeles for minor league right-hander Axel Perez.
Blake Snell To Undergo Surgery To Remove Loose Bodies In Elbow
TODAY: Dr. Neal ElAttrache will perform the surgery on Tuesday, and Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register writes that ElAttache may be able to use the “NanoNeedle” device, depending on the state of Snell’s elbow. The NanoNeedle is a relatively new device used for loose-body procedures that allows the elbow debris to be removed in a less invasive way, which theoretically could result in a shorter recovery timeline, even if that means Snell might miss closer to two months instead of three or more.
MAY 16: Snell is expected to undergo surgery, sources tell Maddie Lee. One source estimates that Snell might be able to return by late July or early August, though this projection is still very fluid.
MAY 15: The Dodgers are placing left-hander Blake Snell back on the injured list, according to Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Lefty Charlie Barnes is being recalled in a corresponding move, according to Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times. Snell, whose placement is backdated to May 12th, reportedly has “loose bodies” in his throwing elbow.
Snell was only just activated from the injured list on May 9th, so this unfortunately makes for a quick return. He had missed the first month of the season with left shoulder fatigue. Snell then made two rehab starts at Single-A and one final start at Triple-A, in which he lasted four innings. The Dodgers somewhat surprisingly activated Snell despite previously wanting him to be stretched out to five innings in his rehab stint. In the end, Snell only made one start in the Majors before landing back on the injured list, and it didn’t go particularly well, with Snell allowing five runs (four earned) in three innings on the 9th against the Braves.
According to manager Dave Roberts, Snell felt something “in the back of” his left elbow during a game of catch yesterday (link via Ardaya). That led to the discovery of the loose bodies. Ardaya adds that there is no set plan right now as to whether Snell will require surgery. Notably, Snell underwent arthroscopic surgery in July 2019 to remove loose bodies from the same elbow, and he ended up missing six weeks. While this new injury isn’t a re-aggravation of Snell’s shoulder troubles, the mention of loose bodies in his elbow is equally troubling. A precise timeline will hopefully be known in the next few days, but the expectation is that Snell will return before the end of the season, according to Alden González of MLB.com and others.
The loss of Snell is a big hit to the Dodgers’ rotation. Tyler Glasnow went on the injured list a week ago with lower back spasms. The team had been using a six-man rotation to protect the health of their starters, particularly Shohei Ohtani, who is aiming for a full season as both a pitcher and a hitter for the first time since 2023. With Glasnow and Snell both out of the picture, the rotation is a five-man group consisting of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani, Emmet Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski, and Roki Sasaki. Sasaki has a 5.88 ERA through 33 2/3 innings and is the clear weak spot in the rotation. He might have been demoted if Snell simply took Glasnow’s spot, but with both injured, Sasaki’s spot appears safe for now.
The Dodgers have a few options to replace Snell, but they each come with risks. River Ryan was just activated at Triple-A after missing a month with a hamstring injury. He is only “a slim possibility” to eventually join the big league rotation, according to Roberts (via Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register). Left-hander Jackson Ferris is the club’s No. 8 prospect according to MLB.com. He’s only made six starts at Triple-A with a 7.43 ERA, so he’d be over-exposed in the Majors. Among non-prospects, Barnes might be the fallback option. FanGraphs has him as the long man in the Dodgers’ bullpen for now, but Barnes has been a starter for nearly all of his career in MLB and the Korea Baseball Organization. He could take a few turns through the rotation as a temporary stopgap, which would preserve the Dodgers’ six-man rotation.
Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images
Padres Promote Lucas Giolito
TODAY: Giolito has been officially called up from Double-A San Antonio to start today’s game with the Mariners. Right-hander Alek Jacob was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
MAY 13: A Padres team that’s been piecing together its rotation over the course of the season thus far is on the verge of getting some much-needed starting pitching help. Lucas Giolito is expected to make his team debut this weekend, per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
The 31-year-old Giolito went unsigned all winter and eventually inked a one-year deal with the Friars last month. It contains just a $3MM base salary but an additional $5MM worth of incentives. Giolito has made four minor league starts as he ramps up after missing spring training. The results have been a bit shaky overall, though some early rust is to be expected. He’s tossed 17 innings with a 4.76 ERA, 19.5% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. Giolito’s most recent start was his best; he went six innings and allowed one run on three hits and no walks against the Athletics’ Double-A affiliate.
While Giolito’s debut is a welcome boost to the San Diego staff, it’ll also force the Padres into a decision. The Friars’ pitching staff lacks flexibility in the way of optionable arms. None of the five starters currently on the roster can be optioned. Moving a starter to the ‘pen isn’t all that easy, either. The only San Diego relievers with minor league options are Mason Miller (spoiler: he’s not going anywhere), Jeremiah Estrada and Bradgley Rodriguez. Estrada missed some time with an elbow injury but has a 3.97 ERA in 11 1/3 innings since being activated. He’s also been one of the team’s top relievers dating back to 2024. Rodriguez has a sparkling 1.74 ERA in 20 2/3 frames.
The likeliest scenario would see righty Matt Waldron bumped from the roster. The 29-year-old knuckleballer opened the season on the injured list and has been hit hard since his return. In five appearances (three starts) he’s pitched 21 1/3 innings and been tagged for 22 runs (9.28 ERA) on 32 hits and seven walks. He’s set down 18 of his 103 opponents (17.5%) on strikes. Waldron has a better track record, having pitched 188 innings with a below-average but far more palatable 4.79 ERA in 2023-24.
Manager Craig Stammen called it “early” to talk about a potential DFA of Waldron when asked by Acee. Waldron himself seemed to acknowledge the writing on the wall, however, telling the Union-Tribune: “Safe to say my ERA and my numbers aren’t too attractive right now. And I have no options, so I mean, yeah, that’s where I’ll leave it. I’m smart enough (to know).”
The Padres would surely prefer to preserve as much depth as possible, and Waldron looked to be getting on track in his two starts prior to last night’s six-run, 2 2/3-inning clunker. Between his April 29 and May 5 starts, he pitched 10 innings and held the Cubs and Giants to a combined four runs on eight hits and a walk with eight punchouts.
That said, the Padres aren’t going to jettison Griffin Canning after two starts. Walker Buehler‘s 5.20 ERA isn’t pretty, but his rate stats are solid enough to give him a more appealing 3.64 FIP and 4.05 SIERA. Michael King and breakout righty Randy Vásquez are clearly locked into spots. Relievers Yuki Matsui, Wandy Peralta and Ron Marinaccio can’t be optioned but have all pitched well. It’s always possible an injury arises that kicks the decision down the road a bit, but as things stand, Waldron looks like the odd man out.
Angels Reinstate Grayson Rodriguez From 10-Day Injured List
MAY 17: The Angels officially activated Rodriguez, and optioned right-hander Alek Manoah to Triple-A in the corresponding move.
MAY 16: The Angels announced Grayson Rodriguez as their scheduled starter for Sunday’s game with the Dodgers, meaning that Anaheim will officially activate the right-hander from the 15-day injured list tomorrow. A bout of shoulder inflammation and “dead arm” soreness during Spring Training resulted in Rodriguez opening the season on the IL, and delaying both his 2026 debut and his Angels debut.
Beyond those milestones, tomorrow will also mark Rodriguez’s first appearance in a Major League game since July 31, 2024. Rodriguez had a 3.86 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, and 7.3% walk rate over 116 2/3 innings for the Orioles that season (his second MLB campaign) before discomfort in his right lat/teres area brought his year to an early end. He then didn’t pitch a single inning in the majors or minors in 2025 due to a lat strain and multiple instances of elbow soreness, with the final result being an elbow debridement surgery last August.
Injuries notwithstanding, it was still surprising when the Orioles traded Rodriguez to the Angels last November in a one-for-one swap for Taylor Ward. While Ward has been a valuable bat for Baltimore, he is a free agent this winter, whereas Rodriguez is a former top prospect who is controlled through 2029. There’s plenty of upside for the Halos if Rodriguez can get healthy, though it obviously isn’t a great sign that his tenure in Orange County immediately began with an IL stint.
Yusei Kikuchi is still sidelined at least through May due to shoulder inflammation, but with Rodriguez now approaching his return, the Angels’ rotation is a step closer to its first-choice state. Jose Soriano is enjoying a fantastic season, and Rodriguez will join Reid Detmers, Walbert Urena, and Jack Kochanowicz as the rest of the starting five.
The outlook isn’t quite as good for another Angels pitcher attempting to return after a long layoff. According to MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger, Ben Joyce‘s rehab assignment has been slowed due to some discomfort in his surgically-repaired right shoulder. An MRI came back clean, however, so it doesn’t appear as if Joyce is dealing with anything but normal soreness.
“We got a little flare-up….It’s just part of the process after a shoulder surgery,” Joyce said. “Just kind of has ups and downs. But we were pretty positive about the results. Nothing structurally wrong, it’s just working through a little soreness right now.”
It was almost exactly a year ago that Joyce underwent the shoulder procedure that ended his 2025 campaign after five appearances. Joyce began this season on the 15-day IL but will probably be moved to the 60-day IL the next time Los Angeles needs a 40-man roster spot, as he is already approaching 60 days on the sidelines.
Pirates Place Ryan O’Hearn On 10-Day Injured List
The Pirates announced that first baseman/right fielder Ryan O’Hearn has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a right quad strain. Outfielder Jake Mangum was activated from the 10-day IL in the corresponding move, and Mangum will take O’Hearn’s spot on the 26-man roster.
O’Hearn’s injury occurred in yesterday’s 6-0 Pirates loss to the Phillies. While playing first base in the top of the second inning, O’Hearn made a bit of an awkward move to avoid batter Alec Bohm on the baseline while chasing a pop-up in foul territory. O’Hearn completed the play, but then “every time I tried to do more than a walk or a slow jog, it just felt like my leg was grabbing on me,” as he told Kevin Gorman of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review and other reporters. Jared Triolo replaced O’Hearn at first base prior to the top of the fourth inning.
An MRI was arranged for O’Hearn yesterday, and the tests revealed a strain serious enough to require an immediate placement on the IL. The Pirates don’t play on Monday, so while the team could perhaps have given O’Hearn a couple of days to rest before making a decision, the club has opted to start the clock on the IL stint right away.
The injury is a tough setback for both O’Hearn and the Pirates as a whole, as the veteran has been tremendous in his first season in Pittsburgh. O’Hearn signed a two-year free agent contract worth $29MM in guaranteed money, and he has thus far more than lived up to his end of the deal by hitting .289/.368/.459 with seven home runs in 182 plate appearances. O’Hearn has a 132 wRC+, which would be a career best for the 32-year-old if he managed to keep it up over the full season.
O’Hearn has primarily played right field for the Buccos, though he has often been shifted over to first base late in games. Now that Mangum is back from a minimal 10-day IL stint due to a hamstring strain, he should help fill the void in right field. Triolo, Nick Yorke, and Billy Cook could all get some time in right field while O’Hearn is out, with that same trio also candidates for part-time first base duty. Down at Triple-A, Jhostynxon Garcia is still waiting on his first MLB call-up since joining the Pirates last winter, but “the Password” hasn’t been hitting well.
Cubs Select Ty Blach
The Cubs have selected the contract of left-hander Ty Blach from Triple-A Iowa. In the corresponding moves for the 26-man and 40-man rosters, right-hander Javier Assad was optioned to Triple-A, and right-hander Hunter Harvey was shifted from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL.
Blach joins the big league roster a month after signing a minor league deal with Chicago, and posting a 5.23 ERA over 20 2/3 innings in Iowa. While the numbers didn’t stand out, Blach’s month in the minors basically served as an unofficial spring camp for the 35-year-old, as he didn’t have any actual Spring Training work this year due to his late signing date.
A veteran of seven MLB seasons from 2016-24, Blach has a 5.42 ERA over 520 career innings with the Giants, Orioles, and Rockies as a starter, swingman, and in more of a traditional relief role. Tommy John surgery sidelined Blach for the 2020-21 seasons, and he returned to post a 6.13 ERA over 64 appearances with the Rockies from 2022-24. Last year, Blach had a 3.54 ERA over 56 innings in the Rangers’ farm system but never received a call to the Show.
Blach’s low velocity and strikeout totals make him a bit of an outlier to modern front offices, though he has solid control and has been able to keep the ball on the ground. The Cubs may be most interested in Blach’s ability to toss multiple innings, given how the team’s rotation and bullpen have both been hit hard by injuries this season.
Harvey is one of the eight pitchers currently on the Cubs’ IL, and now the fifth member of that group to join the 60-day IL. The reliever made just four appearances before triceps inflammation sent him to the 15-day IL, and Harvey revealed last week that an MRI revealed a stress reaction in his triceps area. Because his 15-day stint officially began on April 9, Harvey’s 60-day window corresponds to that same date, so June 8 is the earliest Harvey can be activated.