RotoFeed

Diamondbacks Place Michael Soroka, Jordan Lawlar On Injured List

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 21:28:32 +0000

4:28 pm: Soroka has been placed on the 15-day injured list with a strained left glute, according to Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports. Lawlar heads to the 10-day IL with a strained right hamstring. Left-hander Philip Abner and utilityman Tim Tawa are being recalled from Triple-A.

9:09 am: The Diamondbacks’ 9-5 victory over the Twins on Friday may have been costly on the health front, as both starter Michael Soroka and outfielder Jordan Lawlar had to make early exits. Soroka’s start was cut short after just one inning, as he felt discomfort in his left glute muscle while warming up for his second inning of work. Lawlar had to be replaced by a pinch-runner in the eighth inning, as Lawlar picked up a right hamstring strain while sprinting to first to beat out a bunt single.

Both players will undergo an MRI today to determine the extent of the damage. Speaking with MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert and other reporters following the game, Soroka and Lawlar both expressed hope that their injuries weren’t too severe, with Soroka describing his glute issue as a “grab” and Lawlar saying he felt “just a little tightness.”

Arizona already has nine players on its injured list, with Ryne Nelson hitting the 15-day IL just yesterday due to a partially torn forearm flexor. Lawlar himself was playing in only his sixth game since he was activated from the 60-day IL, as the former top prospect missed over two months of action recovering from a fractured wrist.

Soroka signed a one-year, $7.5MM free agent deal with the D’Backs last December, with the money breaking down as a $6.5MM salary and a $1MM buyout of a $10MM mutual option for the 2027 campaign. It wasn’t clear if Soroka would be used as a starter or as a reliever, yet Soroka not only won himself a rotation spot, but the right-hander has now become the most consistent member of the pitching staff.

Soroka has a 3.07 ERA, 23.7% strikeout rate, and an outstanding 5.1% walk rate across 82 innings. The slurve that became a bigger part of Soroka’s arsenal last season has continued to be a dominant pitch in 2026, and the righty is now using both his slurve and his four-seamer in equal balance.

With Merrill Kelly, Zac Gallen, and Nelson all pitching below expectations, Soroka and Eduardo Rodriguez have done a lot of the heavy lifting in keeping Arizona’s rotation somewhat respectable. Brandon Pfaadt was being stretched out in the minors and was thought to be the logical replacement for Nelson, though the Diamondbacks will have to dig into their pitching depth chart again if Soroka has to miss time. It doesn’t help matters that the D’Backs have only one off-day remaining until the All-Star break, so the team was already facing an innings crunch in the next few weeks.

Any sort of hamstring injury is of particular concern for Lawlar, who has missed significant time in each of the last two minor league seasons due to hamstring strains. Between these hamstring issues, a thumb surgery, a shoulder surgery, a fractured scapula, and his fractured wrist, Lawlar has already dealt with a ton of injuries since being selected sixth overall in the 2021 draft.

These health issues, a lack of production over 108 big league plate appearances in 2023-25, and questions about his ideal defensive position left Lawlar as a bit of a wild card heading into the 2026 campaign. The Diamondbacks shifted Lawlar into outfield duty this year and it seemed to unlock something with his bat, as Lawlar has hit .316/.409/.447 over 44 PA this season. While obviously a small sample size, it’s still a promising development for Lawlar, apart from his continued injury problems.

Jorge Barrosa would likely get most of the outfield playing time if Lawler hits the IL again, plus Max Kepler is nearing the end of his 80-game PED suspension, which would add to Arizona’s outfield depth. Kepler signed with the D’Backs on June 7, and is eligible to be activated on June 25.

Blue Jays To Activate Shane Bieber On Monday

AJ Eustace — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 21:24:32 +0000

The Blue Jays’ rotation has plenty of talent on paper, but a slate of injuries have taken their toll through the first half of the season. Kevin Gausman is Toronto’s sole qualifying starter with 16 starts. Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer, and Trey Yesavage have all made trips to the injured list (two for Scherzer). Meanwhile, depth signing Patrick Corbin started off well but has given up 11 earned runs in his last 11 2/3 innings.

The Jays are currently limited to a four-man rotation of Gausman, Corbin, Cease, and Yesavage. They’ve relied on bullpen games for the fifth spot, with Braydon Fisher opening for bulk arm Simeon Woods Richardson on Wednesday. That won’t be the case the next time around, as Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet reports that righty Shane Bieber will be activated from the 60-day IL to start Monday’s game against the Astros.

Bieber has been on the IL since late March due to right elbow inflammation he experienced in spring training. He’s made five rehab appearances thus far and put up a 6.88 ERA in 17 innings. While those results aren’t inspiring, Bieber threw five innings in each of his last two starts and appears ready from a health standpoint. The Jays may simply desire a traditional five-man rotation with Bieber rather than continuing to rely on bullpen games.

That said, there’s still risk in relying on Bieber for the fifth spot. Owing to Tommy John surgery in April 2024, Bieber has only made nine regular season starts since the start of that season. Seven of those came with Toronto last year. Bieber last pitched a meaningful sample with the Guardians in 2023. In that season, he ran a 3.80 ERA over 21 starts along with a career-low 20.1% strikeout rate and diminished velocity.

To his credit, Bieber’s 92.6 MPH four-seamer in 2025 was back above his pre-Tommy John levels. He also posted a 3.57 ERA, 48.2% ground ball rate, and 4.4% walk rate with Toronto, giving some confidence that he could return to being an effective starter, if not the ace he was with Cleveland. The risk comes down to Bieber’s age (he turned 31 in May) and uncertainty over how he’ll perform coming off another months-long, elbow injury-related layoff.

Toronto recently designated Yariel Rodríguez and Connor Seabold for assignment and reinstated Lazaro Estrada from the 60-day IL. After those moves, their 40-man roster stands at 39. As such, Bieber would need a spot cleared on the active roster, but no corresponding 40-man transaction is needed. The Jays currently have a nine-man bullpen, so they will probably demote a reliever in order to accommodate Bieber’s return.

Photo courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images

MLB Rumor Roundup: 6/20

Griffey Geiss — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 20:26:58 +0000

Diving into recent talk, transactions, and trends around the league!

The post MLB Rumor Roundup: 6/20 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 6/19

Rick Graham — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 19:09:26 +0000

A Review of Key Bullpen and Reliever Usage from Yesterday's Games

The post Fantasy Baseball Relief Pitcher Roundup: 6/19 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Giants To Move Adrian Houser To Bullpen

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 19:05:18 +0000

Struggling right-hander Adrian Houser is being moved from the Giants rotation to the bullpen, manager Tony Vitello told the California Post’s Evan Webeck (multiple links) and other reporters. With Tyler Mahle nearing a return from the 15-day injured list, Houser looks to the odd man out of the rotation, as the Giants will instead keep Trevor McDonald in a starting role.

Houser is no stranger to relief pitching, as he worked as a swingman with the Brewers earlier in his career and was moved to the Mets’ bullpen after some other struggles as a starter early in the 2024 season. That said, it’s obviously not a great outcome for either Houser or the Giants just six months after the right-hander inked a two-year, $22MM free agent deal.

Houser expressed his disappointment over the role change, telling Webeck that “I’m not going to be happy about it, but I understand. I signed here to be a starter. I didn’t sign here to be in the bullpen. So I’m gonna do everything I can to get back in the rotation.”

Over his 10 Major League seasons, Houser has generally delivered okay numbers as a back-end starter, with a career 4.20 ERA and 50.3% grounder rate over 799 2/3 innings in the Show. Houser’s ability to keep the ball on the ground has mitigated his lack of strikeouts, though this year, his grounder rate has dropped to 40.5%. The increase in fly balls has been just one of many issues on a troublingly blue Statcast card for Houser, and his 5.73 ERA over 66 innings underlines his lack of results.

Mahle also posted a 6.04 ERA over 56 2/3 innings before a hamstring strain sent him to the IL on May 27. Between Mahle and Houser, the Giants haven’t received much return on the $32MM spent on their rotation in free agency this past winter. The lack of production from the rotation has only been part of the problem in an overall rough season for a Giants team that entered today’s action with a 31-44 record.

With the front office already considering selling at the deadline, Mahle is an obvious trade chip as a rental player, assuming that he can regain any of his old form before August 3. That means Mahle will probably get plenty of opportunity to get on track before the deadline, closing one possible door for Houser’s rotation return. As for McDonald, the rookie has a 4.64 ERA over eight starts and 42 2/3 innings pitched, and the Giants would surely want to see what McDonald can do as the team is beginning to look ahead to 2027.

If Mahle or Robbie Ray are dealt at the deadline, Houser could be moved back into one of the open slots in San Francisco’s rotation. Houser’s own trade value is next to nil at this point given both his lack of success this year, and his remaining salary — about $3MM left this year, $9.5MM in 2027, and a $4MM buyout of a $12.5MM club option for 2028.

The Ever-Enigmatic Edward Cabrera

Anthony Licciardi — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 19:00:04 +0000

Edward Cabrera is underperforming his stuff this season.

The post The Ever-Enigmatic Edward Cabrera appeared first on Pitcher List.

Davis Martin and the Art of Kitchen Sink Elevation

Jack Foley — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 18:30:13 +0000

The way they fit matters more than the pieces themselves.

The post Davis Martin and the Art of Kitchen Sink Elevation appeared first on Pitcher List.

Mariners Outright Curtis Washington Jr.

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 18:19:13 +0000

The Mariners announced that outfielder Curtis Washington Jr. was outrighted to A-level Everett after clearing waivers. There wasn’t any public indication that Washington had also been designated for assignment when he was optioned back to Everett earlier this week, but the outright now opens up a spot on Seattle’s 40-man roster.

The 26-year-old Washington was briefly part of the Mariners’ active roster when his contract was selected earlier this week. Between a roster crunch and a road trip for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers, Washington earned a cup of coffee in the majors basically just due to a stroke of luck, as the Mariners quickly needed a backup outfielder and Washington was able to make the short trip from Everett to Seattle.

Washington’s cameo in the Show didn’t result in any playing time, so he is still not officially a big league player. His career resume remains a .221/.311/.330 slash line over 973 plate appearances since being selected in the 19th round of the 2022 draft.

Washington appeared in two games with Triple-A Tacoma in 2024 but has otherwise not played beyond the high-A level. Given this modest resume, it isn’t surprising that other teams didn’t feel the need to spend a 40-man roster spot on a waiver claim, so the Mariners were pretty safe in knowing that they wouldn’t lose Washington by DFA’ing him.

NL Central Notes: Woodruff, Palencia, De La Cruz, Johnson, Pagan, Gorman

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 18:04:56 +0000

Brewers manager Pat Murphy told MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters that Brandon Woodruff will be back in Milwaukee’s rotation sometime during the team’s series with the Reds that begins on Monday. Woodruff posted a 3.60 ERA over six starts and 30 innings for the Brew Crew before he was placed on the 15-day injured list on May 1 due to shoulder inflammation. While the injury wasn’t too serious, the Brewers took a cautious approach to Woodruff’s throwing progression, probably in a nod to the veteran’s recent health history.

With Quinn Priester‘s season now officially over and Logan Henderson and Coleman Crow still on the 15-day IL, Woodruff’s return will help a Brewers rotation whose depth has been tested by injuries. Robert Gasser is probably the likeliest candidate to be dropped from the rotation upon Woodruff’s return, which lines up Milwaukee’s rotation as ace Jacob Misiorowski, Kyle Harrison, Brandon Sproat, Shane Drohan, and Woodruff.

Sit/Start Week 13: Reviewing All Starting Pitcher Matchups From 6/22 – 6/28

Lucas Zenobi — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 18:00:57 +0000

Lucas Zenobi scores every starting pitcher matchup for the week ahead.

The post Sit/Start Week 13: Reviewing All Starting Pitcher Matchups From 6/22 – 6/28 appeared first on Pitcher List.

The Washington Nationals are No Longer Stuck in the Past

Matthew Creally — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:30:14 +0000

A new brain trust has turned the offense around in D.C.

The post The Washington Nationals are No Longer Stuck in the Past appeared first on Pitcher List.

Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup 6/19: Strikeouts Come From Cam A Lot

Jake Crumpler — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:26:12 +0000

Jake Crumpler reviews every starting pitcher performance from Friday.

The post Fantasy Baseball SP Roundup 6/19: Strikeouts Come From Cam A Lot appeared first on Pitcher List.

Giants Designate Jared Oliva For Assignment

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:19:14 +0000

The Giants activated Jared Oliva from the 60-day injured list and then designated the outfielder for assignment. (The San Francisco Chronicle’s Shayna Rubin was among the beat writers to report the news.) The move gives the Giants 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Oliva signed a minor league contract with San Francisco in February and then made the team’s Opening Day roster. After playing in 26 games with the Pirates in 2020-21, Oliva didn’t appear again in the big leagues until his seven games with the Giants this year, but his return to the Show was cut short by a hamate fracture in mid-April.

Such injuries usually lead to absences of 4-8 weeks, and Oliva has now logged 14 games of action during a minor league rehab assignment. As noted by Evan Webeck of the California Post, Oliva had reached the end of his 20-day rehab period, and the Giants chose to just designate the outfielder rather than activate Olivia and option him to the minors.

Oliva had one hit and one stolen base over seven plate appearances for San Francisco, and his career slash line is .175/.212/.206 over 66 PA with the Pirates and Giants. His career Triple-A numbers (.257/.331/.406 over 1377 PA) are better, but Oliva didn’t distinguish himself by hitting only .241/.288/.315 in 60 Triple-A plate appearances this year.

Stealing bases is Oliva’s calling card, as the 30-year-old has swiped 231 bags (out of 276 attempts) during his nine minor league seasons, highlighted by a 57-steal campaign with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in 2025. Despite this ability on the basepaths and Oliva’s ability to play all three outfield positions, he hasn’t shown enough at the plate to merit much of a look at the MLB level.

Since Oliva doesn’t have the ability to reject an outright assignment, he’ll have to stick with the Giants if he clears waivers and is then outrighted to Triple-A. It is possible another team in need of outfield depth might have some interest on a waiver claim, and Oliva has two minor league option years remaining.

Two-Start Starters: Week 13

Will Orsland — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 17:00:18 +0000

Which two-start starters you should start or question?

The post Two-Start Starters: Week 13 appeared first on Pitcher List.

The Stash List Week 13: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2026

Martin Sekulski — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 16:30:39 +0000

Top 10 pitching prospects to stash in redraft league.

The post The Stash List Week 13: Top 10 Pitching Prospects to Stash in 2026 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Blue Jays Reinstate Daulton Varsho From 10-Day IL, Lazaro Estrada From 60-Day IL

Anthony Franco — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 16:29:50 +0000

TODAY: The Jays announced Estrada’s reinstatement from the 60-day IL as well as Daulton Varsho‘s reinstatement from the 10-day IL. Little and infielder Charles McAdoo were optioned to Triple-A to create room for Estrada and Varsho on the active roster.

JUNE 19: The Blue Jays will reinstate right-hander Lazaro Estrada from the 60-day injured list, reports Francys Romero. Toronto has a couple openings on the 40-man roster after recently designating Yariel Rodríguez and Connor Seabold for assignment.

Estrada also has a couple options remaining, so the Jays wouldn’t need any corresponding moves if they simply keep him in Triple-A on an optional assignment. Brendon Little, who allowed four runs today in his first MLB appearance in two months, seems the likeliest candidate to go back to the minors if the Jays want to carry Estrada on the MLB roster.

In either case, Estrada is back to health after missing two and a half months with a shoulder impingement. The 27-year-old righty made a four-inning appearance as part of a bullpen game on April 4. That’s his only MLB work this season and the third appearance of his career. Estrada has worked 2-3 inning stints on his rehab assignment but worked as a starter in Triple-A last season.

Estrada is one of five rotation options on Toronto’s 60-day injured list. José Berríos, Cody Ponce and Bowden Francis aren’t coming back this season. The other, Shane Bieber, could make his return next week. Barring any intervening moves, that would bring the 40-man roster back to capacity. Bieber has gotten to five innings in each of his last two rehab starts and threw 80 pitches on Wednesday.

Kevin Gausman was blitzed for seven runs over two innings in today’s series opener at Wrigley Field. Patrick Corbin and Dylan Cease will take the ball for the final two games against the Cubs. The Jays don’t have anyone lined up for Monday’s series opener against the Astros, for which Bieber would be on regular rest. They could opt for any of Estrada (if he’s activated onto the MLB roster), Spencer Miles or Simeon Woods Richardson to log the majority of a bullpen game if they want to give Bieber a little more time. Trey Yesavage would be on schedule for Tuesday if they don’t make any changes to the order.

Royals Sign Matt Moore To Minors Contract

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 16:16:46 +0000

The Royals have signed left-hander Matt Moore to a minor league deal, as per the team’s official player development account on X. The signing marks Moore’s return to pro ball after he didn’t pitch during the 2025 season.

A veteran of 13 Major League seasons, Moore signed a minors contract with the Red Sox in February 2025 but didn’t make the Opening Day roster. Moore could’ve opted out of his deal but chose to remain in the organization at Triple-A Worcester, yet some arm soreness prevented Moore from ever taking the mound for the WooSox. The Sox then released Moore in early April, and it may be that the southpaw’s long absence was related to his arm issues.

The contract is a nice late birthday present for Moore, who turned 37 two days ago. Should he reach the majors, the Royals would be the ninth different club Moore has pitched with at the MLB level, and he also pitched in Japan for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks during the 2020 season.

Viewed as baseball’s best pitching prospect during his time in the Rays’ farm system, Moore looked to be living up to that potential with an All-Star nod in 2013, but his career was set back by a Tommy John surgery in 2014. His numbers went south in the aftermath of that procedure, and Moore didn’t really get back on track until 2022, when he made a full-time shift to relief pitching and emerged as a weapon in the Rangers’ bullpen.

Moore posted a 2.20 ERA over 126 2/3 relief innings for four different teams during the 2022-23 seasons, but then struggled to a 5.03 ERA in 48 1/3 innings with the Angels in 2024. That rough year was prematurely ended by a forearm injury, and Moore hasn’t shown a pitch in a pro game since August 25, 2024.

If Moore can regain any of his old form, he could be an interesting addition to the struggling Kansas City bullpen, though the 32-45 Royals are running out of time to get into contention. Depending on how Moore looks in the minors and how long it may take him to ramp up to readiness at the big league level, he could be an interesting trade candidate beyond the deadline, as players can still be traded after August 3 if they haven’t been on a 40-man roster or on a Major League injured list at any point in the season.

Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Picks: 6/20/26

Ben Solow — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 16:02:07 +0000

Go grab Dominic Canzone if you can!

The post Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Picks: 6/20/26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Starts and Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (June 15 - June 21)

Nick Mariano — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:59:02 +0000

Limber up that arm and get ready to dominate with some updated starting pitcher starts/sits for fantasy baseball for the week ahead - Monday, June 15 through Sunday, June 21. We'll tell you who is pitching, their opponent, and a confidence/startability score based on our winning tools. This is all built to provide you with […]

Starting Pitcher Streamer Ranks Fantasy Baseball: 6/20 & 6/21 & 6/22

Nick Pollack — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:53:06 +0000

Best SP streamers and rankings for today & tomorrow & day after.

The post Starting Pitcher Streamer Ranks Fantasy Baseball: 6/20 & 6/21 & 6/22 appeared first on Pitcher List.

TWF 154 – Bo-pain and Bo-pain Accessories

John Ke — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:30:57 +0000

Bo Knows

The post TWF 154 – Bo-pain and Bo-pain Accessories appeared first on Pitcher List.

Pirates Open To Trading Prospects, CBR-A Draft Pick

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:23:17 +0000

The Pirates carry an even 38-38 record into today’s game with the Rockies, and Pittsburgh sits two games out of a wild card slot in the crowded NL playoff race. Since the Buccos haven’t had a winning season since 2018 and haven’t reached the playoffs since 2015, the team is looking to end both droughts with some extra aggressiveness on the trade front.

According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Pirates “are open to trading” their Competitive Balance Round pick in the upcoming draft, as well as from their minor league system. The Pirates were slotted into CBR-A this year, so their extra choice will fall 34th overall in the draft order.

The Competitive Balance Rounds are two bonus rounds that fall, respectively, after the first and second rounds of the draft. The 15 teams that rank (as per a formula determined by the league) within the bottom 10 teams of the league in revenue or market size each receive an extra draft pick, and these are the only picks that can be traded.

Since developing prospects is an even more important part of roster-building for smaller-market teams, there is a natural benefit to just using the CBR pick to bring an extra young player into the system. However, we’ve seen several deals involving these CBR selections over the years, as clubs in a more win-now mode have used these picks as trade chips to acquire more proven talent. Of the 15 picks over the two Competitive Balance Rounds in the 2026 draft, five have been traded.

Pittsburgh could make it a sixth if an acceptable offer emerges between now and when the draft begins on July 11. Rosenthal writes that the Pirates are looking at all options on the trade front, though the shaky relief corps is the club’s obvious weak link.

Closer Gregory Soto and left-hander Evan Sisk have been pretty much the only reliable relievers in the Pirates’ pen, and Pittsburgh’s 4.46 reliever ERA ranks 20th of 30 teams. The bullpen has also thrown the ninth-most (292 2/3) innings of any relief corps in baseball, and adding more relief depth is particularly important since most of the Pirates’ young starters have yet to complete a full Major League season.

While the Pirates acquired Hunter Stratton from the Braves yesterday, a more prominent swap for a relief pitcher may not come until much closer to July 11, if the CBR-A pick does indeed become part of Pittsburgh’s trade plans. The Pirates will surely want a few more weeks to evaluate the always-volatile bullpen market, and there are only a few teams in clear-cut seller mode here on June 20. If the Bucs are going to dangle the 34th overall pick in an attempt to land a reliever, the team is probably going to target relievers with additional contractual control, so a rental like the Rockies’ Antonio Senzatela (to name one obvious trade candidate on a rebuilding team) likely isn’t a fit in such a deal.

As Rosenthal notes, we’ve seen teams include CBR picks in trades for relievers just before each of the last two drafts. However, the wide variance in the outcomes of those trades underscores the risk for the Pirates. The Rays landed Bryan Baker from the Orioles for the 37th overall pick last July and Baker has gone onto enjoy a tremendous 2026 season as Tampa’s closer. By contrast, the Royals sent the 39th pick and infield prospect Cayden Wallace to the Nationals for Hunter Harvey just prior to the 2024 draft, and Harvey then pitched only 16 1/3 innings over parts of two injury-marred seasons in Kansas City.

Ty France Hits Two Home Runs – Fantasy Baseball Hitting Recap 6/19/2026

Ryan Clark — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 15:00:39 +0000

Breaking down notable hitting performances from yesterday’s games.

The post Ty France Hits Two Home Runs – Fantasy Baseball Hitting Recap 6/19/2026 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Relief Pitcher Streamer Rankings Fantasy Baseball: 6/20

Rick Graham — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:25:33 +0000

The Best Reliever Streamers for Today with Updated Bullpen Usage Charts

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Diamondbacks’ Michael Soroka, Jordan Lawlar To Undergo MRIs

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:09:32 +0000

The Diamondbacks’ 9-5 victory over the Twins on Friday may have been costly on the health front, as both starter Michael Soroka and outfielder Jordan Lawlar had to make early exits. Soroka’s start was cut short after just one inning, as he felt discomfort in his left glute muscle while warming up for his second inning of work. Lawlar had to be replaced by a pinch-runner in the eighth inning, as Lawlar picked up a right hamstring strain while sprinting to first to beat out a bunt single.

A.J. Puk Sustains Capsule Sprain

Connor Byrne — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:06:40 +0000

TODAY: The MRI revealed a capsule sprain, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including the Arizona Republic’s Bob McManaman). Puk will be shut down for the next four weeks and then re-evaluated. If all goes well and Puk is able to restart his throwing ramp-up without any setbacks, a return to the majors seems possible by the back half of August.

JUNE 13: Diamondbacks left-handed reliever A.J. Puk is nearing the one-year anniversary of the internal brace procedure he underwent on his elbow on June 20, 2025. Puk is now dealing with another issue that will delay a potential 2026 return. The Diamondbacks have paused his rehab as a result of left shoulder discomfort, according to Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Puk will undergo an MRI.

The Athletics drafted Puk sixth overall in 2016. He continued as a premium starting pitching prospect in the minors over the next couple of years. Unfortunately, though, injuries have plagued Puk throughout his professional career and largely limited him to a relief role. He underwent Tommy John surgery in 2018, keeping him out all of that season. The A’s promoted Puk to the majors in August 2019, but after an encouraging late-season debut, a shoulder strain shelved him for the entire pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. He has since gone on the IL five more times with various arm troubles, including his current 60-day placement.

When he has taken the mound, the 31-year-old Puk has held his own. During a mostly healthy stretch with the A’s, Marlins and Diamondbacks from 2022-24, he made 178 appearances and fired 180 2/3 innings of 2.94 ERA ball with a 31.1 percent strikeout rate and a walk percentage of 6.4. He was in top form after Arizona acquired him from Miami ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. Puk posted a pristine 1.32 ERA with 43 strikeouts and a mere five walks over 27 1/3 frames.

The Diamondbacks hoped for similar dominance last year, but Puk was only healthy enough to total eight innings. His most recent appearance in the majors came on April 17, 2025. While Arizona could have non-tendered Puk in the offseason, it kept him around on a $3.1MM salary for his final year of team control. Puk had been working back on a rehab assignment before this shoulder problem cropped up in a 24-pitch outing with Triple-A Reno on June 5.

The Diamondbacks have started the year 35-34, putting them 8 1/2 back of the NL West-leading Dodgers. That may be too big of a deficit to overcome, but they are just a half-game out of a wild-card spot. A bullpen that has gotten nothing from Puk or June 2025 Tommy John recipient Justin Martinez ranks 20th in ERA (4.27) and 25th in K-BB percentage (10.5). However, a good portion of the damage has come against current minor leaguers Brandon Pfaadt (5.91 ERA in 21 1/3 relief innings) and Andrew Hoffmann (7.71 ERA in 11 1/3 frames).

The Diamondbacks have gotten impressive results from a unit consisting of closer Paul Sewald, Kevin Ginkel, Taylor Clarke, Juan Morillo, Ryan Thompson, Jonathan Loáisiga and Brandyn Garcia. They have each logged ERAs ranging from 2.12 to 3.20, and all of them carry decent or better peripherals. There isn’t much variety with Puk unavailable, though, as Garcia is the lone southpaw in the group. Martinez, another righty, could return sometime in the second half, per the team’s injury report at MLB.com. He threw his eighth bullpen session on Friday.

Expecting to buy before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, D-backs general manager Mike Hazen has already identified the bullpen as an area he would like to address. If Puk’s latest injury proves severe, it could increase Hazen’s urgency to upgrade his relief corps this summer.

This Week in Baseball History – 6-19-26

Joe Landolina — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 14:00:39 +0000

Amazing pitching feats and significant trades dominate this week.

The post This Week in Baseball History – 6-19-26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

Lineup Analysis (6/19/26)

Jeff Zimmerman — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:30:42 +0000

I wish platoons were illegal.

Source

MLB News & Moments: Jacob Misiorowski Is Human

Pablo Figueroa — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:30:31 +0000

The Miz fails to put up a zero.

The post MLB News & Moments: Jacob Misiorowski Is Human appeared first on Pitcher List.

TAA 15 – That’s The Good Stuff: What Goes Into Pitch Modeling

Nate Schwartz — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:00:40 +0000

Nate and Kyle break down Stuff models and the theories behind them.

The post TAA 15 – That’s The Good Stuff: What Goes Into Pitch Modeling appeared first on Pitcher List.

The Opener: Schlittler, Athletics, Sale, Harrison

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 13:00:07 +0000

Baseball’s two-way superstar is now going to be a two-time father, as Shohei Ohtani and his wife Mamiko are expecting their second child. Ohtani missed yesterday’s game (a 6-5 Dodgers win over the Orioles) due to the impending birth but won’t be placed on the paternity list, as manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani could be back in the lineup as early as today.

1. Schlittler shuts down Cincinnati

Cam Schlittler had another dominant outing on Friday, recording 13 strikeouts (and no walks) over six shutout innings in the Yankees’ 5-0 win over the Reds. With almost half the season in the books, Schlittler has to be considered the favorite for AL Cy Young Award honors, as the right-hander now has a 1.71 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate, and 4.9% walk rate over 95 innings in his second big league season. With Schlittler leading the way, the Yankees’ excellent pitching has been one of the key reasons the team hasn’t missed a beat since losing Aaron Judge to the injured list. New York is now 10-5 since Judge’s last game on May 31.

2. Rally time in Sacramento

No lead is too big at Sutter Health Park, as the Athletics rebounded from a seven-run deficit on Friday to escape with a 12-11 win over the Angels in 10 innings. Trailing 11-4 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the A’s steadily chipped away at the Halos’ lead, and forced extras when pinch-hitter Jonah Heim hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. The unlikely victory brought the Athletics back to the .500 mark with an even 38-38 record, making the A’s one of just six American League teams with a non-losing record.

3. Southpaw showdown in Atlanta

The battle of division leaders continues with an intriguing pitching matchup, as the Brewers’ Kyle Harrison faces the Braves’ Chris Sale today. Harrison’s breakout campaign has seen the 24-year-old left-hander post a 2.47 ERA, 30% strikeout rate, and 6.7% walk rate over 65 2/3 innings and 13 starts. Now in his 16th MLB season, Sale has just kept on rolling with a 2.30 ERA, 28.8K%, and 6.3BB% in 13 starts and 78 1/3 frames. The Braves already topped the Brewers’ other ace in the series opener on Friday, emerging with a 3-2 win over Jacob Misiorowski.

Daily Fantasy Baseball News and Notes | First Pitch 6/20/26

Carson Picard — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 11:00:46 +0000

Everything you need to know to win your fantasy baseball league, daily

The post Daily Fantasy Baseball News and Notes | First Pitch 6/20/26 appeared first on Pitcher List.

MLB Mailbag: Orioles, Peralta, Skubal, Braves, Brewers

Steve Adams — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 04:52:57 +0000

In this week’s MLB Mailbag, we’ll take questions about the Orioles’ deadline outlook, potential trade scenarios for Freddy Peralta and Tarik Skubal, Ha-Seong Kim‘s struggles in Atlanta and whether the Brewers should make a big win-now push.

Let’s get started!

Eric asks…

Do you think the Orioles will stick with the 3B combo of Coby Mayo/Blaze Alexander, or will they look to upgrade if they’re within striking distance of the wild card?

Phil asks…

Would you please name the top three (or five. Go nuts!) players the Orioles should trade for assuming they’re within shouting distance of a wild card spot in late July, and do the same for their top three pieces they should trade away if they aren’t. Thanks!

Since these questions are related not only in the fact that they’re both about the Orioles but also that the answers will dovetail to an extent, I’ll answer them together.

Firstly, I don’t envision many clear upgrades at third base to be available this summer. The Giants are open to dealing Matt Chapman, but the Orioles aren’t going to be excited about taking on the remainder of his contract when he’s owed $100MM from 2027-30 — his age-34 through age-37 seasons. That’s not unique to the Orioles. Few teams are going to view that as a positive value. The Mets probably wouldn’t mind getting out from under the Bo Bichette contract, but he’s hitting .250/.295/.372 in his first season at third base in Queens. He’s been hot lately, but no club is going to be enthused about paying an underperforming player a $42MM annual salary — particularly on an opt-out-laden contract.

There are a handful of rental options who could be available, but none who are playing very well. Yoan Moncada is on the injured list again and hasn’t hit when healthy. Alec Bohm‘s bat is beginning to come around, but his overall batting line is well below average. Old friend Ramon Urias hasn’t played well with the Cardinals and, like Moncada, is on the injured list at the moment.

I doubt the O’s would want to pay a premium for a more controllable option. Jordan Westburg won’t play this season — a prominent reason for the team’s lackluster showing in 2026 — but will be recovered from his season-ending UCL repair by the time the 2027 campaign rolls around. He should reclaim his role at third base next year. The O’s could try for a multi-position player who’s comfortable at third base, but options there are limited, too. Buy-low options like Brett Baty and Nolan Gorman will almost certainly be available, but neither’s hitting well and either could be a non-tender candidate. If the Astros end up selling and listening on Isaac Paredes again, that’d be a reasonable fit, though Camden Yards is a poor fit for his right-handed, extreme-pull-side approach. Baltimore wouldn’t have a clear spot for Paredes in the 2027 lineup but could rent him this year and explore offseason trades.

The likelier and more prudent spots for Baltimore to upgrade, in my view, would be in the rotation and the bullpen. The Orioles will see three veteran starters become free agents: Trevor Rogers, Chris Bassitt and Zach Eflin (who’s out for the season). The names atop their 2027 rotation depth chart include Kyle Bradish, Shane Baz and Dean Kremer. Younger and/or less-proven options like Trey Gibson, Cade Povich, Brandon Young and Tyler Wells could feasibly enter the mix, but the O’s aren’t going to want to leave the rotation to chance. They’ll need to add arms this winter anyhow, and proactively getting some shopping done at the deadline makes good sense.

Adding a starting pitcher who’s controlled beyond 2026 should be something of a priority. It’ll come with a steep cost, but it’s one the O’s should be willing to pay. Paying for one-plus season of someone like Joe Ryan when Baltimore seems at best like a potential Wild Card club feels like a stretch, though. I’d zero in on players with multiple seasons remaining beyond the current one. That’s going to limit the number of options, but there are a few who come to mind.

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Latest On Marlins’ Rotation

Anthony Franco — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 04:39:32 +0000

The Marlins could get Eury Pérez back from the 15-day injured list as soon as next week. The 6’8″ righty tossed 3 2/3 innings and 51 pitches in a rehab start with Triple-A Jacksonville yesterday. Manager Clayton McCullough told reporters (including Christina De Nicola and Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru of MLB.com) that Pérez will throw a pitch design session in the next few days and may not need another minor league start before he rejoins the MLB rotation.

Pérez has made remarkably quick progress since sustaining a right gracilis strain in late May. That initially came with an eight-week timeline that it seems Pérez will beat by a month. It’ll be a welcome boost to a team that has patched together the last couple rotation spots. Janson Junk went on the injured list with a shin injury just two days after the Fish lost Pérez. Those injuries came less than two weeks after rookie starter Robby Snelling underwent season-ending elbow surgery, while top prospect Thomas White went down with a shoulder injury in Triple-A.

Sandy Alcantara and Max Meyer are the only two Miami starters who have held a rotation spot all year. Tyler Phillips moved from long relief to the rotation after the Pérez and Junk injuries. They’ve brought up Ryan Gusto to start three games since the beginning of June. Gusto hasn’t completed five innings while struggling to prevent runs in two of his three appearances. He’ll start Sunday’s series finale against the Giants. They’ve used bullpen games, mostly opened by Lake Bachar, for the fifth rotation spot.

Junk seems a couple weeks away. Jordan McPherson of The Miami Herald writes that the right-hander threw a pitch design session this afternoon and should progress to live batting practice in the coming days. McCullough said he’ll likely need multiple rehab starts before he’s ready for an MLB return.

Despite the patched together back of the rotation, Miami has played very well of late. Today’s 4-3 win over San Francisco improved them to 12-4 in June, the best record in MLB. They’ve climbed back to .500 at 38-38, pulling within two games of a Wild Card spot. It’s the team’s best effort to change what had seemed a selling trajectory after they finished May at 26-34.

That places a lot of importance on the team’s play over the next six weeks. Meyer and Alcantara would be two of the better starting pitchers on the trade market if the Marlins made them available. Meyer is arbitration eligible for three seasons after this one, so there’s certainly no urgency. That said, they’ve also traded Jesús Luzardo, Ryan Weathers and Edward Cabrera with multiple years of remaining control.

Those were seemingly motivated by injury trepidation, and Meyer’s spotty health history before this season could give the front office pause. It’d be a tougher sell to trade either Meyer or Alcantara, who is controllable for next season via $21MM team option, if they’re still within a couple games of a playoff spot at the end of July.

In that case, there’d be an argument for Miami to add a back-end arm. Junk or Phillips could move to a swing role if the Fish add a league average starter to slot behind Meyer, Alcantara and Pérez. Miami’s bullpen has been quietly effective throughout the season but would benefit from a better second left-hander to pair with John King after they lost Andrew Nardi to a rib injury.

The corner infield has been an issue all season, and they should upgrade at least one of those positions as well. The Christopher Morel signing hasn’t panned out, leading them to use Kyle Stowers more frequently at first base. Upgrading there would give them the freedom to put Stowers back into an everyday left field role.

Blue Jays To Reinstate Lazaro Estrada From 60-Day Injured List

Anthony Franco — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 02:28:50 +0000

The Blue Jays will reinstate right-hander Lazaro Estrada from the 60-day injured list, reports Francys Romero. Toronto has a couple openings on the 40-man roster after recently designating Yariel Rodríguez and Connor Seabold for assignment.

Rangers Outright Michel Otañez

Anthony Franco — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 01:46:06 +0000

The Rangers sent reliever Michel Otañez outright to Triple-A Round Rock, per the MLB.com transaction log. Texas designated him for assignment last weekend when they selected Joe Ross onto the MLB roster.

It’s the first career outright for Otañez, who’ll accordingly need to accept the minor league assignment. The 28-year-old (29 next month) has spent the entire season in Round Rock despite previously holding a spot on the 40-man roster. He has struggled to a 6.15 earned run average through 26 1/3 innings. Otañez, claimed off waivers from the A’s last winter, has an excellent 30.8% strikeout rate but has issued walks to more than 20% of batters faced.

That’s a typical profile for the hard-throwing sinkerballer. Otañez can miss bats but has been far too wild throughout his minor league career. It’s a similar story at the MLB level, where he racked up a 34% strikeout rate but walked 14% of opponents across 42 appearances with the A’s over the last two seasons. He posted an ERA close to 5.00 over 39 1/3 MLB frames.

Otañez will remain in the Texas system and try to put himself back on the radar for his team debut. He’ll reach minor league free agency at the end of the season if the Rangers don’t add him back to the 40-man roster.

Bobby Witt Jr. Out Of Lineup With MCL Sprain

Anthony Franco — Sat, 20 Jun 2026 00:47:32 +0000

AL MVP candidate Bobby Witt Jr. is dealing with a Grade 1 sprain of the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee. Witt is not available for tonight’s game against the Cardinals. There’s a rare Saturday off day tomorrow because Kansas City will host a World Cup match between Ecuador and Curacao in the evening.

Anne Rogers of MLB.com writes that Witt will be reevaluated before Sunday afternoon’s series finale. Manager Matt Quatraro tells Rogers there’s no fear the injury would require surgical repair, but an injured list stint may be necessary depending on the amount of inflammation.

Witt suffered the injury while making a diving stop on a ground-ball off the bat of Jordan Walker last night. He wheeled and tried to throw to second for a force out but tweaked his knee. Witt stayed in through the end of the defensive inning but was lifted for a pinch-hitter in the bottom half.

Kansas City is without their entire Opening Day infield for tonight’s game. Vinnie Pasquantino suffered a hamate fracture last week and will be out beyond the All-Star Break. Jonathan India underwent season-ending shoulder surgery in April. Witt and Maikel Garcia are both day to day, with the latter out since Tuesday due to a muscle strain in his left hand.

Jac Caglianone and Michael Massey are the regular duo on the right side of the infield. The day-to-day injuries on the left side draw Nick Loftin and Tyler Tolbert into tonight’s lineup at third base and shortstop, respectively. Isaac Collins can move into the infield on an emergency basis, but it’s certainly not ideal to only have Starling Marte and Kameron Misner available off the bench.

Injured list stints can be retroactive by a maximum of three days, so the Royals might make a decision on Garcia during the off day. They may wait until Monday to make that call on Witt, as they could backdate that placement to today.

Kansas City already has an uphill battle to pulling back into the Wild Card picture. They’re 14 games under .500 and fourth from the bottom in the American League. The Royals got Seth Lugo back from a brief stay on the concussion list tonight but are still down two of their top starters in Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic. They’ve been a slightly below-average offense despite Witt turning in a .294/.368/.465 line with 10 homers and MLB-high 28 stolen bases.

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1517 – 2-Start Pitchers for Week 13

Paul Sporer — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 23:41:00 +0000

Paul and Jason review next week's two-start arms to find some potential gems

Source

Rockies Release Andrew Knizner

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 22:51:32 +0000

The Rockies have released catcher Andrew Knizner, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He had been performing well, so it’s possible he triggered an opt-out. Either way, he’s a free agent and can now sign with any club.

Knizner, 31, signed a one-year, $1MM major league deal with the Mariners in the offseason. That club later pivoted to bringing back Mitch Garver to pair with Cal Raleigh behind the plate. Knizner was bumped off the roster before Opening Day, which led to his minor league deal with the Rockies.

Since signing the latter pact, he has been hitting quite well. He has taken 140 trips to the plate across 33 games for Triple-A Albuquerque and hit ten home runs. His 10.7% walk rate and 18.6% strikeout rate are both strong figures. Even in the hitter-friendly context of the Pacific Coast League, his .279/.371/.590 line in 24% better than average by measure of wRC+.

Knizner has never been an impact hitter in the big leagues. In 975 plate appearances across seven seasons, he has a .211/.281/.316 line and 68 wRC+. On the other side of the ball, Knizner hasn’t been graded as a strong framer in his career but he was worse earlier on. Each of FanGraphs, Statcast and Baseball Prospectus rank him as an above-average framer dating back to the start of 2024. The reviews on his throwing and blocking are more mixed.

Presumably, teams generally look positively on his overall work wearing the pads, whether that’s his actual defense or perhaps his ability to have a relationship with pitchers. As mentioned, he hasn’t hit much but has continued to get opportunities. The fact that he is hitting well this year perhaps helps him a bit as he now returns to free agency.

If he gets a major league opportunity somewhere, the signing club would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster. The Mariners are currently on the hook for the aforementioned $1MM salary. If some club does give him a spot, the portion they pay him will be subtracted from what the Mariners have to cough up.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

Mariners Designate Miles Mastrobuoni For Assignment, Select Weston Wilson

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 22:30:27 +0000

The Mariners have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Weston Wilson. Fellow infielder/outfielder Miles Mastrobuoni has been designated in a corresponding move. Prior to the official announcement, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times noted Wilson was in the clubhouse. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com indicated Mastrobuoni would likely be designated for assignment to make room.

Kramer suggests the swap is related to the fact that the Mariners are slated to face a bunch of lefties. The Red Sox are scheduled to start southpaws Ranger Suárez, Connelly Early and Payton Tolle this weekend. Seattle’s regular lineup is mostly filled with lefty bats, including J.P. Crawford, Josh Naylor, Dominic Canzone, Luke Raley, Cole Young and Colt Emerson. Righties Connor Joe and Rob Refsnyder are on the bench but Joe has a .189/.302/.324 line this year while Refsnyder is at .143/.214/.242.

Mastrobuoni and Wilson are both multi-positional types but the former hits from the left side and the latter the right. The 31-year-old Wilson has a .240/.331/.413 line in 291 plate appearances from 2023 to 2026, a line that translates to a 108 wRC+. That breaks down as a .248/.351/.456 line and 124 wRC+ against southpaws compared to a .229/.302/.352 line and 83 wRC+ in the other half of the split.

Defensively, Wilson has big league experience at every position on the diamond except for shortstop and catcher. Though he’s never played short in the big leagues, he has spent a decent amount of time there in the minors. He should give manager Dan Wilson a good amount of flexibility in trying to get through this gauntlet of lefties. He was with the Orioles earlier this year but got bumped from that club’s roster, allowing Seattle to sign him to a minor league deal this week.

After this Boston series, the Mariners play the Pirates, who have an all-righty rotation. Wilson is out of options, so perhaps he is in line for a short stay on the roster if the M’s want to shuffle things up again in a few days. Then again, Joe is still optionable and has been struggling, so sending him down could be another possibility.

Optimizing the roster will cost Mastrobuoni his spot. The 30-year-old is in his fifth big league season, having previously spent time with the Rays and Cubs. He was acquired by the Mariners in a cash deal in February of 2025 after being designated for assignment by Chicago. He has generally been a serviceable but light-hitting bench guy. From 2022 to 2024, he hit .231/.296/.276 in 447 plate appearances but played all four infield positions and the outfield corners.

He has barely gotten going this year. He started the season on the 10-day injured list due to a right calf strain. He was later transferred to the 60-day IL. He was activated a little over a week ago. He has a .217/.269/.217 line in 27 plate appearances since then.

Mastrobuoni exhausted his final option year in 2025, leaving him now out of options. He might have started the season on the roster bubble but the IL placement allowed him to technically linger in the mix for almost half the season, but he has now been bumped off.

DFA limbo can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the M’s could take as long as five days to explore trade interest. If he were to clear waivers, he would stay in the system as non-roster depth. He doesn’t have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service, so he wouldn’t have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Photo courtesy of Rafael Suanes, Imagn Images

Cubs Outright Doug Nikhazy

Steve Adams — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 21:12:58 +0000

Left-hander Doug Nikhazy went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment by the Cubs, per the transaction log at MLB.com. He’s been assigned outright to Triple-A Iowa. It’s the first outright of Nikhazy’s career. He won’t have the option to reject the assignment in favor of free agency.

Chicago designated Nikhazy for assignment earlier this week in order to create roster space for trade acquisition Yosver Zulueta. Nikhazy was a waiver claim out of the White Sox organization back in April. (The Sox had previously claimed him from the Guardians.) He hasn’t pitched for the Cubs’ big league club yet, instead spending his entire time with the club with their Triple-A squad in Des Moines.

Nikhazy, 26, was Cleveland’s second-round pick out of Ole Miss back in 2021. He’s pitched only six major league innings to date — four with the Guards, two with the Sox — and been tagged for seven runs on six hits and eight walks with six strikeouts.

From 2021-24, Nikhazy generally posted solid minor league numbers. Heading into the 2025 season, Baseball America ranked him 16th in a strong Cleveland farm system. He wound up taking a step back, however, logging a 5.02 ERA in 86 Triple-A frames. His performance this season has deteriorated even further. Nikhazy has logged an ERA north of 8.00 with the Triple-A affiliates for both Chicago organizations. Overall, he’s sitting on an 8.51 ERA in 37 frames. He’s walked 14% of his opponents against a 22.5% strikeout rate and been tagged for an alarming seven homers (1.70 HR/9) in this time.

It’s been a tough couple seasons for Nikhazy, but he’s not all that far removed from looking like a possible back-of-the-rotation starter. If he can get his command back on track, there’s still a path to him realizing that potential, or at least emerging as a possible swingman/middle reliever, but he has his work cut out for him at the moment.

Rangers Option Josh Smith, Select Jarred Kelenic

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 21:05:22 +0000

The Rangers announced that they have selected the contract of outfielder Jarred Kelenic. Infielder Josh Smith has been optioned to Triple-A Round Rock as the corresponding active roster move. Infielder/outfielder Michael Helman has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot.

Smith is optioned to the minors for the first time since 2022. He was a light-hitting utility player for the World Series-winning club in 2023. He secured a larger role in the past two years. Over 2024 and 2025, he slashed .254/.336/.380 for a wRC+ of 107 while playing every position on the diamond outside of the battery.

In the most recent offseason, the Rangers shipped second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets in exchange for outfielder Brandon Nimmo. That created an opening for Smith to seize the second base job but that hasn’t happened. He made 108 plate appearances through the first week of May with a .217/.324/.239 line.

A glute strain then sent him to the injured list. While he was out, he dealt with some wrist soreness and then was hospitalized by viral meningitis. He finally returned a few days ago and he has hit .222/.222/.333 in his past three games, giving him a .218/.316/.248 line for the year.

The Rangers will try to get him back on track at the Triple-A level. While he was on the IL, they mostly used a combination of Nicky Lopez and Justin Foscue to cover the spot. Ezequiel Durán was also in the mix but he’s now covering shortstop while Corey Seager is on the IL.

Lopez is a strong defender but has a .246/.310/.312 batting line in his career. He has a better .313/.353/.396 line with the Rangers this year but in a tiny sample of 52 plate appearances, buoyed by a .368 batting average on balls in play. Foscue has good numbers on the year but he’s a limited player as he made some defensive miscues and has done all of his damage against lefties. Cody Freeman could also get some time at the keystone. If Seager gets healthy, he could bump Durán back to second base.

The Rangers could look to upgrade the position, or their general infield depth, ahead of the deadline. Their 35-39 record isn’t terribly inspiring but the weak American League field means that they are only 1.5 games back of a playoff spot at the moment.

Kelenic, 26, jumps into the outfield group. The Rangers signed him to a minor league deal earlier this month after he was bumped off the White Sox’ roster. He reported to Triple-A Round Rock and put up a huge .340/.431/.620 line in 13 games for the Express.

Minor league success is nothing new for Kelenic. He was once a top prospect, after being selected sixth overall in 2018 and then crushing his way through the minors. But he has now taken 1,547 big league plate appearances with Seattle, Atlanta and Chicago, producing a .211/.283/.374 in those. The Rangers will be the latest club to try to coax a big league breakout from him.

It’s unclear how much playing time he will get. Texas has Nimmo, Wyatt Langford and Alejandro Osuna in the lineup tonight. Joc Pederson is in the designated hitter spot most nights. He does need a platoon partner but he and Kelenic are both lefties. Osuna is hitting just .240/.352/.260 on the year so perhaps there’s a path for Kelenic to nab some playing time from him.

As for Helman, he was hit on the hand by a pitch last week, as seen in this clip from Baseball Savant. He was quickly diagnosed with multiple fractures, per Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News. He was placed on the 10-day IL the next day. His exact timeline is unclear but this transaction indicates the Rangers expect him to be out until at least the middle of August.

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

Ryne Nelson Reportedly Has Partially Torn Flexor

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 20:25:40 +0000

The Diamondbacks placed right-hander Ryne Nelson on the 15-day injured list today with a strained right elbow, retroactive to June 16th. Fellow righty Yilber Díaz has been recalled in his place. John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix reports that Nelson has a partially torn forearm flexor.

A flexor tear doesn’t necessarily indicate that Nelson is headed straight for surgery, though that’s a common outcome with this injury. He’ll be facing a lengthy absence regardless, and if surgery is the route Nelson takes, his season would surely be over. He’d be facing a monthslong recovery. Every injury and rehab process is unique unto itself, but we’ve seen flexor surgeries performed in midsummer sideline pitchers beyond Opening Day of the subsequent season.

Nelson hasn’t been having an amazing season, with a 4.97 earned run average across 15 starts. Regardless, the Snakes aren’t in a great position to weather the loss of more rotation depth. They were hoping to have Corbin Burnes back from last year’s Tommy John surgery around the All-Star break but he recently suffered a teres major strain and will likely be out until September. Cristian Mena underwent shoulder surgery earlier this month.

Despite the depth issues, the big league rotation has been fairly steady for a while. Merrill Kelly started the season on the IL but was reinstated in mid-April. Since then, every game has been started by the quintet of Kelly, Nelson, Zac Gallen, Michael Soroka and Eduardo Rodríguez. That will now be interrupted, forcing the club to bring someone else into the mix.

Brandon Pfaadt held a rotation spot for many years but he has struggled lately and got bumped to the bullpen when Kelly came off the IL. He wasn’t getting much use in that role, so the Snakes sent him down to the minors a couple of weeks ago with the plan of getting him stretched back out as a starter. That process began with him tossing three innings on June 9th and then 3 1/3 on June 14th. The latter contest saw him get up to 45 pitches. Presumably, the club would like him to keep building up before being recalled, though it’s possible they opt for him to get stretched out in big league games.

Kohl Drake, Mitch Bratt and Dylan Ray are also on the 40-man roster. Ray and Drake both have ERAs north of 6.00 this year. Bratt has a much better 2.84 ERA but just spent a couple of weeks on the minor league injured list. He returned on Wednesday and made a four-inning start. Non-roster options like Tommy Henry and Yu-Min Lin have ERAs above 5.00 this year, though Jose Cabrera has a solid 3.69 ERA. Today marks the beginning of 13 straight games for Arizona, so they’ll need some kind of plan to get through this stretch.

The overall group will be a situation to monitor going forward. General manager Mike Hazen has said he is planning on buying at the deadline but has also downplayed the need to add to the rotation. Perhaps this injury will change that calculus, especially if Pfaadt or someone else doesn’t come up and seize hold of a back-end job.

Turning back to Nelson, this injury is sure to have a negative impact on his earning power. He is in his first of three arbitration seasons and is making $3MM. He is due for two more raises before he hits free agency. This season’s poor numbers and a notable injury will hinder his ability to push up that salary next year. That, in turn, will impact his 2028 earnings.

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat, Today 3pm CT

Steve Adams — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:55:56 +0000

MLBTR’s Steve Adams is hosting a live chat today at 3pm CT, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers.

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Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

Steve Adams — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:55:56 +0000

Steve Adams

Good afternoon! We’ll get going at 3pm CT, but feel free to start sending in questions now.
Hello!
Let’s begin

Cat_Herder

Harris/Greenburg/Hinch on the bubble after the way this season has gone? Or would you give them a pass with a whole starting lineup on the IL?

Steve Adams

Harris has been on the job for less than four calendar years. He inherited a last-place team with a middling farm and a bleak long-term outlook, and the Tigers have made the playoffs twice under him already. I understand frustration surrounding this season, but I don’t think he’s on the hot seat at all.

Arizona

Buyers?! Are they watching the same team everyone else is? Or is this a “hot seat GM” trying to protect his job?

Steve Adams

The D-backs have basically never rebuilt under the Hazen regime. Owner Ken Kendrick has said he has no appetite for a full rebuild in the past. The Snakes are always going to be in some form of win-now mode — or at worst maybe a short-term sell off in the summer when they’re way out of contention.They’re two games over .500, half a game back in the Wild Card. Zero of 30 baseball ops leaders in this situation — in mid-June, no less — would say anything other than they think they have a chance to win and are going to buy.

Giant’s Dugout

Devers, Arraez, Adames, Chapman, Ramos, Lee, Webb, Ray:

Steve Adams

I’d be shocked if anyone took Devers or Adames, and only slightly less shocked on Chapman. Can’t imagine them trading Webb.Arraez and Ray are gone, barring some huge winning streak. Lee, I lean toward staying because the contract isn’t great and the opt-out gums it up, but it’s plausible he moves.
Ramos isn’t all that exciting but if you need a RH bat to platoon in LF/at DH and pummel lefties, I could see some interest. Probably not a big return, though… feel like he’s a year or two from being a non-tender candidate. Low-OBP corner/DH bats on the short side of the platoon aren’t valued highly in the market.

Sam

Hey, Steve. How would you break down the odds that A) Joe Ryan gets traded, B) Joe Ryan gets extended, and C) Neither, he stays in Minnesota until he hits free agency?
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Justin Verlander To Miss Several Weeks With Hamstring Strain

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:35:56 +0000

It was reported earlier this week that right-hander Justin Verlander would be coming off the 60-day injured list to start Sunday’s game, with righty Keider Montero moved to the bullpen. That will no longer happen. Verlander suffered a left hamstring injury while throwing a bullpen on Wednesday and has now been diagnosed with a strain with will cost him several weeks, per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic. Stavenhagen adds that Montero will start that game instead.

It’s yet another frustrating setback in the Verlander-Tigers reunion. Detroit signed him to a one-year deal in the offseason, a $13MM guarantee but with $11MM deferred. That was supposed to lengthen the rotation and give fans some excitement about the prospect of Verlander returning to Comerica Park in Tigers orange.

That still hasn’t happened yet. Verlander made one start on the road in Arizona before left hip inflammation sent him to the IL. Sunday was set to finally be his triumphant return to Detroit but that will now have to wait even longer.

The Detroit rotation has had a number of health issues all year long, though the past few weeks have been relatively stabilizing. Each of Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Troy Melton came off the IL in the past four weeks, joining Framber Valdez and Montero in the rotation. Jack Flaherty went on the IL a week ago, creating a bit of breathing room for those returns. As mentioned, Verlander’s return was going to push Montero to the bullpen but now Montero can just stay in his spot alongside Skubal, Mize, Valdez and Melton.

Montero has been having a decent year, with a 3.67 ERA, so the rotation will ideally be able to be in decent shape without Verlander. Still, it’s less than ideal to for the depth to be thinner for another few weeks. Flaherty can’t return until later this month. Reese Olson is done for the year. Jackson Jobe is still working back from last year’s Tommy John surgery.

Flaherty might be back fairly quickly, but for the time being, the club’s top depth options are Ty Madden, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Jake Miller. They also have Drew Anderson as a long man in the bullpen.

It’s possible there’s a big shakeup over the horizon. The trade deadline is August 3rd and the Tigers have a 30-44 record. They are technically only 6.5 games back in the weak American League playoff field but they probably need to show some life in order to avoid a sell-off. If they do end up selling, Skubal, Mize, Flaherty and Verlander are all impending free agents and would be natural trade candidates. Anderson is on a one-year deal with a club option.

Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images

Tigers Recall Trei Cruz For Major League Debut

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:30:00 +0000

June 19th: Cruz has now been officially recalled and Pérez is on the IL. The Tigers listed the Pérez injury as a left orbital fracture. His timeline is unclear.

June 18th: The Tigers are going to recall infielder/outfielder Trei Cruz, reports Ari Alexander of 7News Boston. He’ll be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game. He’ll take the spot of Wenceel Pérez, who is headed for the injured list, per Chris McCosky of Detroit News. The Tigers are off today, so the move might not be made official until tomorrow.

Cruz, 27, is the grandson of José Cruz and the son of José Cruz. Per Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, the Cruzes will soon become the fifth family with a grandfather, son and grandson all to have played in the major leagues. The other four are the Bells (Gus to Buddy to David and Mike), the Boones (Ray to Bob to Bret and Aaron), the Colemans (Joe to Joe to Casey) and the Hairstons (Sam to Jerry to Jerry and Scott).

The Tigers selected Trei with a third-round pick in 2020. He didn’t show too much in his first few seasons as a professional but burst onto the radar last year. Splitting his time between Double-A and Triple-A, he stepped to the plate 564 times in 2025. His home run tally of 13 was fairly modest but he drew walks at an exceptional 18.1% pace. That helped him produce a .279/.411/.456 slash line. The resulting 149 wRC+ indicated he was 49% better than league average. He got some help from a .349 batting average on balls in play but it would have been a nice showing even with some more neutral luck.

That prompted the Tigers to give him a roster spot in November, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He can play all three outfield spots and the three infield spots to the left of first base. He can swipe a few bases, getting to 17 last year. Coming into 2026, Baseball America ranked him the #18 prospect in the system. FanGraphs was a bit more bearish putting him at #32, expressing some concern with the switch-hitter’s lack of power as a righty and his general propensity to struggle with breaking stuff.

Cruz hasn’t carried over that momentum into this year. He was on the minor league injured for over a month, starting about three weeks into April and going through most of May. Around that IL stint, he has a .225/.331/.326 line in 163 plate appearances this year.

Pérez injured himself in a freak accident this week when a plyo band snapped and hit him near his eye, per McCosky. The Tigers will give him some time to recuperate and add Cruz into an outfield mix that also includes Riley Greene, Kerry Carpenter, Zach McKinstry, James Outman, Jahmai Jones and Matt Vierling. Since Cruz can also play multiple infield spots, he’ll give Detroit some extra flexibility on the dirt as well. The infield group currently consists of Spencer Torkelson, Kevin McGonigle, Colt Keith, Hao-Yu Lee and McKinstry.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

MLB Weekend Series Preview: NL Division Leaders Atlanta and Brewers Meet

Justin Alston — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 19:02:11 +0000

Atlanta hosts Milwaukee in a battle of division leaders.

The post MLB Weekend Series Preview: NL Division Leaders Atlanta and Brewers Meet appeared first on Pitcher List.

Drew Smith To Opt Out Of Deal With Twins

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 18:54:45 +0000

Right-hander Drew Smith is opting out of his minor league deal with the Twins, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. If Minnesota doesn’t give him a roster spot, he’ll become a free agent in the coming days.

Smith, 32, had a solid run with the Mets earlier in his career. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 161 1/3 innings out of that club’s bullpen, allowing 3.35 earned runs per nine. He struck out 24.5% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 9.3% clip and induced grounders on 33% of balls in play.

Health intervened from there, as Smith required Tommy John surgery with an internal brace augmentation in the summer of 2024. That was very unfortunate timing, as he was a few months from free agency. Though he was slated to miss most or all of 2025, the Mets nonetheless re-signed him to a one-year deal worth $1MM with a $2MM club option for 2026. He ended up missing that entire season and the Mets didn’t pick up the option.

Coming into 2026, Smith signed a minor league deal with the Nationals but opted out of that deal before Opening Day and landed with the Twins. He has thrown 24 2/3 innings for Triple-A Saint Paul with a 4.74 ERA. His 17.4% strikeout rate is notably down from his big league work of a few years ago.

The Twins have one of the worst bullpens in the league. Their relief corps has a collective 5.12 earned run average on the year, last in the majors. Still, with Smith’s lackluster performance so far this year, it’s understandable if they don’t want to find a spot for him. Smith will see what other opportunities are available to him. In these cases, the player and team sometimes reunite on a new minor league deal, often with new opt-out chances for the player.

Photo courtesy of Jim Cowsert, Imagn Images

Pitcher Playing Time Changes: June 19, 2026

Jon Becker — Fri, 19 Jun 2026 18:30:09 +0000

A fortnight of projection changes for pitchers.

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