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Phillies Sign David Robertson

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July 21: The Phillies announced that they’ve signed Robertson to a one-year deal. He’s consented to be optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he’ll ramp up in preparation for his 2025 debut.

July 20: The Phillies and free agent reliever David Robertson are in agreement on a major league contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The self-represented Robertson did not sign with a team over the winter but has stayed in shape and has been throwing for interested clubs recently. MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports that Robertson will be paid a prorated $16MM salary for the remainder of the season. That comes out to just over $6MM through season’s end ($6.021MM — assuming it becomes official tomorrow).

This is Robertson’s second free-agent deal with the Phillies and the third time overall that the Phils have acquired him. He inked a two-year, $23MM deal in the 2018-19 offseason that didn’t wind up paying off for the team, as the typically durable reliever wound up requiring Tommy John surgery and pitching only 6 2/3 total innings during the life of that contract. Philadelphia reacquired the righty in a 2022 trade that sent young righty Ben Brown back to the Cubs, and Robertson was excellent as the Phillies mounted a charge all the way to the World Series.

That Tommy John procedure came during Robertson’s age-34 season, and he didn’t return to a big league mound until the 2021 campaign. He’s emphatically silenced any concerns about his ability to restore his status as a high-end reliever. He’s now pitched 200 games and logged a 2.92 in 213 regular season innings since undergoing surgery. That includes a terrific 2024 season in Texas, where Robertson pitched 72 innings with a 3.00 ERA, a 33.4% strikeout rate, a 9.1% walk rate, two saves and 34 holds as the primary setup option to Kirby Yates.

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was candid earlier this month in calling out bullpen help as his primary focus at this year’s trade deadline. Robertson is a potential major addition who helps on multiple levels. He’s obviously a decorated high-leverage arm coming off a strong season, and adding the lone marquee reliever on the free-agent market leaves the Phillies’ farm system intact as they look to pursue other bullpen upgrades. Beyond that, Robertson is a fresh arm who’s no stranger to pitching in the postseason — a key component for a Phillies club who lost lefty Jose Alvarado to an 80-game PED suspension earlier this year that renders him ineligible to pitch in the playoffs.

On the season, Philadelphia relievers rank 23rd with a 4.36 ERA. They’ve been better over the past month (3.89 ERA) but still have a top-heavy unit that’s been anchored by Matt Strahm, Tanner Banks and Orion Kerkering doing a disproportionate level of the heavy lifting. Offseason additions Jordan Romano (7.08 ERA) and Joe Ross (5.31 ERA) haven’t worked out as hoped.

Robertson will likely need a minor league tune-up before he’s ready to join the Phillies’ bullpen. It’s not clear what his precise timeline is, but it stands to reason that both he and Alvarado — eligible to return on Aug. 19 — will both be in the late-inning mix within the next month. The Phillies figure to remain active on the trade market as they look for a second reliever to add to the mix, and they could potentially seek an outfield upgrade as well.

Brewers Place Jake Bauers On 10-Day Injured List

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The Brewers announced that first baseman/outfielder Jake Bauers has been placed on the 10-day injured list due to a left shoulder impingement.  Infielder Tyler Black has been called up from Triple-A to take Bauers’ spot on the active roster.

With Rhys Hoskins sidelined until roughly mid-August due to a Grade 2 thumb strain and a bone bruise, losing Bauers further depletes Milwaukee’s first base picture.  The Brewers called up Andrew Vaughn to pair with Bauers in a righty-lefty platoon, and on paper, that platoon can be preserved with the left-handed hitting Black now in the majors to join forces with Vaughn.

It helps that Vaughn has been on fire at the plate during his brief time with the Brew Crew, and Black is a former top prospect who might yet break out in his first taste of MLB action in 2025.  Black had a modest .561 OPS over his first 57 career plate appearances in 2024, and his work this season was put on hold when he fractured his right hamate bone at the end of Spring Training.  Black didn’t make his season debut until mid-May, and he has hit only .191/.301/.303 over 103 plate appearances at Triple-A Nashville, perhaps indicating that he isn’t back to 100 percent.

Bauers has been used primarily as a platoon bat over his two seasons in Milwaukee, though he has still hit a modest .198/.306/.359 over 497 PA in a Brewers uniform.  More details on Bauers’ injury and recovery timeline should be known later today, but barring a minimal 10-day absence, he’ll be out of action beyond the July 31st trade deadline.

First base figured to be a target area for the Crew even before Bauers’ injury, even if the club’s preferred goal was probably a player that can play first base amongst other positions, rather than a pure first base-only type.  The Brewers still have plenty of time before the deadline to monitor Hoskins and Bauers’ recoveries, and to see if Vaughn can keep rolling.  Beyond just first base, the Brewers could make more of a move to obtain a left-handed hitting outfielder, with Bauers and Sal Frelick both hitting the IL in the last few days.

Astros Place Isaac Paredes On 10-Day IL Due To Hamstring Strain

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12:37PM: The Astros officially placed Paredes on the 10-day IL due to a right hamstring strain, and also optioned catcher Cesar Salazar to Triple-A.  Whitcomb was called up and Singleton’s contract was selected, and Brendan Rodgers was moved from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL to create a 40-man roster spot for Singleton.

8:11AM: Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes left Saturday’s 7-6 loss to the Mariners with what was described as right hamstring discomfort.  The injury occurred in the third inning, when Paredes hit a line drive off the left field wall that resulted in only a single, as he started limping partway down the first base base line.

Paredes is going from Seattle to Houston today to undergo testing, and a trip to the injured list seems inevitable.  MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart reports that infielder/outfielder Shay Whitcomb and first baseman Jon Singleton are joining the Astros from Triple-A Sugar Land prior to today’s game, so the club is already arranging its next set of roster moves.  Singleton isn’t on the 40-man roster, so another transaction is forthcoming apart from the shuffle of Paredes for Whitcomb.

This isn’t the first time Paredes has dealt with hamstring problems this season, as some soreness in his left hamstring forced him to miss three games last month but he was able to return none the worse for wear.  This new injury “hurts more than the other one,” Paredes told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters, as he said “I just feel like it pulled as I started running and I couldn’t run anymore.”

While the Astros maintain a three-game lead in the AL West, the club has lost seven of its last eight games, as a mountain of injuries may be catching up to the roster.  Assuming Paredes will indeed be sidelined, he’ll become the 16th different player on Houston’s IL, and the ninth position player.  The long list of injuries includes arguably Houston’s three top hitters in Paredes, Yordan Alvarez, and Jeremy Pena.

Acquired from the Cubs as part of last winter’s blockbuster Kyle Tucker trade, Paredes has hit .259/.359/.470 with 19 homers over 409 plate appearances in his first season in Houston.  Since his .362 wOBA significantly outpaces his .332 xwOBA, some good fortune has been involved in Paredes’ performance, and he isn’t making much hard contact.  On the plus side, Paredes is making a lot of contact overall, and posting very strong strikeout and walk rates.  It all added up to Paredes’ second straight All-Star nod, as he also made the Midsummer Classic last year when he was still a member of the Rays.

In short, Paredes is basically just about the last player the Astros could afford to lose, but it now looks like he’ll be out of action for (in a best-case scenario) at least the next 10 days.  Any of Whitcomb, utilityman Mauricio Dubon, or rookie Brice Matthews could get time at third base with Paredes out, and if Dubon ends up getting the bulk of time at third base, Zack Short will probably take over at shortstop until Pena is able to return.  Matthews has primarily played second base since making his MLB debut last week, and the keystone could remain his primary position if Jose Altuve is needed more in left field to help cover the Astros’ long list of outfield absences.

Some good news may be on the horizon, as Alvarez is with the team in Seattle and has started taking swings.  Alvarez hasn’t played since May 2 due to what was initially described as right hand inflammation, though follow-up tests in late May revealed a slight fracture in the slugger’s right ring finger.  He received two injections after a consultation with a hand specialist at the start of July, and while Alvarez’s IL stint has gone on much longer than expected, his return could be on the horizon.

Brewers Re-Sign Bruce Zimmermann To Minors Deal

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TODAY: Zimmermann has re-signed with the Brewers on a new minor league deal, as per his MLB.com profile page.  The southpaw has again been assigned to Triple-A Nashville.

JULY 16: Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann has opted out of his minor league deal with the Brewers, reports Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors. The southpaw is now a free agent and free to sign with any club.

Zimmermann, 30, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in the winter. Since then, he has been pitching for Triple-A Nashville. His season-long numbers are middling but he’s been in a good groove lately.

On the whole, he has made 13 starts and six relief appearances with a 4.35 earned run average in 89 innings. His 18.1% strikeout rate was a bit subpar but his 5% walk rate and 47.3% ground ball rate were both better than average. Through June 10th, he had a 5.90 ERA, but he has lowered that by putting together a good stretch of outings more recently. In his most recent 31 innings, he has a 1.45 ERA.

The Brewers are loaded with rotation options, so much so that they recently bumped Aaron Civale to the bullpen. He informed the club that he would prefer to be traded, and they obliged by sending him to the White Sox. Even with that trade, the Brewers have solid guys like Chad Patrick and Logan Henderson pitching in Triple-A. Nestor Cortes and Robert Gasser are working back from the injured list and could further crowd the picture.

Given that context, it’s understandable that Zimmermann would choose to pack his bag. He can likely find a greater path to the big leagues in another organization. Given his solid results and the high number of injuries around the league, someone should want him as a depth option. Some teams will also be trading away pitching in the coming weeks and will need to backfill roster spots.

Prior to this year, Zimmermann had spent most of his time with the Orioles. He got major league time with the O’s in four straight seasons from 2020 to 2023, totaling 158 1/3 innings pitched. He had a 5.57 ERA, 18.1% strikeout rate, 5.7% walk rate and 41.1% ground ball rate in that time. He was outrighted during the 2024 season and elected free agency at the end of that campaign, which led to his deal with the Brewers.

Photo courtesy of Dave Kallmann, Imagn Images

Athletics Designate Jhonny Pereda For Assignment

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The Athletics have designated catcher Jhonny Pereda for assignment, per Jason Burke of A’s on SI. That’s the corresponding 40-man roster move for left-hander Ken Waldichuk’s reinstatement from the 60-day injured list. MLBTR covered Waldichuk earlier today.

Pereda, 29, was acquired from the Marlins in an offseason DFA trade. He opened the season as the backup catcher behind Shea Langeliers. As the season has gone along, the A’s have added Willie MacIver and Austin Wynns to the roster, which bumped Pereda down into a depth role.

In the big leagues this year, Pereda has a batting line of .175/.283/.225. That’s in a small sample size of 46 plate appearances but that subpar performance presumably prompted the A’s to make some changes behind the plate. With Pereda having been knocked down the depth chart, it seems his grip on a 40-man spot became tenuous. Pereda now has a career line of .203/.267/.228 when factoring in his time with the Marlins last year.

He is now in DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the A’s could take as long as five days to talk trades. Though his major league work hasn’t been great so far, that’s in just 86 plate appearances. His minor league work has continued to impress, even this year, which could perhaps lead to some interest.

Dating back to the start of 2022, he has stepped to the plate 811 times at the Triple-A level with a 13.3% walk rate, 19.1% strikeout rate, .302/.394/.427 batting line and 118 wRC+. That includes a .319/.400/.440 line in 105 plate appearances this year. He can still be optioned to the minors for the rest of this year and another season.

Photo courtesy of Ryan Sun, Imagn Images

Phillies Place Alec Bohm On 10-Day IL Due To Fractured Rib

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Third baseman Alec Bohm has been placed on the Phillies’ 10-day injured list due to a fractured left rib.  Utilityman Weston Wilson was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move.

The injury dates back to last Saturday, when Bohm was hit by a pitch during the Phillies’ 5-4 loss to the Padres and had to make an early exit from the game.  Bohm didn’t play in Philadelphia’s final game before the All-Star break and then returned to the lineup in yesterday’s 6-5 loss to the Angels, with the idea that the time off during the break allowed him to recover.

Unfortunately, Bohm reaggravated his injury in the game, manager Rob Thomson told reporters (including Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer).  Bohm didn’t receive any scans last week but it would appear as though new tests revealed the fracture, forcing an IL stint.  More will be probably be revealed about Bohm’s recovery timeline later today, but a fracture almost certainly means he’ll miss more than the minimum 10 days.

After a brutal opening month, Bohm righted the ship and has quietly been one of the more productive bats in the Phils’ lineup, hitting .309/.362/.455 with eight home runs in 257 trips to the plate since May 3.  As per his career norms, Bohm is making a good deal of hard contact and a lot of contact in general (16.2% strikeout rate), though he isn’t walking much and his slugging percentage is significantly down from the last two seasons.  The other story is Bohm’s continued improvement with the glove, as a player once known for being a defensive liability is in the midst of his second straight year of slightly above-average fielding at third base.

Boho also saw some time at first base when Bryce Harper was on the IL, with Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp filling in at third base.  With Bohm now out, the Phillies will likely turn to some combination of Sosa, Kemp, and Wilson at the hot corner, and Kemp will still remain part of the left field platoon with Max Kepler.

Depending on how long Bohm may be out, his injury situation could impact Philadelphia’s plans at the trade deadline.  The Phillies were already known to be looking for outfield help and potentially some more depth at second base since Bryson Stott hasn’t been hitting.  Adding a new outfielder could now conceivably push Kemp into more of a full-time infield role at either second or third base, or the Phils could seek more of a utilityman type that could be toggled around to multiple positions.  Since Bohm himself was linked to several trade rumors during the offseason, his injury might also erase any chance there was of a need-for-need trade, with the Phillies might have moved the controllable Bohm (who has one more arbitration year) for a more high-impact rental player.

Tigers Sign Tanner Rainey To Minor League Contract

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The Tigers have signed Tanner Rainey to a minor league deal, according to the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page.  Rainey has been assigned to Triple-A Toledo to act as a depth arm in the organization’s bullpen mix.

Initially signed to a minors deal by the Pirates during the offseason, Rainey posted a 10.57 ERA over 7 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh at the MLB level.  The Pirates first selected Rainey to their active roster in early May, then designated him for assignment in early June.  Rainey cleared waivers, elected free agency rather than an outright assignment, then quickly re-signed with the Bucs on a fresh minor league contract.

Best known for his six-year run with the Nationals, Rainey posted generally solid numbers in Washington, highlighted by his contributions to the 2019 World Series championship team.  Rainey had a 3.30 ERA over 30 innings as recently as the 2022 season, but after a Tommy John surgery cost him virtually all of the 2023 campaign, Rainey hasn’t looked the same.

The righty has a 5.52 ERA across 58 2/3 innings since the start of the 2024 season, as well as an unimpressive 19.8% strikeout rate and 13.1% walk rate.  Control has been an issue for Rainey even in the better times of his eight-year MLB career, though he had been able to balance out his walks with plenty of strikeouts in the past.  Rainey averaged 97.1mph on his fastball prior to his TJ surgery, but that has dropped to 94.1mph post-surgery.

At Triple-A Indianapolis this season, Rainey’s walk rate is still on the high side at 12.6%, but he has a 28.4% strikeout rate and a 3.18 ERA over 17 innings and 17 appearances.  That is some evidence that the 32-year-old still has some of his old form left, and the Tigers can now gauge for themselves if Rainey can translate his Triple-A numbers into some renewed success in the majors.  Detroit’s bullpen has been shaky in recent weeks, and while the team is likely to target some more prominent relievers at the deadline, there’s no risk in taking a flier on Rainey on a minor league commitment.

White Sox Place Shane Smith On 15-Day Injured List

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The White Sox announced that right-hander Shane Smith has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 16) due to a left ankle sprain.  Outfielder Will Robertson was also optioned to Triple-A, making way for two new arrivals on Chicago’s active roster — Triple-A call-up Wikelman Gonzalez and utilityman Brooks Baldwin, who was reinstated from the 10-day IL.

Taken out of the Brewers’ organization during last winter’s Rule 5 Draft, Smith has immediately enjoyed some success in his first taste of the majors.  Smith has a 4.26 ERA over 86 2/3 innings and 18 starts for the Pale Hose, and he was even selected as Chicago’s rep for the AL All-Star team.  It could be that opposing batters have started to catch up to Smith, however, as the righty has an 11.29 ERA over his last 18 1/3 innings.

Workload could also be a factor, as Smith is nearing his career high of 94 1/3 innings in a single season (set last year when pitching in Milwaukee’s farm system).  Smith has tossed 243 2/3 total innings over his four pro seasons, and he underwent a Tommy John surgery in 2021 that was the likely reason he went undrafted that year coming out of Wake Forest.

The White Sox have made a point of trying to keep Smith’s innings managed, as his last start on July 11 saw the righty throw only two innings.  While obviously Smith would’ve preferred to avoid this ankle injury, the IL stint does somewhat resolve the innings question for the time being, as the righty will now be out of action for at least the rest of July.

Cardinals Sign Aaron Wilkerson To Minor League Contract

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The Cardinals announced that Aaron Wilkerson has signed a minor league deal, and the right-hander has been assigned to Triple-A Memphis.  Wilkerson had been pitching in the Reds organization on another minors contract until earlier this week, as KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reported that Wilkerson triggered an opt-out clause in that deal.

It has been almost six years since Wilkerson’s last big league appearance, as the righty posted a 6.88 ERA across 35 1/3 innings with the Brewers from 2017-19.  Now 36 years old, Wilkerson’s career has seen consisted of a pair of trips abroad (pitching with NPB’s Hanshin Tigers in 2022 and with the KBO League’s Lotte Giants in 2023-24) and a few other stints in the minors with MLB organizations.  Wilkerson has pitched with the Dodgers, Athletics, and Reds without any further calls to the Show.

This year, Wilkerson has a 4.17 ERA over 18 starts and 95 innings for Triple-A Louisville, with a modest 20.7% strikeout rate but an outstanding 4.5% walk rate.  A .249 BABIP has undoubtedly contributed to Wilkerson’s success, and his 15% homer rate continues his trend of having some trouble keeping the ball in the park in both the upper minors and during his brief time as a Major Leaguer.

Wilkerson’s work in Louisville wasn’t enough to get him a look in Cincinnati, as the Reds have turned to a couple of top prospects (Chase Petty, Chase Burns) and more established starting options when having to fill holes in the rotation this year.  The Cardinals’ rotational depth chart is also pretty crowded, yet the Wilkerson signing is intriguing within the context of the July 31 trade deadline. Since St. Louis could be looking to move Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, or long reliever Steven Matz, it behooves the Cards to have an experienced starting depth at Triple-A should a vacancy suddenly appear on the team’s pitching staff.

Mets Sign Kevin Herget

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The Mets have signed right-hander Kevin Herget to a minor league contract, and announced that the reliever has been selected to the active roster.  Left-hander Brandon Waddell was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding transaction.

Herget is back in Queens after a stint on the Braves roster that lasted a little under two months.  The Mets claimed Herget away from the Brewers during the offseason, but he was designated for assignment in mid-May and found himself changing teams again on the waiver wire when Atlanta made a claim.  Herget was DFA’ed again last weekend and elected free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to the Braves’ Triple-A club (he had the right to choose free agency since Herget had previously been outrighted in his career).  Amidst all these roster moves, Herget hasn’t spent much time on a big league mound this season, as he has made a single appearance apiece for the Mets and Braves at the MLB level.

The right-hander now has 26 appearances and 45 2/3 innings on his career resume in the majors, with a 4.53 ERA to show for his work with the Rays, Reds, and Brewers in addition to New York and Atlanta.  The 34-year-old Herget has carved out a long career in pro ball since being a 39th-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2013 draft.  Most of his career has been spent in the St. Louis farm system, and Herget has a 4.00 ERA over 505 2/3 career innings at the Triple-A level.  This includes a 3.26 ERA, 21.6% strikeout rate, and eight percent walk rate over 30 1/3 combined innings with the Mets’ and Braves’ Triple-A affiliates in 2025.

It could be that Herget’s latest stint in the Show might be another cameo, as his addition gives the Mets a fresh arm over the short term.  Waddell pitched 3 2/3 innings in yesterday’s 8-4 loss to the Reds and wouldn’t have been available for a few days anyway, so he can rest up and get some work in for Triple-A Syracuse.  New York can’t recall Waddell back to the 26-man roster for at least 10 days, barring an injury to an active player.

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