Clark has had a nice season overall, hitting .276/.368/.434 with 10 homers and 21 steals in 413 plate appearances, but he’s caught absolute fire over the past six weeks. In 32 games dating back to mid-June, he’s exploded with a .328/.427/.523 batting line (155 wRC+). His huge 13.3% walk rate in that time matches his tiny 13.3% strikeout rate, and he’s connected on six of his season’s ten long balls in this stretch. That production comes despite Clark being one of the younger players in the Triple-A International League. He won’t turn 22 until December.

The lefty-swinging Clark has hit from the moment he was drafted. Despite consistently facing older and more experienced competition at every level, he’s posted better-than-average offensive numbers in each season of his professional career.

Scouting reports praise Clark as a plus-plus runner with a plus hit tool and at least average power. His wheels give him plenty of range for center, but scouts also feel that he has the type of plus throwing arm that’d play well in right field. BA’s report on him likens Clark’s bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline to that of fellow Tigers wunderkind Kevin McGonigle. They note that Clark has big exit velocities but doesn’t get to all of his raw power in games due to a penchant for grounders, particularly against lefties. That’ll be a point of focus for the Tigers as they continue Clark’s development and try to get him to reach his All-Star ceiling in the majors. As far as 21-year-olds go, however, he’s one of the most polished and big league-ready players you’ll come across at this age.

There’s no chance Clark will pick up a full season of major league service this year. We’re too deep into the calendar for him to factor prominently into an AL Rookie of the Year class (currently being led by the aforementioned McGonigle), and there are only 58 days of regular-season play remaining on the schedule, so he can’t accrue a full year organically. The timing of the promotion means Detroit won’t get any sort of draft-related compensation from MLB’s prospect promotion incentives and that Clark will fall well shy of Super Two designation. Of course, if this proves to be a short-term stay in the majors (e.g. as an injury list replacement), it’s possible Clark will retain his rookie eligibility into next season, but one would imagine that with a prospect of this stature, the Tigers are hoping that his first call-up will be the only one necessary.

While corresponding moves aren’t yet clear, Clark figures to get an opportunity to step in as the everyday center fielder in Detroit. The Tigers have been without Parker Meadows for most of the season, leading them to mix and match with Javier Báez, Wenceel Pérez, Matt Vierling and James Outman, among others. Vierling exited yesterday’s heartbreaking loss — the Tigers led 7-0 heading into the seventh inning but lost to the Orioles in extra innings — with a potential groin injury. It’s possible he’ll require an IL stint. Detroit could also be ready to move on from Outman, who’s hitting .167/.219/.322 with a 42% strikeout rate since being added via waivers.

It’s also feasible, of course, that the Tigers could open a spot on the roster in another, more dramatic way. Yesterday’s gutting loss dropped Detroit to 51-58. They’ve played much better since a horrendous 6-22 showing in May, but not enough to firmly place themselves back in playoff contention. The Tigers are six games back in the AL Central and 4.5 back in the Wild Card race. Going 3-4 in a set of seven games against two injured, sub-.500 clubs (Kansas City, Baltimore) feels like a clear missed opportunity.

A deadline sell-off has only become likelier over the past week. If Detroit does plan to move some veteran pieces, then a trade on today’s off-day could open up a spot for Clark. All eyes are on ace Tarik Skubal, but the Tigers have several other veterans (e.g. Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres, Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, Spencer Torkelson, Drew Anderson) who could be moved if they opt to go the seller’s route.

Texas opened the necessary space on the 40-man roster by transferring catcher Danny Jansen and rookie reliever Jose Corniell to the 60-day injured list. The Halos activated Travis d’Arnaud from the 60-day IL just before the start of tonight’s game with the Astros. He’ll pair with Tyler Heineman behind the plate. They haven’t announced a corresponding pitching move, so they’ll play with a seven-man bullpen tonight.

O’Hoppe is the bigger name of the two players heading to Arlington, but the 26-year-old Silseth is probably the more impactful get for Texas. The Rangers have a very young bullpen that’s light on power arms and swing-and-miss stuff. Silseth brings that to the middle innings, albeit with a few too many free passes.

A former 11th round pick, Silseth broke into the majors as a starter in 2022. He was up and down from Triple-A and battled injuries for the next few seasons. Silseth missed a month with a concussion in ’23 and had an elbow issue that required season-ending arthroscopic surgery a year later. Silseth moved to the bullpen last year and is in his first full season as a big league contributor.

The Arizona product has made 47 appearances, working to a 2.72 earned run average over 39 2/3 innings. Silseth has fanned 27.6% of opponents behind an excellent 14.1% swinging strike rate, missing bats with both a 96 mph fastball and a plus splitter. He has always had below-average command and has walked nearly 13% of batters faced this year, struggling with left-handed hitters in particular. The Halos have used him mostly in middle relief, though he was tied for second on the team with nine holds.

Silseth should play a similar role in Texas. He’s under team control for four-plus seasons and is playing on a pre-arbitration salary. That’s crucial for a club reportedly operating without much payroll space but looking to extend their 1.5-game lead in the AL West. (MLBTR listed Silseth among a handful of controllable relievers who could be surprise trade candidates based on that affordability and his strikeout stuff.) He’s out of minor league options and needs to stick on the MLB roster.

O’Hoppe won’t jump directly onto the big league club. Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports that Texas will option him to Triple-A Round Rock. They’ll stay with an Elias Díaz and Austin Wynns pairing for the time being. Texas has been without Jansen since early June due to a forearm strain. Today’s transfer is a procedural move but the veteran backstop said last week that he might need to undergo season-ending surgery. The Rangers also placed Kyle Higashioka on the injured list last week with a flexor strain; his recovery timeline isn’t clear.

Texas didn’t have any additional depth catchers on the 40-man roster. They’ll take a flier on O’Hoppe, a former top prospect who looked like the Halos’ long-term catcher when he hit at a league average level between 2023-24. His production on both sides of the ball has tanked over the past year and a half. O’Hoppe had a .629 OPS last season and has had an even tougher ’26 campaign. He’s hitting .209/.271/.295 with four home runs across 256 trips to the plate.

O’Hoppe missed time with a concussion last year and suffered a left wrist fracture on a foul tip this April. He only missed three weeks but has seen his batted ball metrics plummet. O’Hoppe is averaging 86.9 mph off the bat this season, four ticks below where he’d been each season from 2023-25. He’s hitting .212/.241/.314 in 46 games since the injury.

While he’s clearly healthy enough to be on the field, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the wrist has had a lingering impact on his power. He needs to hit the ball with authority, as he has always been an aggressive hitter who strikes out a fair amount.

O’Hoppe also hasn’t progressed as the Angels hoped defensively. He rates as a below-average pitch framer and has really struggled as a blocker. O’Hoppe is tied for the seventh-most passed balls over the last two seasons and has been behind the plate for 75 wild pitches in that time — 20 more than any other catcher. The quality of the Angels’ pitching staff certainly plays a part in that, but Statcast grades O’Hoppe as the least effective blocking catcher in the league this year. He’s middle of the pack in average pop time and essentially league average at throwing out baserunners.

The Halos were clearly ready to move on. They’re reportedly looking to add a young catcher on the trade front, a signal of O’Hoppe’s falling standing in the organization. They offload the approximate $846K remaining on his $2.625MM arbitration salary. O’Hoppe will be eligible for arbitration at least two more times. That’d climb to three times if he spends all of August in Triple-A, as he needs to log another 39 days on an MLB roster or injured list to cross the four-year service threshold before season’s end.

It’s the first trade for Angels interim general manager John Mozeliak, who could oversee significant changes if the Halos move any or all of Reid Detmers, José Soriano and Zach Neto. They’re reportedly more open than they’ve been in years past to discuss controllable pieces. This doesn’t signal too much about their trajectory on more impactful names but could be the start of a busy week for the front office.

The aptly-named Arredondo is a 19-year-old who is playing mostly third base in Low-A. He’s batting .243/.371/.392 with eight home runs across 357 plate appearances. The righty hitter has taken walks at a strong 14.3% clip against a lower than average 18.2% strikeout rate. It’s a decent but unexceptional statistical profile, and Arrendondo hasn’t made much of an impression on public prospect evaluators.

None of MLB Pipeline, Baseball America nor FanGraphs ranked Arredondo among the top 30 prospects in a weak Texas system. Mozeliak tells Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com he thinks Arredondo is underrated publicly and should immediately slot into the top 10 in the Halos’ pipeline. It behooves him to say as much — he’s not going to blast a player whom they just acquired — but it’s also very likely true that the Angels like Arredondo more than consensus. They otherwise simply wouldn’t have made this trade, as this doesn’t come with huge financial savings or a pressing service time motivation.

That’s not to say the Halos are necessarily correct in their evaluation, of course. That’ll be determined over time, and Arredondo is a low minors lottery ticket at least three years away from the big leagues. Mozeliak’s comments are a good reminder that teams can rank prospects (their own and those in opposing systems) quite a bit differently, especially those in the lower levels who have less of a statistical track record off which to base decisions.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported the Rangers were acquiring Silseth and O’Hoppe. Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News was first on Arredondo. Respective images courtesy of Kirby Lee/William Liang, Imagn Images.

Irvin is back after missing just over two months with a shoulder strain. The big righty coincidentally suffered the injury during the Nats’ previous series against the Braves on May 23. It was a tough end to what was shaping up as one of the better games of Irvin’s career. He’d gotten through five hitless innings with seven punchouts. Had he been able to complete the sixth inning, it would’ve been his first quality start in 11 appearances this season.

The 29-year-old has a 5.23 ERA across 51 2/3 frames overall. Irvin has a near-5.00 ERA in his career and led the majors with 114 earned runs allowed last year. He was missing quite a few more bats in the early going this season, though, striking out a quarter of opponents after posting a 15.8% mark last season. He fired 8 1/3 scoreless frames with nine strikeouts and just one hit over two rehab appearances with Double-A Harrisburg.

Irvin rounds out the rotation behind Foster Griffin, Cade Cavalli, Zack Littell and Miles Mikolas. Griffin is slated to start on Friday in what could be his final appearance with the club. The Nationals are weighing whether to move the impending free agent even as they’re just two games out in the Wild Card race. They could trade Griffin while trying to bring in a starter with contractual control beyond this season in a separate deal. Newly-acquired southpaw Connelly Early would otherwise bump someone from the group when he’s ready to return from elbow inflammation.

It’s now the third time that Kelenic has signed a minor league pact with the Rangers in 2026. The first came on June 2nd after he elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment from the White Sox. Texas selected Kelenic’s contract on June 19th, but he only collected one single in ten plate appearances before being designated for assignment on June 29th. After electing free agency again, he re-upped on a new deal in early July. He didn’t get called up to the Majors this time around before getting released on Sunday.

A former top prospect for the Mariners, Kelenic hasn’t shown much with the bat since posting a 110 wRC+ in 416 plate appearance in 2023. From 2024 onwards, he’s taken 583 PA between the Braves, White Sox, and Rangers, only batting .221/.282/.371 with an 81 wRC+. The last two seasons have been particularly dreadful, with Kelenic having a 61 wRC+ in 134 PA in the Majors while striking out a staggering 35.8% of the time. He’s fared much better in the minors this year. In 227 PA with the White Sox and Rangers’ top affiliates, Kelenic has put up a 139 wRC+ and hit 11 home runs. However, as has been the case throughout his career, that hasn’t translated into consistent production at the game’s highest level.

For now, the Rangers are content to keep Kelenic on hand at Round Rock as a depth option. He is only 27 years old and has some pedigree as a former top prospect, so there’s still an incentive to see if he can break out. He has ample experience at all three outfield spots, and most metrics consider him a passable defender. If and when he gets selected, Kelenic is likely to repeat the DFA/outright cycle if he doesn’t hit enough to stick around.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

Díaz returns after more than three months on the shelf. The three-time All-Star underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow in the middle of April. That explained his early struggles, as Díaz allowed seven runs on nine hits and five walks over his first six innings of the season. His fastball averaged 95.7 mph, a tick below the 97 mph heater he had in April 2025.

Los Angeles has more than weathered the storm. Tanner Scott has had an excellent season as the fill-in closer, going 16-18 in save opportunities while firing 42 2/3 innings of 2.32 ERA ball. He’ll move back into a setup role. Former closer Evan Phillips is also in a setup capacity after making his return from Tommy John surgery three weeks ago. Brock Stewart is healthy, while southpaw Alex Vesia is having another strong season despite a career-high walk rate.

The Dodger bullpen ranks 13th in ERA but trails only the Guardians in strikeout rate. They’re tied for the sixth-fewest blown saves despite frequently pitching with the lead. Like any contender, they could look for a reliever or two on the trade front, but Díaz’s return and Scott’s rebound season should have them fairly comfortable with the late innings. Díaz has looked sharp on his rehab assignment, striking out 11 across 5 2/3 frames of two-run ball. He averaged 95.7 mph on the fastball in Triple-A, so last year’s velocity hasn’t immediately returned after the operation.

The Dodgers are cruising to another division title and have a good chance of securing a top two seed in the National League to earn a first-round bye. They’re a half-game up on the Brewers for the NL’s best record and four games clear of Atlanta for the bye.

Barnes has had two brief stints as a long man in Dave Roberts’ bullpen. He has eaten 10 innings over four appearances, surrendering seven runs on 13 hits. The Clemson product has recorded five strikeouts and issued four walks. Barnes also made a one-off appearance with the Cubs early this year, his first MLB action in five seasons. He has a 4.39 ERA across 55 1/3 Triple-A innings between the two organizations.

The 30-year-old Barnes cleared waivers and elected free agency after being DFA by the Dodgers around the All-Star Break. He returned on a minor league contract and was called back up within a week. He’s likely to land back on waivers in the next five days and would again have the right to test the market if he clears.

Wantz was just selected to the roster two days ago. He entered last night’s game and tossed the final two innings of 10-2 victory over the Cardinals, throwing 27 pitches in the process. Perhaps he wasn’t going to be available for a day or two after that. Rather than play an arm short in the bullpen, the Cubs have swapped in a fresh one.

That will send Wantz to DFA limbo for the second time this year. He made one appearance for the Rays in May and quickly got bumped off the roster in that instance as well. He cleared waivers and elected free agency, which allowed him to sign a minor league deal with the Cubs. It’s possible a similar sequence of events will play out in the coming days, with Wantz going through the waiver wire and returning to the open market.

He has 122 big league innings under his belt, which were all with the Angels except for this year’s brief stints with the Rays and Cubs. He has allowed 4.20 earned runs per nine innings in that time with a 24.9% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. In Triple-A this year, he has thrown 48 innings with a 5.63 ERA, 21.8% strikeout rate and 11.6% walk rate.

Woodford has been doing long relief work for the Brewers and Cubs this year. Between those two teams, he has logged 25 1/3 innings over 17 appearances. His 7.46 ERA obviously looks unpleasant, though it may be misleading. His .393 batting average on balls in play and 61.9% strand rate are both to the unlucky side. His 18.7% strikeout rate is a few ticks below par but his 5.7% walk rate is really low. ERA estimators like his 4.18 FIP and 3.89 SIERA feel he would have done far better with neutral luck.

He will give the Cubs an arm capable of absorbing some innings for the time being. He is out of options and the Cubs are widely expected to be very active in pursuing pitching upgrades ahead of the August 3 deadline, so he may not have his roster spot for very long.

Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

It’s unfortunately a quick return to the IL for Buxton. The 32-year-old went down for a right hip strain on July 7th and only just returned on the 20th. He’s played in seven games since being activated, and they haven’t gone well, as Buxton’s batted just .160/.222/.160 in 27 plate appearances. All four of his hits in that span have been singles.

That’s a minor blip compared to how well Buxton has performed this year. In 362 plate appearances, he is batting .263/.320/.544 with 25 home runs and a 136 wRC+. He struck out 27.3% of the time last year, but he’s cut that to a more manageable 24.3% clip in 2026 while continuing to hit for power. Buxton is also still an asset on defense, with both Defensive Runs Saved (+1) and Outs Above Average (+3) viewing him favorably for his work in center field.

It goes without saying that Buxton is one of the Twins’ most valuable players and a key reason they’re still in contention at this point in the season. Despite last year’s deadline fire sale and only making minor additions over the offseason, the team enters tonight with an even 54-54 record. That has them only two games behind the AL Central-leading White Sox and just a half game behind the Guardians for the third AL Wild Card spot. General manager Jeremy Zoll told reporters yesterday that the team is approaching the August 3rd trade deadline as buyers.

That’s still going to be the case, but the absence of Buxton could increase the team’s urgency to add an outfielder at the deadline, in addition to upgrading their bullpen. While his previous IL stint was fairly short, Buxton was clearly diminished at the plate and may not have been 100% healed, so the team could proceed more cautiously this time around. If he ends up missing several weeks, the Twins could look to the market for a stopgap solution.

Lane Thomas is an impending free agent earning a modest $5.25MM salary for the Royals. He would require an intra-division trade, but the prospect cost shouldn’t be prohibitive. The Blue Jays’ Daulton Varsho would be a good match for Buxton’s defense, though he’s earning a more expensive $10.75MM, with roughly $3.2MM remaining after the deadline. Other outfield options like Jake McCarthy and Lars Nootbaar can be controlled beyond 2026, so they might be more costly in a trade.

However Buxton’s injury affects the Twins’ deadline approach, their main goal will be getting him back to full health for the stretch run. In the meantime, they figure to slide Luke Keaschall from right field to center, as they did from July 8-19 while Buxton was out. That will give Alan Roden some playing time in right in the short term.

Turning to Gray, the 30-year-old gets called up to fill a backup infield spot. He’s taken 182 plate appearances for the Twins this year, batting .232/.271/.333 with a 66 wRC+. He’s striking out at an alarming 31.3% clip while also grading out poorly on defense. Gray is worth -7 DRS and -7 OAA in 263 innings at shortstop, though he’s viewed more favorably at the hot corner (2 OAA).

Photo courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images

Krook, 31, has been through this before. The Nats claimed him off waivers from the Athletics at the start of this month. About a week later, he was designated for assignment, cleared waivers and elected free agency. A few days after that, the Nats re-signed him, and the cycle has now completed a second time.

Perhaps the Nats will bring him back once more, though he can talk to all 29 clubs. It’s possible that Washington subtracts from its pitching staff ahead of the August 3 trade deadline. They are only two games out of a playoff spot at the moment but came into the season rebuilding and likely still have their eyes on the future. Foster Griffin is an impending free agent and having a great season, so the Nats should be tempted to cash him in for controllable guys. Zack Littell, Miles Mikolas and Trevor Williams are also impending free agents, though they won’t have nearly as much appeal as Griffin. A few trades could increase Washington’s need for fresh arms in the coming days, though that’s also true of other clubs around the league.

Krook doesn’t have a hefty big league résumé yet. This is his fourth big league season and he has suited up for four different teams but he has totaled just 16 2/3 innings pitched. He has allowed 25 earned runs in that time, giving him an unsightly 13.50 ERA.

He has gotten chances because he has better numbers in a larger sample of work in the minors. Dating back to the start of 2023, his first season as a full-time reliever, he has thrown 154 2/3 Triple-A frames with a 3.08 ERA. His 15.7% walk rate in that span is horrendous but his 31.7% strikeout rate is huge. He’ll see what kind of offers are out there as rosters around the league are sure to shuffle quite a bit in the near future.

Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images

Manoah joined the Halos on a $1.95MM contract back in December. The deal was a low-risk flier by an Angels team that sorely needed starting pitching depth. Manoah opened the season on the 15-day injured list with a right middle finger contusion before being activated on May 6th. He made just three appearances for the big league club, all out of the bullpen. He combined for six scoreless innings in the first two, but then got shelled for nine runs (eight earned) while recording just four outs on May 16th. Troublingly, Manoah sat in the upper-80s with his fastball after previously averaging in the mid-90s while with the Blue Jays.

Not satisfied with those results, the Angels optioned Manoah to Triple-A on the 17th and outrighted him three days later. The righty accepted the outright in order to keep his guaranteed money, which he would have forfeited if he elected free agency. Unfortunately, he still couldn’t right the ship in the minors. From May 30th onward, Manoah threw 30 2/3 innings for Salt Lake with a staggering 16.14 ERA. He struggled badly with control, walking 42 batters in that span while hitting another nine and throwing two wild pitches. He also surrendered 11 home runs (3.23 HR/9).

It’s clear that Manoah is far from the pitcher who dominated from 2021-22 with Toronto. He combined for a 2.60 ERA over 308 1/3 innings in that span, striking out 24.7% of opponents while walking just 7.3%. He finished third in AL Cy Young voting in 2022 after posting a 2.24 ERA in nearly 200 innings.

Manoah simply hasn’t been the same since. From 2023 onward, he’s had a 5.67 ERA in 119 innings between the Blue Jays and Angels. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June 2024 and struggled while rehabbing at Triple-A late the following year. A DFA in September 2025 closed the books on his time with the Jays, and though the Braves claimed Manoah off waivers, he ultimately elected free agency that November.

At this stage, Manoah might get some interest from around the league, but only as upper minors depth. Since the start of 2023, he’s struck out 19.7% of opponents and walked 13.5%, grading out worse than average on both fronts. Adding in the lost velocity and his continued struggles this year, and it’s unlikely he’ll get another big league deal right away. That said, Manoah is still only 28 and can theoretically be controlled for two more seasons beyond 2026, so he should get picked up as a reclamation project somewhere as he looks to re-establish himself.

Photo courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images

July 28: The Astros will activate Hayden Wesneski from the 60-day injured list to start tomorrow’s series finale in Anaheim, relays Matt Kahawara of The Houston Chronicle. Houston already has a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so they’ll only need to option a pitcher as a corresponding active roster move.

Wesneski returns to an MLB mound for the first time in 14 months. The Astros acquired the righty as a secondary part of their return from the Cubs for Kyle Tucker. Wesneski worked 32 innings with a 4.50 ERA across six starts to open the ’25 season. He blew out after that and underwent Tommy John surgery last May.

It was a relatively smooth recovery for the 28-year-old righty. Wesneski began a minor league rehab stint within 13 months and has looked sharp on the buildup. He has fired 20 innings of 2.25 ERA ball while recording 21 strikeouts and four walks. Wesneski went 4 1/3 scoreless frames with seven punchouts in a Triple-A start against Milwaukee’s affiliate on Friday. He went 80 pitches and should be able to work at least 4-5 innings in his first MLB outing.

Houston had an opening in the rotation after losing Spencer Arrighetti to the injured list over the weekend. For now, Wesneski will slot alongside Hunter Brown, Peter Lambert, Ronel Blanco and Tatsuya Imai.

Imai’s hold on a spot could be tenuous, as he again failed to escape the first inning last night. Cristian Javier went five scoreless with seven strikeouts in relief, tossing 70 pitches in the process. The Astros could swap Javier in the next time that rotation spot comes up if they want to have Imai work out of the bullpen. They’re also likely to poke around the trade market for starting pitching over the next six days.

It’s not a surprising outcome. Santana posted a 6.05 earned run average with the Bucs this year, which is why he was bumped off the roster. Given that performance and his $3.5MM salary, he wasn’t going to have huge trade value or much appeal as a waiver claimee.

As a player with at least five years of service time, he has the right to reject outright assignments without forfeiting any salary. The Pirates remain on the hook for the roughly $1.1MM still to be paid out. Another club can now sign Santana and would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what Pittsburgh pays.

Though 29 clubs just passed on the chance to grab Santana from the waiver wire, he should get more interest now that he is cheap. Maybe he could secure a big league roster spot somewhere but he might also be limited to minor league offers.

As mentioned, this year’s performance has not been good. His 19.9% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate were both subpar. But he’s not too far removed from being in decent form. He was acquired from the Yankees via waiver claim in June of 2024. From that claim to the end of 2025, he gave the Pirates 114 2/3 innings with a 2.28 ERA, 24.9% strikeout rate and 6.3% walk rate. He got some help from a .230 batting average on balls in play and 77.4% strand rate in that time, but adjusted metrics like his 2.91 FIP and 3.35 SIERA suggested he would have been posting good results with neutral favor from the baseball gods.

There are various clubs around the league in need of bullpen help. Santana isn’t going to be at the top of anyone’s lists but he is cheap and has some recent big league success, so he should be fielding some calls.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images

Espinal, 31, opened the season with the Dodgers but didn’t get much playing time. He logged 60 plate appearances in 36 games and went 15-for-56 with three doubles and a homer, resulting in a .268/.276/.375 line overall. He was designated for assignment in June and elected free agency after clearing waivers. With the Rangers’ top affiliate, Espinal went 11-for-42 with a pair of doubles.

It’s been a few years, but Espinal had a nice run with the Jays in 2021-22 when he hit .282/.340/.382 with quality defense at multiple spots. He’s since slashed only .247/.296/.328 in 1033 big league plate appearances. Espinal has experience all over the infield but has primarily played second and third base. He’s a lifetime .285/.332/.406 hitter against lefties. A club looking for some right-handed bench/infield depth to stash in the upper minors will probably give him a look before long.

Waldron, 29, once seemed like a potentially serviceable rotation member for the Padres. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, he tossed 188 innings with a decent 4.79 earned run average. His 20.6% strikeout rate was subpar but his 6.5% walk rate was quite good and he limited hard contact, as one might expect from a knuckleballer.

But things have swiftly gone downhill since then. He spent most of 2025 in the minors, only making one big league appearance. His Triple-A work was not pretty, as he allowed a 6.67 ERA over 18 starts. He exhausted his final option season, putting him out of options and on the roster bubble coming into 2026.

He underwent hemorrhoid surgery in February, which led to a season-opening stint on the IL. He came off the IL in mid-April but his first three starts were poor, which got him bumped to a long relief role. He returned to the IL in mid-May with a right brachialis muscle injury. He returned from that stint earlier this month and has been back in the bullpen. On the whole, this year’s results have not been good. He has thrown 32 2/3 innings with a 7.16 ERA.

That probably overstates how bad he has actually pitched. His 19% strikeout rate is subpar but his 5.4% walk rate is tiny and his 44.8% ground ball rate is better than average. His .353 batting average on balls in play and 62.5% strand rate are both to the unlucky side. ERA estimators like his 5.10 FIP and 4.01 SIERA paint a slightly better picture.

Regardless of the under-the-hood numbers, the Padres are moving on. They may be pursuing starting pitching upgrades in the coming days and Waldron was already squeezed out of the rotation. Waldron heads into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Friars could take as long as five days to see if there’s any trade interest. Coincidentally, five days from now is the August 3 trade deadline. His recent numbers aren’t too inspiring but perhaps some club is intrigued by the potential of the knuckleball.

If Waldron lands somewhere else, he will need an active roster spot due to his out-of-options status, but he is theoretically controllable for four seasons beyond this one and hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration. If he were to clear waivers, he would stick with the Padres as non-roster depth. Since he has less than three years of service time and hasn’t been previously outrighted in his career, he would not have the right to elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images

July 28: The Giants announced that infielder/outfielder Casey Schmitt has been placed on the 10-day injured list with a torn meniscus in his left knee. Infielder Osleivis Basabe has been selected to take his place on the roster. The 40-man had a couple of vacancies, so Basabe fills one of those without requiring a corresponding move.

Schmitt suffered the injury during last night’s win over Milwaukee. He made a wide turn around first base on a single, then slammed on the brakes and headed back to first. His knee buckled as he made the hard stop and he needed to be lifted for a pinch-runner. An IL stint seemed inevitable when manager Tony Vitello told reporters postgame that the Giants were sending Schmitt for imaging.

It halts and perhaps ends a breakout season for the fourth-year utilityman. Schmitt has a career-best .271/.301/.483 batting line with 21 home runs across 409 plate appearances. He’s an aggressive hitter who is never likely to run especially high on-base marks, but he was swinging harder and hitting more fly balls to tap into his power. Although Schmitt’s bat had cooled following an excellent first two months,  he has been one of San Francisco’s better all-around position players.

This also ends whatever small chance existed of Schmitt being a trade chip this summer. His defensive versatility and right-handed bat would’ve surely gotten some interest on the trade front. The Giants have him under arbitration control through 2029 and were likelier to hang onto him regardless, presumably plugging him in as the everyday second baseman whenever they trade Luis Arraez.

Schmitt has been at third base recently with Matt Chapman on the injured list. Christian Koss, who pinch ran for him and finished last night’s game, is in at the hot corner tonight. Chapman is expected back this weekend, but Arraez will almost certainly be traded before or shortly after that. Koss could be the biggest beneficiary of the uptick in playing time once second base opens up.

The 25-year-old Basabe is up as a utility piece for the first time in three seasons. His big league experience consists of 31 games for the 2023 Rays, for whom he hit .218/.277/.310 with one home run. Basabe’s athleticism once made him a well-regarded prospect in the Tampa Bay system. His bat stalled in the upper minors and the Giants picked him up in a DFA trade over the 2024-25 offseason.

San Francisco ran Basabe through outright waivers midway through last year. They re-signed him to a minor league deal and have kept him at Triple-A Sacramento for two seasons. Basabe is hitting a league average .268/.344/.388 with five homers and 12 steals in 75 games there. He’s making a lot of contact with minimal power for the Pacific Coast League. Basabe can play both middle infield spots or third base and still has a minor league option remaining.

It appears that Pannone has been summoned to give Milwaukee’s starters some extra rest. Shane Drohan was initially scheduled to start today’s game but now Pannone will take the ball instead. Drohan is now listed as Friday’s starter, after the club has an off-day Thursday.

Pannone, 32, gets back to the big leagues for the first time since 2023. He made one appearance for the Brewers that year. Apart from that, his big league track record consists of 49 appearances for the Blue Jays over the 2018 and 2019 seasons. On the whole, he has a 5.46 earned run average in 118 2/3 innings. He also spent some of 2022 and 2023 in the KBO, putting up a 3.49 ERA in 165 innings.

He spent 2024 in the minors with the Cubs and Yankees. He returned to the Brewers on a minor league deal going into 2025 but suffered a torn flexor tendon in spring training. Per his Instagram, he had surgery last summer. He didn’t pitch in any official capacity but has been back on the Triple-A mounds with the Brewers this year. He has thrown 72 innings over 16 appearances with a 4.13 ERA. His 18.9% strikeout rate is subpar but his 7.3% walk rate is good and his 41% ground ball rate around average.

Pannone is out of options. If the Brewers only plan for him to make this one start, then he could be designated for assignment in the coming days. He could perhaps stick around in a bullpen role if the Brewers like him as a long man.

Photo courtesy of Arianna Grainey, Imagn Images