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Padres Place Yu Darvish On Restricted List

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The Padres have placed right-hander Yu Darvish on the restricted list, as manager Mike Shildt told reporters (including Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union Tribune) this evening. Shildt noted that Darvish is stepping away from the team while he deals with “a personal matter involving his family.” The issue does not have to do with anything physical, and Shildt did not comment on the veteran’s timeline for return to the club.

Players on the restricted list do not count against their club’s 40-man roster and collect neither their salary nor MLB service time, meaning that Darvish will forfeit a pro-rated amount of his $16MM salary for the 2024 season for the length of his absence from the team. The right-hander last appeared in a game for the Padres on May 29 and was placed on the injured list due to a left groin strain shortly thereafter. Reporting in late June indicated that the veteran was nearing a return from the injured list but had been slowed by a bout of inflammation in his right elbow. According to MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, Darvish had subsequently resumed playing catch as he worked his way back toward the big league mound but will now seemingly step away from the team for an indefinite period.

Darvish, 38 in August, is a five-time All Star and veteran of 12 MLB seasons. The righty joined the Padres during the 2020-21 offseason after the club acquired him from the Cubs alongside catcher Victor Caratini in exchange for right-hander Zach Davies and a package of four prospects. At the time, Darvish was coming off a dominant 2020 campaign that earned him a second-place finish in NL Cy Young award voting that year. While the righty’s work in San Diego hasn’t quite measured up to the incredible 2.01 ERA (224 ERA+) and 2.23 FIP he posted in 76 innings during the 60-game season, he’s nonetheless been a reliable presence at the front of the Padres rotation.

In 95 starts for the club, Darvish has posted a solid 3.80 ERA with an even stronger 3.69 FIP and an impressive 26.2% strikeout rate. That work impressed Padres brass enough that they opted to extend Darvish with a five-year, $90MM contract that began this season and will run through the 2028 campaign. The surprising commitment was looking good through 11 starts this year, as Darvish had dominated to the tune of a 3.20 ERA (126 ERA+) and a 3.51 FIP in 56 1/3 innings before he was placed on the IL at the start of June.

The news is a blow to the Padres’ rotation depth, as the club has relied in recent weeks on the likes of Randy Vasquez, Matt Waldron, and Adam Mazur to round out the club’s rotation behind Dylan Cease and Michael King amid injuries to Darvish and fellow veteran righty Joe Musgrove. With Musgrove expected to remain out until at least August due to a bone spur in his elbow that’s caused inflammation and now Darvish out indefinitely, the news serves to highlight San Diego’s rotation needs ahead of the trade deadline later this month.

The club’s 49-43 record puts them comfortably in the second of three NL Wild Card spots, and their offense ranks fourth in the majors with a wRC+ of 114.  Unfortunately, they’ve been held back by a relatively lackluster rotation that ranks just 19th in the majors with a 4.09 ERA this year. Given the uncertainty surrounding when Musgrove and Darvish will be back in the rotation for the club, it makes plenty of sense for them to explore a rotation market that figures to feature players such as Garrett Crochet, Jack Flaherty, and Cal Quantrill.

Red Sox Acquire Trey Wingenter

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9:19PM: Wingenter has an assignment clause in his contract, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive, and as such will need to be added to the club’s 40-man roster in the coming days. No corresponding move has been announced by the Red Sox to this point.

8:36PM: The Red Sox have acquired right-hander Trey Wingenter from the Tigers in exchange for minor league righty CJ Weins per an announcement from both clubs. Wingenter was in the Tigers organization on a minor league deal and does not need to be immediately added to the club’s 40-man roster.

Wingenter, 30, has pitched in parts of three MLB seasons and most recently appeared in the majors as a member of the Tigers last year. The right-hander was a 17th-round pick by the Padres in the 2017 draft and made his debut with the club in 2018. Over two seasons with San Diego, the righty posted a lackluster 5.14 ERA in 70 innings of work, although his peripheral numbers suggested a stronger underlying performance that those run prevention numbers may have suggested. The righty struck out a whopping 33.1% of batters faced during his time with the Padres, and that was enough to garner him a 3.79 FIP despite a 13% walk rate and a 12.7% home run to fly ball ratio that both left something to be desired.

The righty wouldn’t resurface at the big league level until 2023, as a member of the Tigers. His time in Detroit went similarly to his time in San Diego, as he posted a lackluster 5.82 ERA while a big strikeout rate (28.9% in 17 innings) outweighed his elevated walk rate (9.2%) and proclivity towards home runs enough to give him solid peripheral numbers. One noticeable change from his time with the Padres was his groundball rate, however. Wingenter didn’t garner many grounders during his time with the Padres, inducing them at only a 35.7% clip, but that rate shot up 43.2% with the Tigers.

Wingenter ended up remaining with Detroit entering the 2024 campaign after re-signing with the club on a fresh minor league deal this past winter. While he hasn’t pitched for the club in the majors this season, he’s posted generally impressive numbers at the Triple-A level with a 3.31 ERA in 32 2/3 innings of work this year. He’s paired those strong results with his typical bat-missing stuff, as he’s struck out 32.9% of batters faced at the level this year while walking 11.6%. Notably, he’s continued to show improvement in terms of his batted ball profile, as he’s induced grounders at a strong 48% clip this season in Triple-A.

In heading to Boston, Wingenter joins a stockpile of interesting bullpen arms the club has on non-roster deals as potential depth options behind their current group. With that being said, it’s worth noting that much of that group (such as Lucas Luetge and Joely Rodriguez) throw from the left side, meaning Wingenter could be the club’s top non-roster depth option from the right side. With Chris Martin and Liam Hendriks both currently on the injured list, it’s at least plausible that the loss of one of Kenley Jansen, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, or Zack Kelly could lead the Red Sox to turn to Wingenter over either Alex Speas or Isaiah Campbell, both of whom are currently at the Triple-A level but already occupy spots on the 40-man roster. It’s also possible that the club could be intrigued enough by Wingenter’s high strikeout rates to give him a more immediate look in the majors, though such a move would require selecting him to the club’s 40-man roster.

In exchange for adding Wingenter to their depth chart, the Red Sox are giving up Weins. The 23-year-old was Boston’s sixth-round pick in the 2023 draft and pitched just one inning in rookie ball last year before being promoted to Single-A to start the 2024 campaign. In 24 1/3 innings of work with the club’s affiliate in Salem this year, Weins has posted a lackluster 4.81 ERA with a solid 26.6% strikeout rate but a worrisome 14.7% walk rate. Those solid strikeout numbers give reason for hope that the righty could be a valuable piece of a big league bullpen someday if he can work out his control issues, and the Tigers now figure to work towards guiding Weins toward that goal going forward.

Royals Activate Kris Bubic From 60-Day IL, DFA Colin Selby

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The Royals announced this afternoon that they’ve designated right-hander Colin Selby for assignment. The move clears a spot for left-hander Kris Bubic, who has been activated from the 60-day injured list, on the 40-man roster. Lefty Walter Pennington was optioned to Triple-A to make room for Bubic on the active roster.

Selby, 26, made his MLB debut with the Pirates last year and struggled to a 9.00 ERA despite a 4.80 FIP in 24 innings of work. He remained on Pittsburgh’s 40-man roster throughout the offseason but was designated for assignment in early April when the Pirates needed to clear space for catcher Joey Bart on their 40-man roster. The Royals promptly swung a trade to acquire Selby later that week, and he’s been in the Royals organization ever since. The righty made just two appearances total for Kansas City at the big league level where he surrendered three runs (two earned) on two walks and two hits without recording a strikeout.

The majority of Selby’s season has come at the Triple-A level, where he’s pitched to a 5.32 ERA in 22 innings of work between his time with the Pirates and Royals. Those mediocre results have come despite an excellent 29.5% strikeout rate at the level, as Selby has been held back by an elevated 11.6% walk rate. Selby’s penchant for giving up free passes has followed him at the big league level as well, as he’s walked 13.4% of the batters he’s faced in his 27 innings of big league experience while striking out a decent 23.6%. The Royals will have one week to work out a trade regarding Selby or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he clears waivers, the club will have the opportunity to outright him to Triple-A, where he’d serve as a non-roster depth option.

Selby’s departure makes way for Bubic, who is making his return to the big leagues after undergoing Tommy John surgery back in April of last year. The 26-year-old was selected by the Royals with the 40th overall selection in the 2018 draft and made his big league debut with the club back in 2020 as a starting pitcher. In three years as a member of the club’s rotation, Bubic generally posted results commensurate with those of a typical back-end starter. He pitched to a 4.89 ERA (90 ERA+) with a similar 4.93 FIP in 309 innings of work. While he struck out a decent 20% of batters faced, his 10.5% walk rate was on the high side and limited his effectiveness.

Bubic entered the 2023 season once again as a part of the rotation in Kansas City, and through three starts he appeared as though he may have been turning a corner. His 3.94 ERA, while it was 17% better than league average, wasn’t exactly anything to write home about. That being said, his peripheral numbers suggested the former top prospect may have been in a much better place than previous years. He was striking out 23.5% of batters faced on the year and, most importantly, was showcasing much stronger control with a minuscule 2.9% walk rate that left him with an excellent 2.63 FIP. Unfortunately, Bubic’s season was cut short by surgery before he or the Royals could see how sustainable that improved control truly was.

The lefty began his rehab process this year once again in a starting role, but recently moved into the bullpen near the end of his rehab assignment. That likely offers a hint as to the role he’ll be used in now that he’s back in Kansas City, as the Royals figure to stick with a rotation consisting of Seth Lugo, Cole Ragans, Brady Singer, Michael Wacha, and Alec Marsh for the foreseeable future. While Bubic is seemingly poised to join the club in a multi-inning relief role, he’ll nonetheless look to carry over the strong results he achieved during his rehab assignment in Triple-A over to the majors. The lefty made nine appearances (five starts) at the highest level of the minors during his rehab, and pitched to a 2.63 with a 25.4% strikeout rate and an 8.8% walk rate in 27 1/3 innings of work.

Giants Activate Kyle Harrison From 15-Day IL

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The Giants officially reinstated left-hander Kyle Harrison from the 15-day injured list this afternoon, as Harrison is set to make the start in today’s game with the Guardians.  San Francisco also called up southpaw Kolton Ingram from Double-A, and right-hander Spencer Bivens and infielder David Villar were both optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding moves.

Regarded as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Harrison made his MLB debut last season and was slated to take a regular spot in the Giants’ rotation this season.  A sprained right ankle sent him to the IL on June 13, but before Harrison became the latest Giants hurler sidelined by injury, the results in terms of bottom-line numbers were pretty solid.  Harrison had a 3.96 ERA in 14 starts and 77 1/3 innings, as well as an above-average 6.7% walk rate.  Since control was a big question mark for Harrison in Triple-A in 2023, that decent walk rate is a very nice sign of the 22-year-old development as a big league starter.

The rest of the secondary metrics weren’t as glowing for Harrison, as he is allowing a lot of hard contact and his 20.6% strikeout rate ranks only in the 38th percentile of all pitchers.  Harrison is getting great results from the four-seamer he throws 62.5% of the time, but batters have been feasting on his secondary pitches, giving Harrison something of a predictable repertoire.

Plenty of adjustments are sure to come for a pitcher who is still so early in his pro career, as Harrison was a third-round pic in the 2020 draft.  Perhaps most importantly for the 2024 version of the Giants, Harrison was both effective and durable prior to his ankle injury, and his return allows the Giants to fill one hole in what has been another makeshift rotation for the club.  Logan Webb and reliever-turned-starter Jordan Hicks have been San Francisco’s other two stable starters, but the Giants have cycled multiple pitchers through the other two rotation spots with little success.

Blake Snell is expected to return from his latest IL stint this week, as the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner looks to finally get his Giants tenure on track after a horrific first three months.  Robbie Ray (Tommy John surgery) and Alex Cobb (hip surgery) should both return from their lengthy rehabs in the second half to provide some further reinforcement, so if the 44-45 Giants can at least tread water in the playoff race, they could look to be buyers at the July 30 deadline.

Ingram’s recall gives San Francisco another fresh arm in the bullpen, and it also puts Ingram in line for the first MLB action of what has been a tumultuous five months for the 27-year-old left-hander.  Since the start of February, Ingram has been a member of six different organizations due to recurring series of waiver claims, and just last week, the Cardinals’ decision to designate Ingram for assignment opened the door for the Giants to again pluck him off the waiver wire.  Ingram made his Major League last season, tossing 5 1/3 innings over five appearances with the Angels.

Nationals Designate Nick Senzel For Assignment

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The Nationals announced that third baseman Nick Senzel has been designated for assignment.  Infielder Trey Lipscomb was called back up from Triple-A Rochester in the corresponding move.

It is the second time this week that the Nats have DFA’ed one of their veteran pickups from the offseason, as Eddie Rosario was designated and subsequently released (and then quickly signed by the Braves, his former team).  Rosario’s minor league deal carried a $2MM base salary once he was selected to the Nationals’ active roster, and likewise, Senzel signed a guaranteed one-year, $2MM contract with Washington over the winter.  If Senzel isn’t claimed or traded during his DFA period and then released, the Nationals will be responsible for the roughly $950K still owed to Senzel, apart from the prorated minimum MLB salary that would be covered by a new team if Senzel signs elsewhere.

The financial element of today’s move is probably secondary to the bigger-aspect of the Nationals pulling the cord early on a veteran player rather than looking to move Senzel in a trade closer to the deadline.  As with Rosario, it seems like Washington just opted to move on entirely since Senzel wasn’t producing enough to generate much trade interest.  Senzel has hit .209/.303/.359 with seven home runs over 235 plate appearances, translating to a below-average 90 wRC+.  Apart from an excellent 11.5% walk rate, Senzel wasn’t bringing much to the table either offensively or defensively as the Nats’ regular third baseman, and he had only 0.1 fWAR over 64 games.

As has often been the case for Senzel, health was a factor.  He suffered a fractured thumb right at the end of Spring Training that required a season-opening stint on the 10-day injured list, and though the fracture was slight enough that he missed less than three weeks of action, it is easy to imagine how any kind of lingering thumb discomfort might’ve impacted Senzel’s performance at the plate.

This is essentially the story of Senzel’s career, as a wide range of injuries has kept him off the field for long stretches of time, to say nothing of how his ceiling as a talent has been lowered.  Selected second overall by the Reds in the 2016 draft, Senzel battled injuries and a number of position changes over his first five MLB seasons, and he hit only .239/.302/.369 in 1366 PA for Cincinnati from 2019-23.  The Reds then non-tendered him last fall, sending Senzel to free agency and for what he hoped was a welcome change of scenery in Washington.

While the Nationals’ 41-47 record still puts them on the outskirts of the NL wild card race, 2024 was always seen as another step in the team’s rebuilding process, as the Nats were looking for more development from their youngsters already on the active roster and those just on their way into the Show for the first time.  Star outfield prospect James Wood made his MLB debut this past week in the wake of Rosario’s departure, Victor Robles’ release last month created more time for Jacob Young as the regular center fielder, Joey Meneses was optioned to Triple-A to make more room for Juan Yepez at first base.  Lipscomb should be the favorite for the third base job with Senzel out, though top prospect Brady House is the team’s longer-term third baseman of the future.

Impending free agents Jesse Winker and Dylan Floro remain as two of the Nationals’ likeliest veteran trade chips heading into the July 30th deadline.  Such players as outfielder Lane Thomas and relievers Hunter Harvey and Kyle Finnegan have also reportedly drawn interest, and while that trio is all arbitration-controlled through the 2025 campaign, one would image the Nats would be open to listening to offers as they look towards reinforcing their core.

Mariners Designate Seby Zavala For Assignment

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The Mariners announced that catcher Seby Zavala has been designated for assignment.  In the corresponding move, right-hander Emerson Hancock has been called back up from Triple-A to start today’s game against the Blue Jays.  Zavala’s DFA also creates an opening on Seattle’s 40-man roster.

This is the second time in the last three weeks that Zavala has been designated, and his previous trip to DFA limbo saw him clear waivers and then outrighted to Triple-A Tacoma.  Because Zavala had previously been outrighted in his career, he could’ve rejected that assignment and instead become a free agent, but he opted to remain with the M’s and report to Triple-A.  Zavala is out of minor league options, so Seattle has been forced to designate the catcher and thus expose him to the waiver wire in order to move him to Triple-A.

Zavala could very well pursue the same path this time around, given that the Mariners selected his contract back onto the 26-man roster in pretty short order after his previous outright.  That move (just earlier this week) came after Mitch Garver was dealing with a sore wrist, and thus the Mariners wanted some extra catching depth if Garver was strictly limited to DH duties or perhaps needed to visit the injured list.  Since Garver appears to be okay, the M’s apparently now feel comfortable enough with the situation to again remove Zavala from their 40-man.

With Cal Raleigh handling the starting catcher duties and Garver also getting some part-time work behind the plate, Zavala has gotten into just 18 games this season, and is hitting .154/.214/.282 over 43 plate appearances.  Even considering that Zavala is known as a defensive specialist, the Mariners have decided to go with the bat-first approach with their catching corps, which isn’t surprising given how Seattle has been hurting for offense all season.

As for Hancock, he is set to make his ninth start of the season after delivering a 4.79 ERA in his first 41 1/3 innings of the season.  The former top prospect has gotten another look with Bryan Woo on the 15-day IL, but since Woo is expected back relatively soon, Saturday’s outing will likely be just a spot start for Hancock.  It could also potentially be an unofficial audition for potential trade suitors, if the Mariners look to deal from their rotation depth to upgrade their lineup at the deadline.

Mets Select Eric Orze’s Contract

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The Mets announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Eric Orze from Triple-A Syracuse.  Fellow righty Ty Adcock has been optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Adcock was one of three relievers who saw action in the Mets’ 14-2 loss to the Pirates last night, and Adcock had a particularly rough night in getting charged with six runs over 1 2/3 innings of work.  Today’s transaction brings a fresh arm into New York’s bullpen, and it also puts the 26-year-old Orze in position to make his Major League debut.

A fifth-round pick for the Mets in the pandemic-shortened 2020 draft, Orze had quite a journey just to start his pro career, overcoming both testicular cancer and skin cancer during his days at the University of New Orleans.  He quickly rose up the minor league ladder to Triple-A by the end of the 2021 season, but has since remained at the top affiliate over parts of four seasons now, posting a 4.64 ERA over 159 total frames with Syracuse.

Home runs and walks have been Orze’s biggest issues, as he has a 1.4 HR/9 and 12.28% walk rate over his Triple-A career.  This season in particular, Orze has a 1.64 HR/9 and 13.3% walk rate, yet he has continued to miss bats in impressive fashion.  His 33.9% strikeout rate is his best yet over his three full seasons in Syracuse, and he has a 31.72K% as a whole in Triple-A.

It’s possible Orze’s selection might result in just a proverbial cup of coffee in the majors, yet with the Mets looking to fill holes in an injury-riddled bullpen, there’s certainly some opportunity for Orze to gain more time on the active roster if he pitches well.  He’ll join a wide array of right-handers in a Mets bullpen that features only one healthy left-handed arm in Jake Diekman.

Braves Sign Eddie Rosario To Minors Deal, Select Eli White

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The Braves have signed outfielder Eddie Rosario to a minor league contract, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports (X link).  Rosario will report to Triple-A Gwinnett to begin his latest stint with the organization.  The Braves also announced a set of other transactions, including the news that outfielder Eli White’s contract has been selected to the big league roster.  Forrest Wall was optioned to Triple-A to make room for White on the 26-man roster, while left-hander Ray Kerr was moved to the 60-man to create a 40-man roster spot.

It didn’t take long for Rosario to catch on with a familiar landing spot, as his release from the Nationals was made official just yesterday.  Washington designated Rosario for assignment on Monday and then officially parted ways with the veteran after nobody claimed him (or the roughly $950K in salary still owed to him this season) on waivers.  Assuming Rosario is called up to Atlanta’s active roster, the Braves will owe him just the prorated portion of a Major League minimum salary, and that total will be subtracted from the $950K or so that will be covered by the Nats.

As per the terms of the minor league deal Rosario signed with the Nationals during the offseason, he was guaranteed a $2MM base salary upon having that contract selected to their active roster, and there was no suspense about the decision since the Nats had him in their Opening Day lineup.  However, there weren’t many highlights of Rosario’s three months in the District, as he hit only .183/.226/.329 with seven home runs over 235 plate appearances.  Even with the Nats largely shielding Rosario from left-handed pitching, his .182/.222/.349 slash line against righties served to crater his production.

Though Washington has stuck around in the wild card race, it was widely expected going into the season that Rosario was a veteran trade chip that the Nationals would look at flip by the deadline.  Unfortunately, Rosario’s subpar production led the team to just release him with no return, and he’ll now return to Atlanta looking for a repeat of his magical 2021 season.

Rosario was also struggling through a rough 2021 campaign with Cleveland before the Braves picked him up at the trade deadline, and the rest became Atlanta baseball history.  Rosario hit .271/.330/.573 with seven homers in 106 PA over the rest of the regular season just to help the Braves into the playoffs, and the hot hitting continued into October as Rosario captured NLCS MVP honors en route to helping the team win the World Series.

The Braves then re-signed Rosario to a two-year, $18MM free agent deal that contained a $9MM club option for 2024, but Atlanta declined that option last fall after Rosario couldn’t keep the momentum going.  He battled vision problems during a miserable 2022 campaign, then rebounded for roughly league-average production (.255/.305/.455 with 21 homers in 516 PA) last year but the Braves still opted to pass on retaining Rosario’s services for another season.  With these decent numbers coming just last year, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Rosario experience at least some kind of a revival in Atlanta, even if a repeat of 2021 is a lot to ask.

In another odd echo of 2021, Rosario has again been acquired in the aftermath of a season-ending torn ACL from Braves superstar Ronald Acuna Jr.  Michael Harris II is also on the injured list recovering from a hamstring strain and recent acquisition Ramon Laureano has also been battling a back problem for the last week, leaving the Braves even more short-handed in the outfield.  Assuming that Rosario won’t be in Gwinnett for too long, he can become a left-handed hitting complement to the righty-swinging White and Luke Williams, as Jarred Kelenic continues everyday duty in center field and Adam Duvall in right field.  With Harris not expected back until after the All-Star break at the earliest, the Braves will try to make do with this group until Harris returns, or unless other reinforcements are brought in via trades or signings.

White is now in line for his first bit of MLB action this season, and his first since the Braves optioned him down to Triple-A in April 2023.  White has appeared in each of the last four Major League campaigns, and all but six of his 136 career games in the Show came with the Rangers from 2020-22.  He has batted just .181/.259/.288 in 406 career PA in the bigs, but White has been much better at Triple-A, including a .294/.402/.462 slash line for Gwinnett over 234 PA this season.

White’s brief career has unfortunately been defined by injuries, as his last three seasons have all been ended early by surgeries.  After an elbow surgery in 2021 and a wrist surgery in 2022, White suffered a tore labrum in his left shoulder almost exactly one year ago, which led to yet another procedure and another abbreviated season for the outfielder.  White’s all-fields defense and quality baserunning makes him a useful player for the outfield-needy Braves to have in at least a bench role, and his Triple-A numbers suggest that he could still have some late-bloomer potential at age 30.

It was announced two weeks ago that Kerr would be undergoing Tommy John surgery, so it was just a matter of time before the Braves moved him to the 60-day IL when a 40-man spot was needed.  Kerr had a 5.64 ERA in 22 1/3 innings for Atlanta this season, and the timing of his surgery could mean that he might miss the entire 2025 season.

White Sox Release Cody Sedlock

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The White Sox released right-hander Cody Sedlock earlier this week, according to the pitcher’s transaction log on MLB.com. He had signed a minor league contract with Chicago back in April.

Selected in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft, Sedlock was once a well-regarded pitching prospect in the Orioles’ farm system. Unfortunately, his stock dropped quickly after a poor 2017 season at High-A, and thoracic outlet syndrome got in the way of his 2018 campaign. Although he was no longer a top prospect, Sedlock continued to work his way through the minors over the next several years, and in 2022, he finally earned his call to the show. His time in the majors was brief – the Orioles promoted him for one appearance before designating him for assignment – but Sedlock will always have major league experience on his resume.

Sedlock finished out the 2022 campaign in the Tigers organization, pitching to a 3.51 ERA for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He then elected free agency and sat out the entire 2023 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in March. The righty returned to a professional mound for the Charlotte Knights (the White Sox’s Triple-A affiliate) in mid-May 2024, just over 14 months after his surgery, and pitched five innings over six appearances before he was released. He walked 13 of the 30 batters he faced, striking out only two. Although he gave up just three hits, he allowed 10 earned runs to cross the plate. His performance was undeniably disappointing, but it is worth remembering that he is still just 16 months removed from UCL surgery. It could take more time for his elbow to return to full strength.

As a free agent, Sedlock is now able to seek out his next opportunity. Not yet 30 years old, he would be a low-risk investment for a team in need of right-handed pitching depth.

Blue Jays Release Tim Mayza

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The Blue Jays have released Tim Mayza, according to the left-hander’s player page on MLB.com. He was designated for assignment last week.

This marks the end, at least for now, of Mayza’s 11-year career with Toronto. The Blue Jays selected him in the 2013 draft, and he made his MLB debut at the Rogers Centre four years later. He would go on to make 352 appearances over the next eight years, far more than any other pitcher on the team in that span; he ranks eighth all-time in appearances by a Blue Jays pitcher.

Mayza became a key player in Toronto’s bullpen in 2021, and over the next three years, he pitched 155 innings with a 2.67 ERA. The southpaw had the best season of his career just last year, pitching to a 1.52 ERA in 69 games. His underlying stats were not quite as impressive, but his 3.11 SIERA and 3.38 xERA were still good numbers, especially for a higher-leverage reliever like Mayza. Thus, his struggles in 2024 came as a major surprise.

In 24 2/3 innings over 35 games this year, Mayza gave up 24 runs (22 earned) on 36 hits and 12 walks. He managed to strike out only 16 of the 121 batters he faced. All of that added up to an 8.03 ERA, which makes him the only reliever in the league (min. 20 IP) with an ERA over 8.00. While his underlying numbers are better than his ERA, they’re still disappointing across the board. His 5.04 SIERA and 6.77 xERA both rank last among Blue Jays relievers (min. 10 IP), which is especially bad considering the Blue Jays have had one of the least effective bullpens in baseball this season. With all that in mind, the team’s decision to release Mayza is not difficult to understand – even though it would have been almost impossible to imagine at the beginning of the year.

After more than a decade with the Blue Jays, Mayza will now be able to seek employment elsewhere. At 32 years old, he could be an intriguing reclamation project for an organization that thinks it can help him regain his 2023 form.

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