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White Sox Acquire Will Robertson From Blue Jays

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July 10: The teams have announced the trade. Chicago sent cash back to Toronto in return for Robertson, who has been optioned to Triple-A Charlotte.

July 9: The Blue Jays are reportedly trading outfielder Will Robertson to the White Sox. The move, which has not been announced by either team, was first reported by @JeffreyCole2525 and confirmed by James Fegan of SoxMachine. Toronto designated Robertson for assignment over the weekend.

Chicago already has an opening on the 40-man roster after outrighting Vinny Capra. They’ll use the spot to take a flier on Robertson, a 27-year-old with three major league games under his belt. The Jays promoted the lefty-hitting outfielder in the middle of June. He was optioned back to Triple-A a little over a week later and DFA last week when Ryan Burr returned from the 60-day injured list.

A Creighton product, Robertson was Toronto’s fourth-round pick in 2019. He has never been a huge prospect, but he’s hitting well in his second season at the Triple-A level. Robertson has connected on 14 homers with a .292/.403/.578 slash line in 62 minor league games this year. He has taken walks at a massive 15.5% clip while striking out around a quarter of the time. The Jays have a fairly deep outfield and didn’t give Robertson an opportunity to see how much of that Triple-A production he could carry over against big league pitching. He has a bit of center field experience but fits better in a corner.

The White Sox could look to trade Luis Robert Jr., Andrew Benintendi and Mike Tauchman this month. Backup outfielders Austin Slater and Michael A. Taylor could also be traded or let go. They should be able to find a taker for Tauchman, who has taken the starting right field job behind a .297/.379/.459 showing. Robertson might begin his organizational tenure on optional assignment to Triple-A Charlotte but should be in line for decent playing time after the deadline.

Mets Designate Travis Jankowski For Assignment

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The Mets announced Thursday that they’ve designated outfielder Travis Jankowski for assignment. His spot on the active roster goes to Luisangel Acuña, who has been recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. The team added that right-handed reliever Austin Warren is up from Syracuse to serve as the 27th man for today’s doubleheader against the Orioles.

Jankowski has played with the Mets, Rays and White Sox this year, although his role in Queens was quite limited. New York signed him to a minor league deal on June 10 and selected him to the big league roster on June 23, but he’s only appeared in five games and taken one plate appearance since that time. He’s up to 50 plate appearances on the season between those three teams and has produced a .244/.286/.289 batting line in that time.

The veteran Jankowski has played for eight teams and now picked up more than eight years of major league service time since making his debut with the 2015 Padres. He’s never been an outfield regular, topping out at 387 plate appearances in a single season, but has carved out a lengthy career as a reserve outfielder and pinch-running/defensive specialist. Jankowski is 34 but still sits in the 95th percentile of big leaguers in terms of average sprint speed, per Statcast. He can play all three outfield positions and carries a career .236/.318/.305 batting line in 1759 plate appearances.

The Mets can trade Jankowski or place him on waivers at any point in the next five days. Waivers would require an additional 48 hours to process. If he goes unclaimed, Jankowski will have the right to reject an outright assignment to the minor leagues in favor of free agency, if he wishes to do so.

Acuña returns to the Mets after being optioned when Jankowski was originally selected, on June 23. He played in a dozen Triple-A contests and tallied 53 plate appearances, batting .289/.346/.378 in that short time. Acuña played both middle infield spots but also started four games in center field — including his past two games — during this brief Syracuse reset. He’s only played center in the majors once this year, but his recent work on the grass in Triple-A could make him a more frequent outfield contributor in his return to the big league roster.

Phillies Sign Phil Bickford To Minor League Deal

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The Phillies signed reliever Phil Bickford to a minor league contract and assigned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, the affiliate announced. Alex Coll first reported the move last night.

Bickford had spent the season in the Cubs organization after signing an offseason minor league contract. He was released last week. It’s possible that was spurred by an opt-out clause, as Bickford was pitching quite well with the Cubs’ top farm team. He posted a 2.60 ERA while striking out 34% of batters faced in 27 2/3 innings. He walked fewer than 6% of opponents while getting swinging strikes at a plus 13.6% rate.

That wasn’t enough for the Cubs to carve out an MLB roster spot. Bickford didn’t get much of a big league look last season either. He appeared in eight games with the Yankees and allowed nine runs in 8 1/3 innings. He had a strong run in Triple-A with New York, posting a 3.40 ERA with a 30% strikeout rate. His most recent extended stretch at the MLB level came two seasons back, when he allowed a near-5.00 ERA over 61 appearances.

Bickford doesn’t have overwhelming velocity. His fastball lands a little above 93 MPH on average. He uses that pitch around three-quarters of the time and has a mid-80s slider as his breaking ball. He’ll look to carry over his early-season success with Lehigh Valley and secure a spot in the big league bullpen. Philadelphia has a trio of relatively inexperienced pitchers — Seth Johnson, Daniel Robert and Max Lazar — in middle relief. All three have minor league options, so Bickford has a decent path to pitching his way onto the big league club in the short term. The Phillies will almost certainly add an established reliever or two in trade before the end of the month.

Astros Re-Sign Jordan Weems To Minor League Deal

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The Astros re-signed reliever Jordan Weems to a minor league contract, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The righty heads back to Triple-A Sugar Land. Weems elected free agency yesterday after Houston outrighted him off the 40-man roster.

Weems made two big league appearances, tossing three innings of two-run ball. The 32-year-old righty had spent a few weeks with Sugar Land before being called up. He allowed five runs over 11 1/3 frames, striking out 10 while issuing six walks. He’d posted a 5.09 earned run average in 17 2/3 innings with Atlanta’s top farm team earlier in the year. Weems carries a 4.66 mark across 29 combined innings, striking out 21.4% of batters faced while walking more than 12% of opponents.

The brief MLB stint marked Weems’ sixth season logging MLB action. He got a decent amount of work in middle relief with the Nationals between 2022-24. Weems combined for a 5.03 ERA in 136 innings over that trio of seasons. Washington outrighted him off the roster last August, sending him to minor league free agency at the end of the year. Weems is now out of options, so the Astros needed to run him through waivers to take him out of the MLB bullpen.

Guardians Re-Sign Kolby Allard, Option Tim Herrin

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The Guardians announced that they have re-signed left-hander Kolby Allard to a minor league deal and selected him to the big league roster. He had just elected free agency yesterday. Fellow lefty Tim Herrin has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus in a corresponding active roster move. The 40-man roster had a couple of vacancies.

Allard was added to Cleveland’s roster in late April and spent a few months working as a long reliever. In 16 appearances, he logged 35 1/3 innings with a 2.55 earned run average. That ERA wasn’t sustainable. His 5.3% walk rate was strong but his 10.5% strikeout rate was tiny, the lowest in the majors this year among guys with at least 30 innings pitched. A 3.6% homer to fly ball rate helped him have an 80.9% strand rate. His 5.07 SIERA this year and his 5.59 career ERA suggested regression was likely.

The Guards designated him for assignment last week. He cleared waivers and, as mentioned, elected free agency. The Cleveland bullpen was heavily used in recent days. The played ten innings on Sunday and Tuesday, sandwiched around a regular nine-inning contest on Monday. Many of the pitchers in their bullpen pitched in two or even all three of those contests. Slade Cecconi starts tonight and Allard could perhaps pitch multiple innings in relief, sparing the bullpen from further exhaustion.

Herrin’s optional assignment is notable. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he tossed 93 1/3 innings for Cleveland with a 2.99 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 48% ground ball rate. He earned 17 holds in that time.

His results have backed up this year, more than his 3.99 ERA would suggest. His 21.2% strikeout rate is a few ticks below his prior work, as is his 40.3% ground ball rate. His walk rate, meanwhile, has shot up to 16.7%. If it weren’t for a .257 batting average on balls in play and an 80.4% strand rate, he would have allowed even more runs, with his 5.04 SIERA perhaps pointing to his true level of performance this year.

That seems to have put a big dent in his standing with the Guards. As mentioned, the club’s bullpen was heavily taxed in the past few days, with some guys pitching three games in a row. Meanwhile, Herrin hasn’t pitched since Saturday and is now being sent down despite being the freshest arm in the bunch. He’ll try to get back on track in Columbus and earn his way back to the big leagues.

Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images

Angels Select Carson Fulmer

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The Angels announced today that they have selected the contract of right-hander Carson Fulmer. To open an active roster spot, left-hander Sam Aldegheri has been optioned to Double-A Rocket City. Righty Hunter Strickland has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot.

Fulmer, 31, will be making his season debut when he gets into a game. He pitched for the Angels in 2023 and 2024, tossing 96 2/3 innings with an earned run average of 4.00. He struck out 20.8% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 10.5% clip and got grounders on 42.3% of balls in play.

He was outrighted off the roster at the end of the season and elected free agency. He signed a minor league deal with the Pirates and started the year in the Triple-A rotation. He didn’t have much success there, with a 5.34 ERA through six starts. He was then moved to the bullpen and tossed 14 innings with a 3.21 ERA. He was released by the Pirates and returned to the Angels on a minor league deal just over a month ago. Since then, he has tossed 11 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 1.54 ERA, giving him a combined 3.98 ERA on the year overall.

The Halos got blown out by the Rangers yesterday, eventually losing 13-1. Starter José Soriano only lasted four innings. Aldegheri came in and soaked up another two frames, but it took him 64 pitches to get those six outs. He likely wasn’t going to be available for a few days, so the Angels have brought up Fulmer as a fresh arm. Fulmer is out of options and would need to be removed from the 40-man roster if they want to bump him off the active roster at any point.

As for Strickland, he hit the 15-day IL a couple of days ago due to right shoulder inflammation. This transfer means he is ineligible to return until early September. He tells Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com that he has a significant strain but it won’t require surgery and he hopes to be back in September.

Photo courtesy of Denny Medley, Imagn Images

Michael Kopech Undergoes Surgery On Torn Meniscus

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5:00pm: Kopech underwent surgery to address a torn meniscus in his right knee, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. The righty is expected to be able to return before the end of the season.

11:55am: The Dodgers announced today that right-hander Tyler Glasnow has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, a move that was reported a few days ago. Righty Alexis Díaz was optioned to the minors to open an active roster spot and righty Michael Kopech was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot.

It’s a bit of a worrisome development for Kopech. He was only placed on the 15-day IL on July 1st, retroactive to June 28th, due to right knee inflammation. At that time, both the pitcher himself and manager Dave Roberts downplayed the severity. “I think we’re all hopeful it will be on the shorter end of it,” Roberts said last week, per Alden González of ESPN.

Either that comment wasn’t fully candid or something has changed since then, as this transfer now means that Kopech is ineligible to return until late August. The Dodgers haven’t yet provided any specific information about how long they expect Kopech to be out but the transfer provides at least a best-case scenario.

That’s an unfortunate development for both Kopech and the Dodgers. He also started the season on the IL due to a shoulder impingement and missed more than two months. He was healthy long enough to give the Dodgers seven shutout innings before going back on the IL again.

For the Dodgers, it’s yet another in a long line of injuries. They’ve been moving players on and off the IL all throughout the year, particularly on the pitching side. Even with Glasnow coming off the shelf today, they still have 11 arms on the IL. The bullpen is without Kopech, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove. Phillips and Grove had major surgeries and won’t be coming back this year.

If Kopech can return in August or September, then he could still be a part of the club’s bullpen down the stretch and into the postseason. Regardless, the Dodgers figure to add some arms prior to the deadline. All contending clubs look for bullpen additions at this time of year and the Dodgers should be even more motivated by their mounting injuries.

For Kopech personally, he’s an impending free agent. He could still return and go into the open market with some juice, but it’s been a less than ideal platform season so far. He previously struggled to establish himself as a starter with the White Sox, partially due to injuries, but a recent bullpen move seemed to be a good transition for him.

He tossed 43 2/3 innings out of Chicago’s bullpen last year. The 4.74 ERA wasn’t great, nor was the 12.6% walk rate, but he struck out 30.9% of batters faced. He reached another level after getting traded to the Dodgers, tossing 24 innings with a 1.13 ERA. His 33% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate were both slight improvements, though he also benefited from a .167 batting average on balls in play and 90.9% strand rate. Nonetheless, he played a key role in the playoffs, tossing nine innings with three earned runs allowed as the Dodgers went on to win it all.

Another full season as a relief weapon would have positioned him for a nice market this winter. Now, however, it’s possible the ongoing health problems will tamp down his earning power. As mentioned, he seemingly still has time to get healthy and finish strong but his injury history list continues to run long. He missed the 2019 season due to Tommy John surgery and has since spent time on the IL due to a strained left hamstring, left knee strain, right shoulder inflammation and right knee inflammation. He managed to avoid the IL last year while working as a reliever but now has been bit by the injury bug a few times here in 2025.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images

Pirates Release Tanner Rainey

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The Pirates have released right-hander Tanner Rainey, per the MiLB.com transaction log. He’d been in Pittsburgh’s bullpen earlier this season but had more recently been pitching in Triple-A Indianapolis after being designated for assignment, passed through waivers and re-signed on a new minor league contract.

Rainey’s time with the Pirates’ big league club earlier this year didn’t go well. He pitched in 11 games but lasted only 7 2/3 innings while serving up nine runs on seven hits, six walks and a hit batter. He fanned nine of 37 opponents (24.3%). His fastball, which averaged 97 mph as recently as 2022 with the Nationals, sat at 95 mph.

Since being passed through waivers and heading back to Indy, however, Rainey has been outstanding. He’s pitched in eight games and tallied eight shutout frames with nine strikeouts against five walks. It seems odd that he’d be released on the heels of a run like that, but minor league deals for veterans of this nature often contain opt-out dates, upward mobility clauses and language granting the player the right to pursue foreign opportunities. Any of those could be at play with regard to Rainey, who now has a 3.18 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate in 17 innings at the Triple-A level this season.

The 32-year-old Rainey was a hard-throwing, at times dominant late-inning arm with the Nationals from 2019-23. Command issues have plagued him throughout his big league tenure, but prior to undergoing Tommy John surgery late in the 2022 season, he sat 97 mph with his heater and fanned nearly one-third of his opponents. Since returning from injury, however, has a 5.43 ERA in 59 2/3 big league innings.

Red Sox Reinstate Masataka Yoshida, Transfer Nick Burdi To 60-Day IL

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The Red Sox announced today that they have reinstated outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida from the 60-day injured list. To open an active roster spot, infielder/outfielder Nate Eaton has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester. Right-hander Nick Burdi was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot.

Yoshida will be making his season debut in today’s game, serving as the designated hitter and batting sixth. He underwent shoulder surgery in October of last year and has been on the injured list until today. He was healthy enough to hit a long time ago but struggled to get his shoulder to a place where he could throw at full strength. That made him unable to play the field and essentially unrosterable. The Sox signed Alex Bregman in the winter and put him at third base, bumping Rafael Devers into the designated hitter spot on an everyday basis.

Much has changed since then. The DH move upset Devers and he was further rankled when Triston Casas got injured and the Sox asked him to learn first base. The relationship soured enough that the Sox flipped him to the Giants in a stunning deal.

That opened the DH spot, and Yoshida is now capable of playing the field, but the Sox still have quite a glut in the outfield. Today, Yoshida is in the DH spot with Roman Anthony in left, Jarren Duran in center and Wilyer Abreu in right. That leaves Ceddanne Rafaela on the bench, in addition to Rob Refsnyder. Yoshida has done some first base drills but isn’t considered much more than an emergency option there.

For now, manager Álex Cora will seemingly take turns benching guys from that mix, with Rafaela getting the first taste of that. Perhaps that can work for the short term but it’s an inelegant mix for the long term. Due to this cluster, there have been plenty of trade rumors surrounding players like Yoshida, Duran and Abreu, as observers speculate about the possibility of the Sox flipping one of them for some pitching.

Duran and Abreu are both strong players in their 20s, with Duran having three years of club control after this one and Abreu four. Yoshida, almost 32 years old, is seemingly less a key piece of the club’s future but his trade value wouldn’t be terribly high at the moment. He is making $18MM annually through the 2027 season. In his major league career, he’s been a poor fielder while his offense has been decent but not astounding. He currently sports a .285/.343/.433 batting line and 113 wRC+. As mentioned, he’s been on the IL all year until today.

Put it all together and it’s a tricky calculus for the Sox. Moving Yoshida is likely preferable for the long term but he would bring back less in a trade than some of their other players. With just a few weeks until the trade deadline, perhaps they will field some interesting calls from other clubs.

As for Burdi, he landed on the 15-day IL in early June due to a right foot contusion. He started a minor league rehab assignment a few weeks ago but only made two appearances. That was due to a hip issue, according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald. Injuries have been a persistent problem for Burdi. He has appeared in six different major league seasons, debuting back in 2018, but he has just 30 1/3 big league innings under his belt.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images

Mariners Outright Jacob Hurtubise

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The Mariners announced that outfielder Jacob Hurtubise has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. There wasn’t any previous indication he had been removed from the 40-man, so Seattle’s count drops to 39.

Hurtubise, 27, hasn’t yet appeared in a major league game with the Mariners. He was claimed off waivers from the Reds a few weeks ago and kept on optional assignment. Since then, he has hit .150/.269/.150 in ten Triple-A games. On the heels of that cold stretch, it seems the M’s decided it would be a good time to pass him through waivers and open a roster spot, which turned out to be correct.

Since Hurtubise has less than three years of big league service time and this is his first outright assignment, he does not have the right to elect free agency. The Mariners will therefore get to keep him as non-roster depth.

He has a small amount of major league experience but without success thus far. He currently sports a .167/.291/.212 batting line in 83 plate appearances with the Reds. But he has hit more in the minors, with some speed to boot. He had 715 plate appearances on the farm over 2023 and 2024 with a .306/.443/.437 batting line. His 15.1% walk rate was almost as high as his 15.7% strikeout rate. Overall, that production translated to a 138 wRC+. He also swiped 62 bags in 72 tries over those seasons.

This year has been a struggle but Hurtubise will try to get back in good form and earn his way back onto the roster. For the Mariners, they are surely happy to be able to hold onto a talented player while opening a roster spot for a future move.

Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

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