TheRotofeed

The Opener: Bleday, Arozarena, Robert

AJ Eustace — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 13:03:26 +0000

The Astros and Athletics were tied at one run apiece in the top of the sixth yesterday. Houston’s ace, Hunter Brown, was through 5 2/3 innings of one run ball and had runners on first and second before facing Jonah Heim. Astros manager Joe Espada made a mound visit to reinvigorate Brown for the final out of the inning, but Espada inadvertently pointed toward the bullpen while coming out of the dugout. As a result of that gaffe, the umpires ruled that Brown needed to be taken out of the game. Reliever AJ Blubaugh retired Heim on a pop out, though the A’s would win 4-3 thanks to a three-run rally in the eighth.

1. Bleday hits for the cycle in Reds’ win

JJ Bleday led the way in Cincinnati’s 11-6 win over the Diamondbacks yesterday, hitting for the cycle in a 4-for-6 performance with three runs batted in. He opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first, then made it 2-0 in the third with a triple to center field. After adding a single in the top of the fourth, Bleday completed the feat with a home run off Zack Littell in the sixth inning. Bleday is the eighth player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, as well as the first since Elly De La Cruz in June 2023. The Reds collected 16 hits overall and scored in all but two innings, as De La Cruz, Héctor Rodríguez, and Matt McLain all homered in addition to Bleday.

2. Arozarena walks it off in two-homer performance

Left fielder Randy Arozarena went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs in the Mariners’ 4-3 victory over the Cubs in Seattle. Arozarena led off the contest with a solo shot off David Peterson. The Cubs rode a three-run sixth inning to take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth, though a single by Leo Rivas cut that to 4-3. Arozarena delivered the final blow, taking Jacob Webb deep to center field for a two-run, walk-off home run. Arozarena became the first player in Mariners history to hit a leadoff home run and a walk-off home run in the same game. He is up to a 143 wRC+ in the best offensive season of his career.

3. Robert blasts off against former team

Luis Robert Jr. went 2-for-5 with two home runs of his own as the Mets took down the White Sox by a score of 11-5. Robert, facing his old team, hit a two-run shot off Luis Castillo in the top of the third, then added a solo homer off Huascar Brazobán in the seventh for an insurance run. Robert is having a trying season overall, though his 140 wRC+ in 58 August plate appearances is a small bright spot. The Mets’ No. 3-6 hitters combined to go 9-for-20 yesterday, with Bo Bichette and Carson Benge also homering and Jared Young going 2-for-5.

Photo courtesy of Anna Carrington, Imagn Images

Starts and Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (August 17 - August 23)

Nick Mariano — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 11:53:48 +0000

Welcome back RotoBallers to another edition of our Starting Pitcher Starts and Sits column for the week ahead - Monday August 17 through Sunday August 23. As you've come to expect, this article will cover who is pitching, their opponent, and a confidence/startability score based on our tools. This supplies you with a useful start/sit […]

Starting Pitcher Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Pickups - Week 22 (August 24 - August 30)

Mike Carter — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 11:30:53 +0000

Welcome, everyone, to our starting pitcher fantasy baseball waiver wire pickups for Week 22 of the 2026 season (August 17 - August 23). In this piece, we search for starting pitchers rostered in less than 40 percent of Yahoo leagues. For deeper leagues, we find pitchers rostered in less than 30 percent of Yahoo leagues. […]

Starts and Sits - All Starting Pitcher Matchups for Fantasy Baseball (August 24 - August 30)

Nick Mariano — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:15:30 +0000

Gather around for another edition of our Starting Pitcher Starts and Sits column for the week ahead - Monday August 24 through Sunday August 30. As you know by now, this article will cover who is pitching, their opponent, and a confidence/startability score based on our tools. This provides you with a useful start/sit decision-making […]

Andy Smith's Week 22 Waiver Wire Picks - Get 'Em While They're Hot (Premium Content)

Andy Smith — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 10:05:08 +0000

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Andy Pages To Miss 4-5 Weeks Due To Fractured Hand

Mark Polishuk — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 03:59:21 +0000

2:04PM: The Dodgers officially announced Pages’ placement on the 10-day injured list, and Thomas’ call-up from Triple-A Oklahoma City.

11:01AM: The Dodgers will call up Thomas from Triple-A to take Pages’ spot on the active roster, according to The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. Thomas is already on the 40-man roster, so Pages’ IL placement will be the only roster move required.

8:16AM: Andy Pages was hit on the left hand by a Bubba Chandler fastball in the third inning of yesterday’s 5-4 Dodgers win over the Pirates, and manager Dave Roberts revealed postgame that Pages had suffered a fractured hand. The recovery timetable was estimated at 4-5 weeks, regardless of whether or not Pages may require surgery.

“I would expect him back, knowing him, on the earlier side,” Roberts told MLB.com’s Sonja Chen and other reporters. “There’s still time in the season for him to be back. But I feel for him because he was having such a good year and he likes to play. But yeah, we’ve got to move on and hold down the fort until he’s back.”

While Pages was in obvious discomfort after the HBP, he actually stayed in the game for another inning before Enrique Hernandez took over in center field in the top of the fifth. Hernandez is probably the likeliest candidate for the majority of center field time with Pages out, though Alex Call and utilityman Tommy Edman will surely get some time up the middle. Edman has been regularly playing second base, so any time he spends in center field could see Hernandez or Miguel Rojas getting more time at the keystone.

There will inevitably be speculation that Los Angeles could dip into its stash of highly-touted outfield prospects, though the likes of Josue De Paula or Mike Sirota have yet to reach Triple-A ball, and neither may be an ideal fit in center field. Zach Ehrhard is enjoying a strong year at Triple-A Oklahoma City and has played a lot of center field, but if the Dodgers call up anyone from the minors, it might be a more established big leaguer like Alek Thomas, who has yet to get any MLB playing time with L.A. since he was acquired from the Diamondbacks in May.

With a nine-game lead in the NL West, the Dodgers don’t really have to worry about a playoff race, and can focus their attention just on getting as healthy as possible for the postseason. That being said, Pages’ initial timeline lines him up for a return right at the very end of the regular season, so any setback would threaten his availability for the playoffs. There’s also the question of how effective Pages will be if he does return in 4-5 weeks, as hand injuries often leave hitters needing a bit of extra time to feel fully comfortable at the plate.

Any way you slice it, losing Pages is a big setback for a Dodgers team that is still looking to secure a first-round bye. Pages is perhaps a little overlooked among the other major names on the L.A. roster, but the homegrown product has gone from international signing to top prospect to an All-Star in 2026. Now in his third MLB season, Pages is hitting .272/.338/.458 with 21 homers over 550 plate appearances this year, translating to a 119 wRC+. Much of Pages’ production came in the first two months of the season, but his bat had started to heat up again in August.

Beyond his ability at the plate, Pages has also become one of the sport’s best defensive outfielders, posting +17 Defensive Runs Saved and +9 Outs Above Average in center field this year. This spectacular glovework has helped offset subpar fielding numbers from Kyle Tucker and Teoscar Hernandez in the corner outfield slots, and Roberts implied that the team will be prioritizing defense in finding replacements for Pages.

Twins Place Kendry Rojas On IL With Oblique Strain

Charlie Wright — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 03:33:50 +0000

The Twins put Kendry Rojas on the minor league injured list with an oblique strain, per Aaron Gleeman of AaronGleeman.com. Rojas left his start on Friday with Triple-A St. Paul after one inning. The official timetable is unclear, but the nature of the injury puts the lefty’s season in jeopardy.

Rojas has performed well in his first taste of the majors. He’s delivered a 3.34 ERA with a 26.2% strikeout rate across 29 2/3 innings. Minnesota has used him as both a starter and a multi-inning reliever. The main red flag is a 16.9% walk rate, but control hasn’t been a huge issue for Rojas in the minors.

Minnesota sent Rojas back to Triple-A after acquiring Jeff Hoffman at the trade deadline. The club also added A.J. Minter, which forced some tough decisions with the roster. Rojas was operating as a starter after he returned to Triple-A. He was a candidate to contribute with the big-league squad in some capacity over the final six weeks of the season.

The Twins have been hit hard by injuries in the rotation. Joe Ryan was lost to a left glute strain in early August. Mike Paredes, who had functioned in a similar role as Rojas, is also dealing with a strained oblique. Mick Abel had elbow surgery in July and was lost for the year. Pablo Lopez and David Festa didn’t make it on the mound at all this season.

The addition of Dean Kremer has helped solidy the pitching staff, but its still a thin group relying on unproven options like Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp. The rotation certainly can’t afford any more injuries as the Twins look to stick in the AL Wild Card race. Minnesota sits just a half-game out of the final playoff spot.

Photo courtesy of Bruce Kluckhohn, Imagn Images

Twins Sign Ron Marinaccio To Minor League Deal

Charlie Wright — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 02:18:50 +0000

Veteran reliever Ron Marinaccio has joined the Twins on a minor league deal, per Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune. The righty cleared waivers and elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Reds earlier this week. Marinaccio is represented by ACES.

The well-traveled Marinaccio has already pitched for three teams this season. He’s also been DFAed three times. Marinaccio was hammered for 10 earned runs over four appearances with the Reds. He was scored upon in all four outings, including a five-run meltdown against the Marlins on Sunday.

Marinaccio broke camp with the Padres and was a regular in the bullpen through the All-Star Break. San Diego cut ties with the righty at the beginning of the second half. Marinaccio briefly latched on with the Pirates and struggled over a four-game stint.

The velocity is intact for Marinaccio, but he’s lost a few inches of induced vertical break on his fastball since his days as a solid arm with the Yankees. The 31-year-old added a cutter last season. He’s thrown the pitch more than 20% of the time this year, at the expense of his four-seamer. Marinaccio has used his heater at a career-low 42.6% clip in 2026.

Minnesota has added multiple arms to the bullpen through the trade market. Tommy Nance came over from the Blue Jays in early July. The Twins made another deal with Toronto at the trade deadline, landing Jeff Hoffman. The club also acquired A.J. Minter from the Mets. With Yoendrys Gomez emerging as a solid ninth-inning option, Minnesota has a solid relief corps. Marinaccio will serve as depth in Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

Dodgers’ Tyler Glasnow To Return On Tuesday

Charlie Wright — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 01:03:27 +0000

Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow will rejoin the club early next week for a series against the Braves, manager Dave Roberts told reporters, including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Glasnow has missed more than three months with a back injury. He’s been on the 60-day IL since June. The Dodgers currently have an opening on the 40-man roster, so no additional move will be needed as things currently stand.

Glasnow got up to 77 pitches in his final rehab start with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He allowed one earned run on one hit with nine strikeouts across 5 1/3 innings. Glasnow piled up 19 strikeouts over 11 2/3 frames with the Comets.

Lower back spasms derailed a strong start to the year for Glasnow. He posted a 2.72 ERA through seven outings to open the season. Glasnow struck out more than a third of the hitters he faced across 39 2/3 innings. He was removed from a start against the Astros in early May with the back issue.

Glasnow has dealt with injuries for the majority of his career, but had avoided a major absence in his first two seasons with L.A. The righty averaged 20 starts over the past two years. Despite missing time with back and elbow issues, Glasnow threw a career-high 134 innings in 2024 (though he missed the playoffs that year). He tossed 120 frames between the regular season and the postseason in 2025.

Glasnow is expected to take the rotation spot of Justin Wrobleski, who hit the IL with left forearm inflammation on Sunday. The lefty threw a bullpen on Saturday. Roberts said Wrobleski will return as a multi-inning reliever (h/t Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register).

After earning his first career All-Star selection, Wrobleski had struggled mightily in the second half. He was tagged for 19 earned runs over his final four starts before heading to the injured list. Wrobleski allowed a whopping 11 home runs in that stretch.

Shohei Ohtani was also on the mound today. He tossed 30 pitches as part of a live batting practice session. Ohtani faced off against battery mate Will Smith, who is working his way back from a neck injury. The live BP appearance is one of the final steps for Ohtani as he eyes a return to pitching.

“If it were up to Shohei, he’d be in a game in a few days,” Roberts said (h/t Katie Woo of The Athletic). “I would assume (there’s) another live BP, but we’re going to make sure we talk to him and get with the training staff as well.”

Ohtani last pitched on July 3 against the Padres. He was putting together a Cy Young-caliber campaign before a knee injury forced a break from pitching. Ohtani has remained in the hitting lineup as the everyday DH while ramping up as a pitcher.

Continuing the theme, closer Edwin Diaz tossed a bullpen session today. Like Wrobleski, he’s also headed for a new role. Roberts said Diaz will not be the closer when he returns. Instead, he’ll work in lower-leverage spots. Diaz was placed on the IL earlier this week with neck inflammation. He blew three saves in five tries after returning from elbow surgery.

“I think it’s more of getting him back healthy and then putting him in some softer-landing situations to get the confidence, to get the feel and the trust of executing pitches, getting major-league hitters out and then at that point in time we’ll go from there,” Roberts said, per Plunkett.

Reliever Will Klein has not been ruled out for the season. The righty started a throwing program as he deals with bone chips in his elbow. Klein has missed all of August with the injury, which may eventually require surgery.

“At some point, you’d like to get them out,” Klein said, relayed by Plunkett. “But obviously if you get surgery now, the season’s over. I was just sitting there thinking I didn’t want that to be how this ends. So if I can deal with how it feels – a little bit of pain is fine. So if we can get it to a manageable point, clear it up and try to get through the rest of the year. I’d rather do that than call it now.”

Photo courtesy of Jon Endow, Imagn Images

Tigers To Select Andrew Sears For MLB Debut

Charlie Wright — Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:03:33 +0000

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters on Saturday that left-hander Andrew Sears will have his contract selected tomorrow. The prospect is expected to make his big-league debut as a bulk reliever against the Royals on Sunday. Detroit has a full 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will be needed.

The 23-year-old Sears was only recently promoted to Triple-A. He fired 9 2/3 scoreless innings across two appearances with Toledo. The bump to Triple-A came after Sears posted a 2.57 ERA over nine games at Double-A.

“We are excited to promote him,” Hinch said, relayed by Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. “He’s got real weapons. His challenge will be, this is a pretty big leap given he only had a couple of games in Triple-A. But he’s demonstrated the ability to compete against anybody.”

MLB Pipeline ranks Sears as the No. 14 prospect in Detroit’s system. He was higher on the list before the Tigers brought in a slew of big-name prospects in the Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize trades. Eric Longenhagen and Brendan Gawlowski of FanGraphs slotted Sears at No. 11 heading into the year. The duo described him as a “low-slot lefty with a funky look” and praised his mid-90s fastball and sharp slider.

Sears sat at 94 mph with his four-seamer and sinker in his two Triple-A appearances. He leaned on the sinker more than any other pitch, throwing it 56.9% of the time. The slider was his preferred secondary offering with a 22.2% usage rate. Sears also mixed in a changeup.

Framber Valdez was in line to start on Sunday. It seems he’ll be pushed back to next week with Detroit opting for a bullpen game tomorrow. Sears has worked as a reliever in four of his 16 minor league outings this year. He entered in the second inning on Tuesday and tossed five hitless frames for the Mud Hens.

The Tigers don’t have a clear opening in the rotation, but an adjustment could be coming for Keider Montero. The righty is already at 137 2/3 innings between the minors and the majors this year. He’s less than 10 innings away from his career high as a pro. Montero has worked out of the bullpen at times this season and could return to a more flexible role. He’d make for a solid piggyback pairing with the left-handed Sears.

Photo courtesy of Greg Wohlford of the Erie Times-News via Imagn Images

Angels Place Nolan Schanuel, Wade Meckler On IL

Charlie Wright — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 22:40:04 +0000

The Angels announced multiple moves ahead of Saturday’s matchup against the Rangers. First baseman Nolan Schanuel is heading to the 10-day IL with a right intercostal strain. Outfielder Wade Meckler was placed on the 7-day concussion IL. Outfielder Gustavo Campero and infielder Christian Moore were recalled to replace Schanuel and Meckler.

Schanuel and Meckler were both on the bench yesterday. It wasn’t overly surprising to see them sit against tough lefty MacKenzie Gore, but now the injuries have been revealed. Meckler was pulled from Thursday’s game after Astros reliever Bryan King hit him in the head with a pitch. Schanuel was removed in the sixth inning of that game. He told reporters he felt something in his last at-bat.

“Thankfully it’s not an oblique,” Schanuel said, relayed by Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register. “It’s like an intercostal strain, the muscle in between my ribs. I’ve never had anything like that, so kind of just leaving it to the trainers and trying to get back on the field as soon as possible.”

It’s the second trip to the IL this season for Schanuel. The first baseman had a minimum stint due to left ankle inflammation in late May into early June. Schanuel initially hit well after returning, including a .818 OPS in July, but was slashing .254/.343/.356 so far in August.

Meckler has emerged as a surprise contributor for Los Angeles. He had his contract selected near the end of May. In his first MLB action since 2023, the former Giant has a 112 wRC+ across 229 plate appearances. Meckler hasn’t hit for much power, but he’s swiped six bases and gotten on base at a .360 clip. He’s also posted 2 Defensive Runs Saved in the corner outfield spots.

Moore doesn’t have much left to prove in the minors. He’s hit .302 with 11 homers and 15 steals at Triple-A Salt Lake this season. The former eighth overall pick has a 75 wRC+ in a small 59-game sample as a big leaguer. He has some runway for regular reps over the final six weeks of the season. Moore has struggled with contact at basically every level, but he trimmed his strikeout rate to 22.5% in the minors this year.

Campero was added to the 40-man roster back in June because of an opt-out clause in his contract. He was recovering from a broken hand at the time. The 28-year-old has a .618 OPS in parts of two seasons with the Angels. Campero has put together a strong minor league season, slashing .313/.389/.525 across three levels. He has experience behind the plate and has primarily played catcher this year. Campero has only appeared in the outfield during his stretches with the Angels.

Photo courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images

Yankees’ Ryan Weathers Removed With Left Forearm Discomfort

Charlie Wright — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 21:17:40 +0000

Yankees lefty Ryan Weathers was pulled from his outing on Saturday against the Blue Jays with forearm discomfort, per a team announcement. He’s headed for imaging. Weathers was removed with one out and two runners on in the fourth inning during a Myles Straw at-bat.

Weathers labored through his outing before the injury. He had already thrown 72 pitches to get 10 outs. Toronto was threatening to break open a tight game. As Bryan Hoch of MLB.com noted, something appeared to go wrong on his final pitch to Straw. Yerry de los Santos took over the at-bat and was able to get New York out of trouble.

Discomfort is a vague diagnosis, and it comes before an MRI has been done, but it’s concerning nonetheless. Weathers has a checkered injury history. Forearm and lat issues limited him to eight starts last season. A finger injury sidelined him for two and a half months in 2024.

Weathers passed his previous career high in innings with Saturday’s outing. He entered today’s start at 134 frames across 24 starts. His previous high as a pro was 137 1/3 innings between the minors and majors in 2023. That season was split between the Padres and Marlins.

The Yankees landed Weathers in an offseason trade with the Marlins. New York sent over a package of four prospects to secure the 26-year-old left-hander. Weathers is having a solid season, putting together a 3.56 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning as one of the steadiest members of the rotation.

Either Weathers or Will Warren was heading to the bullpen once the Yankees’ starters were fully healthy. The group never got to that point, though. When Carlos Rodon returned, it seemed Warren would shift to a relief role, but Max Fried went down before that could happen. Fried is dealing with a left elbow bone bruise for the second time this season. With Weathers now injured, Warren’s spot appears safe.

The Yankees have turned to righty Elmer Rodriguez for spot starts on multiple occasions this season. He’d be a candidate to fill in for Weathers if needed, at least until Fried comes back. Rodriguez last pitched for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Tuesday. He’s struggled with walks in four MLB starts, but he has a crisp 2.59 ERA in the minors this year.

Luis Gil came in after Rodriguez in that game on Tuesday. He’s made three appearances this month as he works his way back from a shoulder injury. Gil got up to 37 pitches over two innings in his most recent outing. It’ll likely take a few more games until he’s stretched out enough to be a rotation candidate. A bullpen role with the big-league club is probably a more realistic scenario at this stage in the season.

Photo courtesy of John Jones, Imagn Images

Tigers Notes: Flaherty, Hurter, Meadows

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:10:22 +0000

It has been a month since flexor inflammation sent Jack Flaherty to the 15-day injured list, and Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters (including the Detroit News’ Chris McCosky) that the right-hander could throw a bullpen session as early as this weekend. As McCosky breaks down the usual pattern of the Tigers’ throwing progression and rehab process for pitchers, Flaherty should be on target to return by roughly mid-September, if all goes well.

Flaherty has a 4.59 ERA, 26.2% strikeout rate, and 10.8% walk rate over 19 starts and 86 1/3 innings for Detroit this season. He has continually struggled to pitch deep into games, but in terms of results, Flaherty’s 2026 is something of a tale of two years. After posting a 5.81 ERA in his first 52 2/3 frames, Flaherty bounced back with a 2.67 ERA in the 33 2/3 innings pitched prior to his IL stint.

The flexor issue was initially thought to be relatively minor, so Flaherty has already missed more time than expected in his recovery process. One setback in the throwing progression might be enough at this point of the season to get Flaherty shut down, especially if the Tigers are no longer in the playoff race. While Detroit remains 2.5 games out of the final AL wild card slot, the Tigers have lost six of their last seven games to drop to a 61-67 record.

The health news also isn’t great for Brant Hurter, whose minor league rehab assignment has been halted. Hinch told McCosky and company that “we don’t expect [Hurter] to stop throwing or completely shut down. But we need to take a mini-step away from pitching this week and get him moving the way he’s supposed to be moving.”

Hurter has a 2.56 ERA over 133 2/3 innings for Detroit since making his MLB debut in 2024, as the grounder specialist has worked as a bulk pitcher and in traditional starting or relief roles as part of the Tigers’ “pitching chaos” mix. However, lumbar spine inflammation has kept Hurter on the IL (first the 15-day and then the 60-day) for the last three months, and he has struggled badly since beginning a minor league rehab assignment in early August.

Hurter has a 24.55 ERA over five games and 3 2/3 innings, with decreased velocity to go along with his inflated run total. While teams usually don’t factor on-field results into the equation during rehab assignments, it’s pretty clear that Hurter isn’t quite right, and it isn’t clear when he’ll be back in game action.

Speaking of long-term injuries, Parker Meadows has been on the 60-day IL since April, after he suffered a concussion and a fractured left radius after an outfield collision with teammate Riley Greene. Hinch provided an update on Meadows’ workouts at the Tigers’ spring complex in Lakeland, saying that “he’s running, throwing, catching the ball. But the swing had not been able to be full speed. It’s the [left] hand and he’s not able to complete the full aggressive swing. There are still some issues with that.”

Again, Meadows faces a ticking clock in the form of the end of the regular season, particularly since he seems nowhere near a rehab assignment. Hinch said the Tigers haven’t ruled Meadows out for a return, “yet it feels like it’s been forever and we haven’t been able to push him forward and we’re closing in on September.”

Nationals Claim Matt Waldron

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:37:20 +0000

The Nationals announced that right-hander Matt Waldron was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays. Connelly Early was moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL in the corresponding roster move.

It’s the second time in under a month that Waldron has changed teams via the waiver wire. The Padres designated the knuckleballer for assignment in late July and the Jays claimed Waldron a week later. After four appearances for the Blue Jays, Waldron found himself in DFA limbo again, and he’ll now head to a Washington team sorely in need of arms to cover innings in the bullpen or even in the rotation.

Waldron has struggled to a 7.54 ERA over 37 total innings with San Diego and Toronto, though his 4.11 SIERA better reflects Waldron’s lack of batted-ball luck (a .361 BABIP) or with runners on base (59.4% strand rate). He has a very solid 5.9% walk rate that looks even better considering Waldron’s use of the knuckler, though he isn’t missing many bats with an 18.3% strikeout rate. This is down from the 20.3K% that Waldron posted over 192 2/3 innings with the Padres from 2023-25, and he also had a career 4.86 ERA heading into this rough year.

Acquired in a pre-deadline deal with the Red Sox for Curtis Mead, Early hasn’t pitched since tossing four shutout innings for Boston (ironically, against Washington) on June 30. Early is still in the fairly stages of a throwing progression and wasn’t going to be activated before the end of August anyway, so the move to the 60-day IL doesn’t impact his recovery timeline.

Rockies Outright Parker Mushinski

Darragh McDonald — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:32:24 +0000

TODAY: The Rockies announced that Mushinski cleared waivers, and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A.

AUGUST 19: The Rockies announced that they have selected the contract of left-hander Mark Manfredi, a move that was previously reported. They also reinstated right-hander Jaden Hill from the 15-day injured list. To open active roster spots for those two, the Rockies optioned righty TJ Shook to Triple-A and designated lefty Parker Mushinski for assignment.

Mushinski, 30, was selected to the Colorado roster earlier this month. He made eight appearances for the Rockies, logging 6 2/3 innings. He only allowed two earned runs but worked around nine hits, five walks and a wild pitch without striking out a batter. It seems the Rockies decided to quickly move on. Manfredi will replace Mushinski as the club’s second bullpen lefty behind Brennan Bernardino. Mushinski is out of options and needed to be pushed off the 40-man once the Rockies decided he wasn’t going to stay on the active roster.

With the trade deadline in the rear-view, Mushinski will have to be placed on waivers in the coming days. His big league track record now consists of 39 2/3 innings with a 4.99 earned run average, 14.2% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 43.6% ground ball rate.

Prior to getting called up this year, he was putting up some decent numbers in the minors. He had thrown 48 Triple-A innings with a 23.4% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate and 48.1% ground ball rate, leading to a 3.38 ERA. That was enough to get him up to the big leagues but his numbers after the call-up weren’t nearly as impressive. If Mushinski clears waivers in the coming days, he will have the right to elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images

Cardinals Place Hunter Dobbins On 15-Day Injured List

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:26:51 +0000

The Cardinals announced that right-hander Hunter Dobbins has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to tightness in his throwing forearm. Southpaw Quinn Mathews was called up from Triple-A in the corresponding move, and Mathews will start today’s game against the Phillies.

Mathews was already slated for a recall as Andre Pallante‘s replacement when Pallante went on the 15-day IL yesterday. That was the first time in almost two years that the Cards lost a starter to an arm-related injury, and in true “when it rains, it pours” fashion, Dobbins has now been sidelined the very next day.

An IL placement seemed likely when Dobbins made an early departure from yesterday’s 7-6 loss to the Phillies. Dobbins allowed three runs in four innings of work, and left the game after throwing his first pitch of the fifth. Forearm tightness is particularly troubling for a pitcher with a past Tommy John surgery on his resume, but Dobbins told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and other reporters that “one thing I’m confident about is that’s not the same feeling as that. It was pretty night and day difference from that feeling.”

Between that TJ procedure during his college days, a torn right ACL in high school, and another torn right ACL suffered last season with the Red Sox, Dobbins is no stranger to lengthy injury absences. The Sox dealt Dobbins to St. Louis as part of the offseason trade that brought Willson Contreras to Boston, and after completing his ACL rehab, Dobbins has a 3.67 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, and 10.4% walk rate over 54 innings in a Cardinals uniform. Dobbins has started eight of his 11 games, and the Dustin May trade at the deadline opened up a full-time slot for Dobbins in the rotation.

Off-days this coming Monday and on August 31 will give the Cards some flexibility as they deal with this sudden lack of rotation depth. Mathews will take one starting job and Goold suggests that Cooper Hjerpe and Brycen Mautz are the likeliest candidates to be called up from Triple-A. Pallante’s injury isn’t thought to be too serious, so he could also be back in perhaps just a minimal 15-day period.

Mariners Designate Jhonathan Diaz, Select Kade Anderson

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:55:33 +0000

Kade Anderson is officially in the big leagues, as Thursday’s report of the star prospect’s impending promotion has given way to today’s announcement that the Mariners have selected Anderson’s contract. To create room on both the 26-man and 40-man rosters, Seattle designated left-hander Jhonathan Diaz for assignment.

Diaz was himself selected to the Mariners’ active roster just three days ago, and his cup-of-coffee stint resulted in one appearance — one earned run allowed in 1 1/3 innings of relief work in the Mariners’ 7-4 loss to the Brewers on Thursday, as Diaz served up a homer to Garrett Mitchell. This marks Diaz’s only bit of big league work this season, as he has otherwise spent 2026 with Triple-A Tacoma, posting a 6.22 ERA, 16.5% strikeout rate, and 8.3% walk rate over 111 1/3 innings.

Beyond those unspectacular numbers, Diaz has a 43% grounder rate at the Triple-A level this year, after spending most of his minor league career closer to the 50% threshold. Diaz has also allowed 20 home runs, continuing his increased struggles at keeping the ball in the park. The southpaw has allowed 38 homers over his last two seasons at the Triple-A level, after giving up 48 homers in his previous nine minor league campaigns.

Thursday’s outing officially made Diaz a veteran of the last six MLB seasons, though he has made only 18 total appearances and a 4.72 ERA in his 47 2/3 innings in the Show. He has primarily worked as a starter in the minors but Diaz has been a reliever in 11 of his 18 big league games, and seems tabbed for long relief or swingman roles for any future looks in the majors.

If Diaz clears waivers, he can opt for free agency rather than accept an outright assignment to Triple-A, since he has been outrighted in the past. This is now the third time Seattle has DFA’ed Diaz since he originally joined the organization in February 2024, and Diaz has opted for free agency both times before soon re-signing on a new minor league deal. With relatively little time remaining in the 2026 season, Diaz might choose free agency and then re-sign again, or he could just accept the outright assignment to avoid any extra steps.

Anderson will make his MLB debut in today’s start against the Cubs, and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times reports that the Mariners will adopt a six-man rotation to fit Anderson into the pitching staff. This plan may hinge on the availability of Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller, who have each been dealing with some recent health issues. Miller has been trying to pitch through a tired arm, while Woo has a sore shoulder that pushed back his planned start today (opening the door for Anderson’s promotion).

Brandon Woodruff Starting Throwing Progression, Hopes To Pitch Again In 2026

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 17:28:30 +0000

Brandon Woodruff announced in mid-July that he was undergoing a season-ending shoulder surgery, but that ended up not being the case. Speaking with Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel today, Woodruff said he will start Wednesday on what is planned as a five-week throwing progression, with the aim of pitching again before the Brewers’ 2026 season is over.

The surprising news came in the aftermath of some tests in early August that showed enough healing in Woodruff’s right shoulder that Dr. Keith Meister felt surgery wouldn’t be required. Woodruff has pitched only 45 1/3 innings for the Brewers this year, as he has twice been placed on the injured list due to discomfort that arose from a cyst forming in his labrum area, but the second of those injuries was eventually revealed as an anterior shoulder capsule issue. Woodruff underwent a capsule surgery in 2023 that cost him the entire 2024 season in recovery.

It is still entirely possible that Woodruff isn’t able to get back on the mound before the end of the 2026 campaign. The Brewers’ final regular-season game is on September 27, so a five-week throwing/rehab window will keep Woodruff out until the postseason at the earliest. Once the five weeks are up, Woodruff said the next step is a re-evaluation, so he might not even necessarily be cleared to be an option for the playoff roster.

Milwaukee has the best record in baseball and is in position to get a first-round bye. This gives Woodruff more time to get up to speed, but the question remains whether or not the Brewers would feel comfortable including a pitcher who hasn’t pitched since July 4 on their playoff roster. The Brew Crew could consider using him as a reliever as he enters his throwing progression, which means less build on Woodruff’s arm and perhaps less chance of another injury setback.

“I think there’s a low possibility, but I think there’s a possibility,” manager Pat Murphy said about the chances of Woodruff returning. “Why not go with it? Wouldn’t this be nice to have positive news? Because everybody would want Woody on the mound. Everybody would want Woody.”

While the Brewers will surely stick to medicals and roster flexibility over sentiment as they try to win a World Series, it is impossible to ignore the storybook aspect of Woodruff making an unexpected return to help his longtime team finally win a championship. Injuries have kept Woodruff from any postseason action since 2021, so the veteran is undoubtedly eager to explore even the slightest chance of being part of a playoff run.

Postseason aspirations aside, Hogg noted that avoiding this surgery is obviously good long-term news for Woodruff. It’s still too early to gauge whether or not Woodruff is entirely beyond his shoulder problem, or if another health issue might emerge given how many other injuries have also limited Woodruff’s availability in the last couple of years. That said, it’s at least a positive step that Woodruff apparently won’t need another capsule procedure, which likely would’ve kept him out of action until 2028 and could’ve threatened his career as a whole.

As good as the Brewers have been this season, their postseason pitching plans remain a little cloudy beyond Jacob Misiorowski as the clear ace of the group. Logan Henderson and Kyle Harrison seem likely to be the second and third options, leaving Dustin May, Shane Drohan, and perhaps Robert Gasser as candidate for a fourth starter role. Woodruff is now a wild card in this mix, though the Brewers may use more of a whole-staff approach to postseason pitching apart from presumably a fairly traditional usage of Misiorowski.

Blue Jays Reinstate Vladimir Guerrero Jr. From Seven-Day IL

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 16:46:18 +0000

The Blue Jays announced that first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been reinstated from the seven-day concussion-related injured list. Davis Schneider was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Guerrero returns after a minimal stint on the concussion IL, as he was placed on the injured list last Saturday. The team made the move after Guerrero slid headfirst into George Lombard Jr. in the Jays’ 3-1 win over the Yankees on August 14, and the somewhat precautionary placement has indeed proven to be relatively minor.

While getting past any concussion symptoms was naturally the chief priority of this IL stint, Guerrero’s absence could potentially be viewed as a reset opportunity within a hugely underwhelming season for the former All-Star. Guerrero is hitting just .263/.337/.356 over 486 plate appearances, none of his (only) seven home runs have come at Rogers Centre, and his power and hard-contact numbers are far below his career norms.

Despite Guerrero’s struggles and down years for several other key offensive players, the Jays are still only 1.5 games out of the final AL wild card slot. Getting even moderate production from Guerrero will be a big help for the hitting-starved Blue Jays, and if he can somehow regain his old form, that might be enough to get Toronto back to the playoffs amidst the parity of the American League.

Schneider heads back to Triple-A Buffalo just a day after he was called up as part of another set of roster shuffles, as Toronto activated Spencer Arrighetti from the 15-day IL and placed Josh Smith on the 10-day IL. Smith’s placement is retroactive to August 20, and the utilityman is dealing with inflammation in his left hamstring. Smith will undergo an MRI, but Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling writes that the hamstring issue isn’t though to be too serious.

Giancarlo Stanton Sustains New Calf Injury

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:40:45 +0000

A right calf strain and a tweak to that same calf in June have kept Giancarlo Stanton out of the Yankees’ lineup since April 24. Just when it seemed like Stanton was making solid progress towards a return, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other media that Stanton fell during a running drill and picked up a “moderate grade strain” in his left calf. Given the lack of time remaining in the season, Boone acknowledged that this could mean Stanton has played his last game of 2026.

A recurring string of lower-body injuries have limited Stanton’s availability for years, and he has been deployed mostly as a DH when he has been able to play over his nine seasons in New York. Since being traded to the Yankees prior to the 2018 season, Stanton has appeared in 764 games, the equivalent of less than five full seasons.

It seemed like the injuries were taking their toll on Stanton when he produced a modest 107 wRC+ over 1326 plate appearances during the 2022-24 seasons, but even those down years were highlighted by ALCS MVP honors in 2024. Elbow injuries then prevented Stanton from making his 2025 debut until June, but he hit .273/.350/.594 with 24 homers over 281 PA last year in a continued bounce-back.

This season, Stanton hit .256/.302/.422 with three homers in 96 PA before hitting the injured list. Aaron Judge‘s lengthy IL stint has been the larger reason behind the Yankees’ mediocre offensive performance over the last three months, but obviously it hasn’t helped that Stanton and Cody Bellinger have also missed extended periods of time. Bellinger has made good progress in his recovery from a hamstring strain and plans to be activated from the IL on Sunday, as he told The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner.

The Yankees’ acquisition of Luis Garcia Jr. at the trade deadline seemed like a hedge against Stanton’s recovery process, even before this new calf injury set things back once more. Garcia has been regularly playing first base while Ben Rice has been occupying the DH role. Things might have gotten a little crowded had Stanton returned, though that may be a moot point if Stanton is indeed done for the year. Judge has started to hit off a tee and could be within a couple of weeks of a return, so New York could use the DH spot on Judge if the three-time AL MVP needs more time to ease back to full readiness for outfield duty.

In the bigger picture, 2027 is the final guaranteed season of the 13-year, $325MM extension that Stanton signed with the Marlins back in November 2014. Stanton is owed $29MM in 2027, and his $25MM club option for 2028 will surely be bought out for $10MM. It is worth noting that the Marlins will be paying the Yankees $10MM in each of the 2027 and 2028 seasons to contribute to Stanton’s salary, so New York is responsible for just $9MM of the money owed to the slugger after this year.

This amount is small enough that the Yankees might considering eating it and releasing Stanton to free up roster space, or New York might bring Stanton back for one final go-around as a glorified bench bat since Miami is covering most of his salary anyway. Unless the Yankees explore moving Garcia back to second base, Garcia and Rice figure to have the first base/DH situation largely covered going forward, though Garcia’s struggles against left-handed pitching creates platoon opportunities for Stanton’s right-handed bat.

Padres Gain 2027 Club Option On Nick Pivetta

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 15:14:37 +0000

Nick Pivetta was placed on the 15-day injured list on April 13 due to a flexor strain, and the Padres right-hander has yet to return to action. Friday marked the 131st consecutive day of Pivetta’s IL stint, which has now triggered a contract clause that gives the Padres some flexibility in walking away from the two years and $32MM remaining on Pivetta’s deal.

The righty signed a four-year, $55MM free agent deal with San Diego in February 2025 that broke down as $23MM in guaranteed money over the first two years, and Pivetta then had the ability to opt out after the second and third years of the contract. Pivetta was owed $14MM in 2027 and $18MM in 2028 under the original terms, yet a clause was included in the event that Pivetta spent at least 130 consecutive days on the IL in 2025 or 2026 due to a specific type of injury.

This ongoing elbow issue fits the criteria, and so now Pivetta’s $14MM player option for 2027 has become a $14MM club option for the Padres, with no buyout. Should San Diego decline that club option at season’s end, Pivetta will become a free agent.

Of course, nothing is stopping either side from discussing a new contract in the interim, as the Padres still hold exclusive negotiating rights with Pivetta until the free agent period officially opens in November. Given the circumstances, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a new arrangement worked out, assuming the Padres are feeling good about Pivetta’s health. Pivetta would surely be open to a multi-year deal in the wake of his mostly lost 2026 season, while the Padres will have holes to fill in a rotation full of impending free agents, and pitchers on mutual options or player options (most notably Michael King, who seems likely to opt out of the final two years and $58MM of his contract).

There’s also the possibility that the Padres simply exercise that $14MM option to retain Pivetta through 2027. That would address one spot in next year’s rotation while giving San Diego more time to gauge Pivetta’s health. At the very least, the Padres have gained some financial flexibility, which is no small matter for a club with so many other hefty long-term deals on the books.

Of course, the story of Pivetta’s 2026 season still isn’t fully written, as the righty tossed two innings in a bridge league game yesterday. Pivetta began a minor league rehab assignment at the start of August but was pulled in the first inning of his first rehab outing on August 4 due to some elbow discomfort. Despite that seemingly ominous situation, Pivetta felt good enough to throw a bullpen session later that same day, and he has continued throwing in the interim before getting back to game action.

Pivetta will need to make multiple rehab appearances given his long layoff, and it isn’t a guarantee that he’ll make it back at all before the Padres’ season is over (either in the regular season or in the playoffs). Given the lack of time remaining on the baseball calendar, San Diego could aim to bring Pivetta back as a reliever so he’d require less build-up for his arm, and the Padres would have yet another weapon within their already stacked bullpen.

Spencer Steer Unlikely To Play Again In 2026

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 14:11:15 +0000

Spencer Steer hasn’t played since July 26, when the Reds utilityman suffered a partial tear in a sheath in his right wrist. Almost a month after the injury, Steer provided an update on his status to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer and admitted that “I’m pretty much done for the year, for sure….I figured there was maybe still a chance that I’d be able to come back on the back end of September and get in some games and at least finish the year healthy. It’s looking like that’s not the case anymore.”

Steer will be re-examined by doctors in about two weeks’ time, and wrist surgery is still a possibility, though manager Terry Francona said “the doctor has made it clear to Spence that not having surgery is the first option.” Whether or not Steer ultimately needs to go under the knife, he is expected to be fine for the start of Spring Training, so the one silver lining is that he at least isn’t facing any kind of truly long-term issue.

Of course, the wrist issue did end a respectable year for the 28-year-old, who finishes his 2026 campaign with 16 homers and a .238/.319/.421 slash line over 384 plate appearances. This translates to an exactly average 100 wRC+, and a minor step up from the 97 wRC+ Steer posted in over the 2024-25 seasons.

While he has yet to return to the production of his 118 wRC+ rookie season in 2023, Steer has least resumed mashing left-handed pitching this season. He has become a useful part of Cincinnati’s regular lineup at multiple positions — primarily first base and the corner outfield slots, with some work at second and third base and a couple of appearances in center field and even shortstop.

Since the Reds are in last place in the NL Central, there isn’t really any incentive for the team to bring Steer back (if he avoids surgery) for some meaningless late-season games. It is worth wondering if Steer’s injury perhaps kept him on the roster entirely, as he was drawing a bit of trade buzz prior to the deadline. Since the Reds are planning to compete in 2027, it would’ve taken a notable offer for the club to part ways with Steer, who is under arbitration control through the 2028 season.

In other injury news for the Cincinnati outfield, Michael Toglia left yesterday’s 9-0 loss to the Diamondbacks with a dislocated right shoulder. Toglia suffered the injury while making a diving catch of a Geraldo Perdomo fly ball in the first inning. Toglia is considered day to day for now, as x-rays were negative and Toglia told MLB.com’s Patrick Brown and other media that the training staff reset his shoulder. “I’m not in any pain right now, and the gentle range of motion looked fantastic,” Toglia said.

Dodgers Outright Jonathan Hernández

Darragh McDonald — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 13:14:46 +0000

TODAY: Hernandez cleared waivers and has been outrighted to Triple-A, as per his MLB.com profile page.

AUGUST 19: The Dodgers announced that right-hander Brock Stewart has been reinstated from the 15-day injured list. Fellow righty Jonathan Hernández has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

Hernández, 30, has been the unofficial 41st man on the Los Angeles 40-man roster this year. He began the campaign with the Phillies on a minor league deal. He opted out of that deal in May and landed a big league deal with the Dodgers. Since then, he has been bounced on and off the roster whenever the club has looked to get a fresh arm into the mix.

Since Hernández is out of options, he has been designated for assignment three times this year. After the first DFA, he cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Oklahoma City, which allowed the Dodgers to add him back to the roster. The second time he was designated for assignment, he cleared waivers again and elected free agency, but was quickly-resigned.

Around the transactions, Hernández has tossed 25 1/3 innings for the Dodgers over 16 appearances, allowing 5.68 earned runs per nine frames. He has a 20.2% strikeout rate, 11.9% walk rate and 40.5% ground ball rate.

Since the trade deadline has passed, Hernández will have to be back on waivers in the coming days, if he’s not already. Assuming he clears once more, he will again have the right to elect free agency. Based on how things have gone this year, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s with Triple-A Oklahoma City or back with the big league club in the near future.

Photo courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez, Imagn Images

The Opener: Phillies, Yankees, Rogers, Rangers

Mark Polishuk — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 12:34:06 +0000

Yesterday’s duel between Jacob Misiorowski and Chris Sale didn’t disappoint, as the two aces each delivered quality starts in the Brewers’ 2-1 win over the Braves on Friday afternoon. Sale was charged with two runs on eight hits over six innings of work, with both Milwaukee runs coming in the third inning on a William Contreras single and an RBI groundout from Andrew Vaughn. Misiorowski allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six over six shutout innings, as the young fireballer earned his 13th win of the season.

1. East races narrowing

The Braves and Rays are each 2-6 over their last eight games, and between these slumps and some strong play by the second-place teams, things are starting to get interesting in the East divisions. The Phillies are baseball’s hottest team, winners of seven in a row after Friday’s 7-6 win over the Cardinals — Alec Bohm hit a two-run, walkoff triple in the 10th inning to move Philadelphia four games behind Atlanta for the NL East lead. Over in the AL East, the Yankees are on a five-game win streak and now sit three games back of Tampa Bay in the division race.

2. Nomadic Rogers walks it off for White Sox

Jake Rogers had spent his entire MLB career with the Tigers until less than a month ago, when two trades and a waiver claim suddenly resulted in the catcher suiting up for four different big league teams in 29 days’ time. The latest move came when the White Sox claimed Rogers off waivers from the Red Sox on August 14, and Rogers now already has a signature moment with his new club. Rogers drilled a two-run walkoff homer to give the White Sox a 6-4 victory over the Mets on Friday, boosting Chicago’s lead in the AL Central to 4.5 games over the Twins and Guardians. The walkoff shot capped off a big comeback for the Sox, who trailed 4-0 through the first five innings.

3. Late drama in Arlington

This may be more of a “throw-off” than a walkoff, but the Rangers benefited from a Denzer Guzman throwing error in the bottom of the 10th to capture a 2-1 win over the Angels on Friday. Neither team scored until extra innings, as Wyatt Langford tied the game on an RBI double and Ezequiel Duran hit the fateful infield single that led to Guzman’s error. The victory moved Texas into the final AL wild card slot, and the Rangers are also only a game back of the Astros for top spot in the AL West.

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 1533 – 2-Start Pitchers for Week 23

Paul Sporer — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 05:42:39 +0000

Paul and Justin review the 2-start pitchers list for next week which is light on volume and high impact

Source

Rays To Activate Manuel Rodríguez

Anthony Franco — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 04:58:50 +0000

The Rays will activate reliever Manuel Rodríguez from the 60-day injured list this weekend, president of baseball operations Erik Neander tells Tom Krasniqi of 95.7 FM. Tampa Bay will need to open space on the active and 40-man rosters.

Rodríguez makes his return from last July’s elbow surgery. The Mexican-born righty had emerged as a key setup man for Kevin Cash in 2025. Rodríguez combined for 68 innings of 2.12 ERA ball, collecting 21 holds with only one blown lead over his first two seasons in Tampa Bay. He had modest swing-and-miss numbers but got big grounder rates behind his slider and a 97 mph sinker.

The Rays have had a league average bullpen since the All-Star Break. They’re middle third in ERA and strikeout rate. Bryan Baker has remained a lockdown closer and Kevin Kelly is continuing his breakout season. The Rays added Tyler Wells to the late innings and have a high-octane lefty in Garrett Cleavinger. Their lower-leverage relief corps has been shakier, so Rodríguez should deepen the group in the middle innings.

Phillies Outright Brian Keller

Anthony Franco — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 01:34:10 +0000

August 21: Keller cleared waivers and will remain in the organization on an outright assignment, the Phillies announced. He’ll return to minor league free agency this offseason if the Phillies don’t add him back to the 40-man roster.

August 19: The Phillies are designating right-hander Brian Keller for assignment, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. That’ll open the necessary 40-man roster spot to finalize their agreement with lefty Nestor Cortes Jr.

Keller is a 32-year-old organizational depth arm who made his MLB debut on July 25. He tossed three innings behind an opener in an appearance against the Yankees, allowing an Austin Wells home run but otherwise keeping a clean sheet. The Phillies optioned him a few days later.

Philadelphia signed Keller to a minor league contract in May. The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee product hadn’t been in affiliated ball in four years. Keller had intended to pitch in Japan in the intervening seasons but essentially lost all three to injuries, including Tommy John surgery. Keller has done a decent job with Triple-A Lehigh Valley in his return to health, turning in a 3.86 ERA with a solid 23.2% strikeout rate and 9% walk percentage.

As one might expect for a pitcher with this late bloomer profile, Keller doesn’t have huge stuff. He averaged 92 mph on his fastball and leaned most heavily on a mid-80s cutter during his lone big league outing. The Phillies were clearly skeptical that repertoire would play over an extended run against MLB competition. Keller didn’t get much of a look despite their ongoing struggle to find a viable fifth starter.

Philadelphia will place the former 39th-round pick on waivers this week. He has a full slate of options, so another team could stash him in Triple-A if they’re willing to carry him on the 40-man roster. If Keller clears waivers, the Phils would keep him in the system on an outright assignment.

Mariners Activate Carlos Vargas

Anthony Franco — Sat, 22 Aug 2026 00:18:16 +0000

The Mariners announced that reliever Carlos Vargas is back from the 60-day injured list. Seattle optioned Nick Davila to Triple-A Tacoma to clear a bullpen spot and transferred Matt Brash to the 60-day IL to create an opening on the 40-man roster.

Vargas has been out all season with a lat strain that he suffered late in camp. He’s back after a brief rehab assignment in which he tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings over four appearances. He struck out six while only allowing two hits. Vargas averaged 97.5 mph on his sinker in his work with Triple-A Tacoma.

The 26-year-old righty has huge velocity but doesn’t miss a ton of bats. The power sinker leads to much more of a ground-ball profile. Vargas kept the ball on the ground at a 56% clip over 77 innings last year, his first full MLB campaign. He turned in a 3.97 ERA and picked up 14 holds while blowing seven leads.

Vargas should be an upgrade in the middle innings for a Seattle bullpen that has allowed an 8.55 ERA in August. While that’s worsened by Victor Robles and Leo Rivas each getting hammered in one mop-up inning in blowouts, their actual relievers still have a cumulative ERA north of 7.00 over the last three weeks.

Brash’s IL transfer is an inconsequential move on its own. He has already been out for more than 60 days with a lat strain, so it’s purely a procedural move that doesn’t impact his return timeline. However, it means they’ll need to make a different transaction to open a 40-man roster spot tomorrow when they promote Kade Anderson.

Anderson will make his MLB debut against the Cubs, who’ll run lefty David Peterson. That was slated to be Bryan Woo’s turn in the rotation, but he’s being pushed back after leaving his most recent start with shoulder soreness. Manager Dan Wilson said the M’s are hopeful Woo will avoid the injured list (via Daniel Kramer of MLB.com). He won’t pitch until at least next week, however, as Bryce Miller will stay on rotation for Sunday’s series finale against Shota Imanaga.

Cubs Designate Owen Miller For Assignment

Anthony Franco — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 22:58:29 +0000

The Cubs announced they’ve designated infielder Owen Miller for assignment and optioned right-hander Javier Assad to Triple-A Iowa. Those are the corresponding moves to reinstate Daniel Palencia from the 60-day injured list and activate infielder Gabriel Arias, who was recently claimed off waivers from the Mets.

Miller was just called up on Monday as an extra infielder after Dansby Swanson went on the injured list. He played one inning at second base in Tuesday’s walk-off win over the White Sox. Miller didn’t draw a plate appearance and was pushed off the roster when Chicago had a chance to grab a superior defender in Arias.

This did mark six straight seasons with at least one MLB appearance for Miller, a former third-round pick. He has now suited up for four teams and carries a lifetime .238/.287/.342 slash line in a little more than 1000 plate appearances. Miller has had a nice season with Iowa, batting .296/.350/.457 with seven homers.

The Cubs should place Miller on waivers this weekend. There’s a good chance he clears, as he’s out of options and would need to jump directly onto a claiming team’s big league roster. Miller would have an opportunity to elect free agency if he clears waivers, though the Cubs could try to bring him back on a minor league contract.

MLB Mailbag: Cubs Outfield, Rays Catchers, Yankees, Skubal, Detmers, Lowe, Kwan

Steve Adams — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 22:29:59 +0000

This week’s MLBTR Mailbag will dig into the Cubs’ long-term outfield look, the Rays’ crop of catching talent, the Yankees’ 2027 payroll and roster pursuits, and possible contracts for some notable names around the league. (Note: questions are lightly edited for clarity and brevity.)

Let’s get into it!

Colin asks:

What are the Cubs’ options for replacing Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ this offseason? Kevin Alcantara hasn’t looked convincing in his short stints in the big leagues, while some of their other top outfield prospects seem a bit far off. I suppose they could give Matt Shaw a run in the outfield to start next season, but they would still need a lefty bat and/or a bat to provide Suzuki’s power output. It feels like there are a couple of interesting options in free agency, but I am curious what names they could pursue whether via trade or signing.

I tend to agree on Alcantara. I’m not especially bullish on him. If you’ve followed my chats, mailbags, etc. at MLBTR over the years, you know I tend to be pretty lukewarm on players who strike out this often in the upper minors. Alcantara has posted above-average but not elite offense in three straight seasons of Triple-A work. He’s never had a single-season strikeout rate lower than 29.1% there. This year, in his third full look at the level, he’s fanning at a 30.4% clip — his worst of his three seasons in Triple-A. It just doesn’t bode well for his ability to hit major league pitching on a consistent basis.

Alcantara could still have a role in the majors moving forward, to be clear. He’s a good runner with plenty of raw power who can handle center field. He’s a right-handed hitter who’s been decent against lefties in a small minor league sample, but he’s actually punched out more often (on a rate basis) against lefties in the minors than he has against right-handers. Alcantara might have a future as a fourth outfielder who hits for some power but has low average and OBP marks, but I don’t think the Cubs would be wise to hand him a starting job in 2027.

So, where can they turn?

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Braves Release Tyler Kinley

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 22:09:02 +0000

The Braves have released right-hander Tyler Kinley, reports Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Kinley had been designated for assignment earlier this week. He will be a free agent as soon as he clears release waivers, if he hasn’t already.

Kinley was designated for assignment a few days ago when AJ Smith-Shawver was recalled to the big league roster. Once a player is in DFA limbo, a team only has three options. They can trade the player, put him on outright waivers or put him on release waivers. A trade of Kinley this week was not an option since the deadline has already passed. Atlanta could have gone for outright waivers but Kinley has enough service time to reject an outright assignment and elect free agency while keeping his money, so the club has decided not to bother with that path.

Atlanta acquired Kinley from the Rockies at last year’s deadline. He had a great finish to the year, posting a 0.72 earned run average in 25 innings after that deal. He got a lot of help from a .156 batting average on balls in play and 96.4% strand rate but even his 2.74 FIP and 3.80 SIERA suggested he would have had good results even with more neutral luck.

Despite that strong run, Atlanta turned down a $5.5MM club option, opting instead for a $750K buyout. In January, they re-signed him with a new deal, a one-year pact with a $4.25MM guarantee. That came in the form of a $3MM salary and $1.25MM buyout on a $5.5MM club option for 2027.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t been having his best season. This year’s 4.01 ERA doesn’t look too bad but Kinley is again getting a lot of help from the baseball gods. He has a .245 BABIP and 81.1% strand rate. His 5.41 FIP suggests he deserves far worse, though his 4.17 SIERA isn’t quite as bleak. Kinley’s 23.5% strikeout rate this year is decent but he is walking 11.2% of batters faced. The club decided to move on.

Unless some club claims Kinley off release waivers, Atlanta will remain on the hook for what’s left of the salary and the buyout on the club option. Assuming that Kinley is a free agent now or becomes one shortly, another club could sign him and would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster. That amount would be subtracted from what Atlanta pays.

He has a decent track record, with a 4.67 career ERA despite playing for the Rockies for most of that time. Since the trade deadline has passed and it’s hard to find roster reinforcements at this time of year, he should garner interest.

Photo courtesy of Jordan Godfree, Imagn Images

Cardinals Place Andre Pallante On Injured List

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:30:18 +0000

The Cardinals announced that they have placed right-hander Andre Pallante on the 15-day injured list with elbow inflammation, retroactive to August 18. Fellow righty Ryan Fernandez has been recalled to take his place on the roster. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch first reported the news and added that left-hander Quinn Mathews will take Pallante’s rotation spot and start Saturday’s game.

Remarkably, this is the first notable injury for the St. Louis rotation this year and actually in almost two years. Per Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, the last Cardinal starter to go on the IL with an arm issue was Sonny Gray in September of 2024.

Through this year’s trade deadline, each of Pallante, Dustin May, Matthew Liberatore, Kyle Leahy and Michael McGreevy made at least 21 starts. Hunter Dobbins made a few spots starts in there and Mathews made one as well but the main quintet was otherwise consistent. May was traded to the Brewers at the deadline, which opened a more permanent spot for Dobbins.

This Pallante injury will open up a spot for Mathews, but perhaps not for long. Per Goold, Pallante has no structural damage in his elbow and the Cards expect a minimal stint. Since the IL stint has been backdated by three days, he might only miss two or three turns.

Regardless, it’s a potentially notable absence. Though the Cards are clearly in a retooling/evaluation year, they are firmly in the National League playoff picture, currently just 2.5 games out of a playoff spot. With barely a month left in the season, the importance of each game will be magnified.

Pallante has played his part in keeping the Cards in it. He has made 24 starts this year, allowing 3.57 earned runs per nine innings. His 17.2% strikeout rate is subpar but his 7.3% walk rate and 54.5% ground ball rate are both strong figures.

Mathews will do his best to fill Pallante’s spot without a notable downgrade in quality, though his performance will undoubtedly have a different shape. He has just two big league starts under his belt so far, allowing three earned runs in nine innings. In 21 Triple-A starts this year, he has a 3.27 ERA. He has struck out 29.2% of batters faced, far higher than Pallante’s work this year, but Mathews has also walked 14.8% of opponents. His 46.8% ground ball rate is good but notably below Pallante’s rate.

Photo courtesy of Katie Stratman, Imagn Images

Yankees Place Ryan McMahon On Injured List

Anthony Franco — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 21:07:26 +0000

The Yankees placed third baseman Ryan McMahon on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to August 20, with a sprained left thumb. Max Schuemann is up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his place on the active roster.

McMahon made an early exit from Wednesday’s win over Baltimore. He hit an RBI single in the second inning. He was cut down trying to stretch it into a double and jammed his thumb sliding into second base. He tried to play through the injury but was lifted for pinch-hitter José Caballero in the eighth.

It’s not expected to be a long-term absence. McMahon told reporters (including Jorge Castillo of ESPN) that it’s a Grade 2 sprain and he hopes to be back after a minimal stint. Manager Aaron Boone confirmed that’s the team’s expectation as well (via Brendan Kuty of The Athletic). Caballero will probably be the primary third baseman for the next week and a half. He’s at second base with Amed Rosario at the hot corner and Jazz Chisholm Jr. on the bench tonight, as the Blue Jays are starting left-handed opener Mason Fluharty.

This is McMahon’s second injured list stint of the season. He also had a minimal stay in June due to a throat infection. He’s a steady hand defensively but hasn’t seen the offensive jump the club was hoping at Yankee Stadium. McMahon has a .216/.282/.367 slash with 10 home runs over 306 plate appearances in his first season in pinstripes.

It’s moderately surprising the Yankees opted for Schuemann instead of recalling Anthony Volpe. That could be related to the looming return of Cody Bellinger, who’s rehabbing in Triple-A and may be activated at some point during the Toronto series. That was initially likely to push Spencer Jones off the roster, but the Yankees could option Schuemann back instead. If that’s the plan, it makes more sense to let Volpe continue playing regularly in Scranton and build reps at second base. McMahon will be out until at least August 30, so the Yankees could wait to activate him until they get the extra active roster spot on September 1.

On The Possibility Of An Offseason Rafael Devers Trade

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 20:32:14 +0000

It was no secret that the Giants were open to trade offers involving their big-name players this summer. The club is having a poor season and was clearly in seller position ahead of the deadline. Multiple reports talked about how the team was willing to discuss Matt Chapman, Willy Adames and Rafael Devers.

Though there were plenty of rumors, a deadline trade never seemed especially likely. All three players have hefty long-term contracts. Chapman is set to make $100MM from 2027 to 2030. Adames will make $140MM from 2027 to 2031. Devers will make $211MM from 2027 through 2033, though $7.5MM is deferred annually.

Trading contracts like that is tough mid-season. Most clubs keep some powder dry for in-season moves but generally don’t have that kind of wiggle room. Beyond the money, there was the on-field performance. Those three players all got out to poor starts this year and didn’t have huge appeal throughout the summer.

Revisiting trades could be a priority for the Giants this coming winter if they still want to free up some long-term payroll capacity. The possibility of a deal should be a bit better in the winter when other clubs are more likely to have some payroll space to work with.

With Chapman and Adames, it will still be really tough to see a deal coming together. Both players have full no-trade protection in their deals, which complicates matters. They also won’t be going into the offseason with a lot of steam. Chapman is 33 years old, had a subpar season at the plate in 2026 and is currently recovering from hernia/core surgery. Adames is about to turn 31, has been battling back problems lately and is hitting .229/.288/.416 on the year.

With Devers, it’s at least possible to imagine something coming together. He’s the youngest of the trio, currently 29, turning 30 in October. His deal doesn’t have any no-trade protection. And in terms of his on-field performance, he has been back to his old self after an ice-cold start.

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Royals Place Maikel Garcia On Injured List

Anthony Franco — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 20:15:33 +0000

August 21: Garcia has been officially placed on the IL today, per the Royals. Outfielder Matthew Lugo has been recalled in his place. The Royals also made a pitching swap, optioning right-hander Carlos Durán and recalled fellow righty José Cuas.

August 20: The Royals are likely to place Maikel Garcia on the 10-day injured list tomorrow, manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (link via Anne Rogers of MLB.com). He was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain after going for an MRI on Thursday.

Garcia made an early exit from today’s win over the Athletics. He was on second and pulled up as he rounded third base on a single to left field. The A’s easily threw him out, though it didn’t stop Kansas City from completing a four-game sweep. Nick Loftin moved in from right field to play third base, while John Rave came off the bench to finish the game in right.

It has been a frustrating year for Garcia, who has only made it into 73 games. He went down in late June with a muscle strain in his left hand. K.C. activated him on Monday only to lose him three days later to a new injury. He has a league average .269/.324/.385 slash across 309 plate appearances, a step back from his .800 OPS and 16-homer season in 2025. Garcia has continued to play excellent defense at third base and would’ve garnered serious consideration for a second straight Gold Glove had he stayed healthy.

Josh Rojas, who consented to an optional assignment when Garcia was reinstated, will probably be recalled from Triple-A Omaha. He and Loftin can split the third base reps for as long as Garcia is down.

Orioles Designate Albert Suárez For Assignment

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:45:43 +0000

The Orioles announced that they have recalled right-hander Anthony Nunez from Triple-A Norfolk. Fellow righty Albert Suárez has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.

Suárez, 36, has been a swingman for the O’s for a few years now. He was a great asset for them in 2024, logging 133 2/3 innings with a 3.70 earned run average. Unfortunately, last year was marred by injuries. He missed time due to a subscapularis strain and a mild flexor strain, only making five appearances. He was non-tendered at the end of that season.

He re-signed with the O’s on a minor league deal and has been on and off the roster this year. His contract was selected at the end of March. He was designated for assignment about a month later. He cleared waivers and elected free agency but was back on the roster a few days later. One day later, he got the DFA treatment again. He was added back to the roster in the middle of May but got yet another DFA a few days later. After electing free agency once more, he was back on the roster at the end of May.

The pace of the transactions has died down, as he has been consistently on the roster for almost three months, but he is now designated for assignment for the fourth time this year. He has pitched three out of the last five days, including throwing 36 pitches yesterday. Perhaps he was going to be unavailable for a day or two, so the Orioles have swapped in a fresh arm.

Around all the transactions, Suárez has absorbed 55 innings over 25 appearances this year, allowing 3.93 earned runs per nine. His 8.3% walk rate is good but his 16.5% strikeout rate and 30.8% ground ball rate are both subpar figures. A .259 batting average on balls in play has likely helped him keep runs off the board but his 4.40 FIP and 4.62 SIERA are skeptical of that being sustainable.

With the trade deadline now in the past, Suárez will be back on waivers shortly. Perhaps a team in need of a fresh arm will claim him but the smart money is probably on Suárez clearing, at least based on precedent. It’s possible he goes through the same cycle as earlier this year, clearing waivers, electing free agency and then re-signing with the O’s.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images

Lineup Analysis (8/21/26)

Jeff Zimmerman — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:30:12 +0000

Less chaos

Source

Spider-Men? Starters with Sticky Stat Success

Jack Dorfman — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:30:04 +0000

Are these young zone pounders up next to Avenge you next season?

Source

Athletics Select Michael Stefanic

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:25:43 +0000

The Athletics announced that they have selected the contract of infielder Michael Stefanic. He takes the active roster spot of fellow infielder Jacob Wilson, who has been placed on the 10-day injured list. First baseman Nick Kurtz has been transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. The A’s also made a swap on the pitching side, optioning Taylor Rashi to Triple-A Las Vegas and recalling righty Kade Morris.

The IL moves are not surprising. Kurtz hit the 10-day IL earlier this month with a strained right thumb. It was relayed by manager Mark Kotsay shortly thereafter that Kurtz would probably be unable to make it back this year. Today’s transaction confirms that. With Wilson, he has missed several games this week due to left shoulder soreness. It was reported yesterday that he would be placed on the 10-day IL and probably wouldn’t come back this year.

Stefanic gets back on the roster to give the club an extra infielder as the play out the string without Wilson or Kurtz. Stefanic was briefly on the roster in May, getting into two games for the A’s. After that, he was designated for assignment, cleared waivers, elected free agency and was re-signed to a minor league deal.

The book on Stefanic is that he is a low-power contact hitter with defensive versatility. In 294 big league plate appearances, he has no home runs but a low strikeout rate of 15%. That still hasn’t led to much production, as he has a .231/.315/.269 line and 71 wRC+. He has often been better in the minors. This year, he has 453 Triple-A plate appearances with six home runs, a 9% strikeout rate and a big 13% walk rate. His .296/.405/.414 slash looks nice but is only marginally above average in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, leading to a 103 wRC+.

Defensively, Stefanic has seen big league time at shortstop, third base and second base. In the minors, he has also spent time at first base and in the outfield corners. The A’s are using Jeff McNeil, Tommy White, Donovan Walton, Darell Hernaiz, Max Muncy and Alika Williams in their infield mix as they play out the string on a lost season. Stefanic jumps into that group now. He is controllable beyond this season but is out of options.

Photo courtesy of Ed Szczepanski, Imagn Images

Marlins Acquire Logan Driscoll

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:15:10 +0000

August 21: The Marlins selected Driscoll to the roster today and put Kempner on the 60-day injured list.

August 19: Catcher Logan Driscoll has triggered an assignment clause in his minor league deal with the Rays and is headed to the Marlins, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. Though the trade deadline has passed, trades can still happen if a player’s contract hasn’t been selected to a 40-man roster at any point during the season yet. MLBTR took a look at post-deadline transactions earlier this month. Tampa is getting cash in return, per Kevin Barral of Fish on First.

The way an assignment clause usually works is that all 29 other clubs, apart from the signing team, must be notified when a player triggers one. If any of them are willing to give him a roster spot, the signing club must give the player a spot themselves or trade him to a club that will. Topkin says Driscoll triggered an assignment clause but Barral says this is just a minor league trade. Time will tell whether Driscoll will get a spot on Miami’s 40-man roster or if he will just be non-roster depth.

If he is getting a spot with Miami, they will need a corresponding move. That should be easy, as William Kempner recently underwent elbow surgery and could be transferred to the 60-day injured list.

Driscoll, now 28, has a limited big league track record. He got into 15 games with the Rays in 2024, hitting .171/.189/.257 in 37 plate appearances. In 2025, an ankle injury put him on the minor league injured list to start the year. He ended up missing the entire season. The Rays released him in August of last year to free up a roster spot but then re-signed him to a minor league deal.

He was still on the IL to begin this year but then went on a rehab assignment in May and reported to Triple-A Durham in June. He has appeared in 43 games with the Bulls and produced a .250/.343/.368 batting line.

For the Rays, they just acquired Liam Hicks from Miami ahead of the trade deadline. Hicks and Nick Fortes make up their current catching duo and they also have Kenny Piper on the 40-man roster. Miami, as mentioned, they traded Hicks away. They have Joe Mack being backed up by Brian Navarreto, while Agustín Ramírez is also on the roster as a part-time catcher and designated hitter.

That leaves the Marlins a bit light in terms of minor league depth. Garret Forrester and Bennett Hostetler are at Triple-A but they don’t have big league experience and aren’t really prospects either. Even if Driscoll is getting a 40-man spot from his assignment clause, he has a full slate of options and can be kept in the minors until there’s a need at the big league level.

Marlins president of baseball operations Peter Bendix previously worked for Tampa and this isn’t the first time he has snagged a former Ray, with guys like Pete Fairbanks, Xavier Edwards and others making the move from Tampa to Miami.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Front Office Subscriber Chat With Anthony Franco

Anthony Franco — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:00:43 +0000

MLBTR’s Anthony Franco is holding a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!

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Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

Anthony Franco — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 19:00:43 +0000

Anthony Franco

Good afternoon, hope all is well!
Looking forward to another of these, let’s get it rolling

Lockoout vs Strike

Over/Under 120 game schedule next year.?

Anthony Franco

Still think we’re getting a full 162

Wordan Jalker

Good afternoon AF. Who wins the NL rookie of the year? Why ?

Anthony Franco

I think it’s Wetherholt because of the defensive advantage over Stewart

Sharky

is it too early to say that Lombard and friends gave the yanks a bit of a spark?

Anthony Franco

Don’t think that has anything to do with Trent Grisham mashing again but Lombard has definitely been a big upgrade over what they were previously running out at SS on both sides of the ball

Guarded Indian

Why do you think we will get 162 games?

Anthony Franco

Still think there’s too much at stake for the league with the post-2028 TV plans and getting the ball rolling on expansion to hold firm to the cap push this time around. Would make more sense to do it in 2031 IMO

NL ROY

Why no consideration for a Benge run at it?

Anthony Franco

He’s got an outside shot but the overall offensive numbers are still weighed down a little by the bad start and he’s neither as impressive defensively as Wetherholt nor hitting for as much power as Stewart
Would need to have a huge September but he was my preseason pick so hey, wouldn’t complain if he pulls it off

mocha or java?

Rush to pickup Joe Musgrove?

Anthony Franco

Depends on how deep your league is and how desperately you need pitching. The velocity’s back, which is encouraging, but he’s probably not going beyond five innings very often and you’re hoping for about league average rate stats

Sandy at 90

What do you think the chances are that Skubal signs with LAD before a lock out?

Anthony Franco

20%? Would make sense for him to sign pre-lockout if they’ve got any concern about a cap, and he’s going to be top priority for most of the big spenders
I’d take the field over any individual team but Dodgers are probably the favorites, obviously in the top three

Pete

The Mets had PCA and traded him away. How much does that sting? Isn’t that the counter-argument to the anti-prospect huggers? Pads traded Kluber…and the list goes on and on…
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Tigers GM Jeff Greenberg Reportedly A Candidate For Red Wings GM Job

Darragh McDonald — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:42:22 +0000

The NHL’s Detroit Red Wings are searching for a general manager. One of the potential candidates is already in Detroit but in a different league. Max Bultman of The Athletic reports that Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg has some “buzz” in connection with the job opening. Earlier this month, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet had connected Greenberg to the Red Wings in an appearance on NHL Tonight. Gabriel Foley of Pro Hockey Rumors, MLBTR’s sister site, covered the NHL angle on the news earlier today.

Executives switching sports is fairly rare but wouldn’t be shocking in this case. Greenberg has actually oscillated back and forth between the two sports throughout his life. He played hockey in both high school and college.

In his professional life, he started on the baseball path. While still an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, he interned for the Pirates. While attending Columbia Law School, he interned for the Diamondbacks. After graduating from Columbia, he got an intern job with the Cubs and worked his way up to assistant general manager. Scott Harris, who is now president of baseball operations with the Tigers, was also a Cubs AGM at that time.

Greenberg pivoted to hockey in 2022, getting hired as AGM with the Blackhawks. While he was doing that, Harris got the GM job with the Giants, working under president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi. In 2022, the Tigers moved on from general manager Al Avila and hired Harris to run the front office with the POBO title. One year later, in September of 2023, Harris brought Greenberg back to baseball by hiring him to be his GM.

In addition to that previous hockey experience, Greenberg’s hire could make some sense since he wouldn’t even really be changing employers. Both the Tigers and the Red Wings are owned by Ilitch Holdings, the company of the Ilitch family. Mike Ilitch purchased the Red Wings in 1982 and the Tigers in 1992. Mike passed away in 2017 and his son Christopher is now the CEO and President of Ilitch Holdings.

Perhaps Greenberg would be intrigued by jumping from being the #2 guy in a baseball front office to being the #1 guy in a hockey front office. He has some background in the hockey world and presumably wouldn’t even have to move in order to take this job.

If he ultimately is tapped for the position, the Tigers would presumably look for a new GM. That wouldn’t necessarily be an urgent search. Some MLB teams operate without anyone with the specific GM title, as the front office is often run by someone with a different title. For instance, the Red Sox were seemingly going to promote Paul Toboni from AGM to GM a few months ago, but then Toboni got the POBO job with the Nationals. Since then, the Red Sox have put their GM search on hold, with Craig Breslow running the front office as Chief Baseball Officer. For the Tigers, Harris is already the clear #1 guy and he could operate with no GM if he wanted. The Tigers currently have Ryan Garko and Rob Metzler in AGM roles.

Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images

5 Starting Pitchers on New Teams Making Pitch Mix Changes

Corbin Young — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:30:07 +0000

Let's look at five starting pitchers who were traded to a new team, who might be changing their pitch mix and why that matters for fantasy baseball purposes.

Source

Fantasy Baseball Subscriber Chat With Nicklaus Gaut

Nicklaus Gaut — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 18:00:26 +0000

Nicklaus Gaut will be talking fantasy baseball with Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers today at 1 PM Central Time. Get your question in early or participate in the live event at the link below!

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Front Office Subscriber Chat With Anthony Franco: TODAY At 2:00pm Central

Anthony Franco — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:35:43 +0000

MLBTR’s Anthony Franco will be holding a live chat today at 2:00 pm Central, exclusively for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers!

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Royals Release Scott Barlow

Steve Adams — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 16:42:27 +0000

Scott Barlow‘s return to the Royals organization lasted about seven weeks. The former Kansas City closer, who signed a minor league deal with the Royals in early July after being cut loose by the A’s, was released yesterday, per the transaction log at MiLB.com.

The 33-year-old Barlow has had a bizarre season. He pitched poorly with the Athletics after signing a one-year, $2MM deal in free agency — but his struggles were entirely confined to the Athletics’ exorbitantly hitter-friendly home venue(s). Barlow was absolutely torched for 22 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings between West Sacramento’s Sutter Health Park and the brief cameo the A’s made at their own Triple-A facility in Summerlin. Opponents belted six home runs in that time. On the road, however, Barlow yielded only two runs in 17 2/3 frames.

Barlow appeared to be a prime change-of-scenery candidate, but his work with the Royals’ top affiliate in Omaha has arguably been uglier than his home splits with the A’s. He’s pitched 14 1/3 innings for the Storm Chasers and been tagged for nine earned runs. His 5.65 ERA isn’t as rough as the numbers he posted in the Athletics’ home contests this season, but Barlow has walked 15 of the 67 batters he’s faced with Omaha (22.4%). He’s plunked another and also thrown three wild pitches. And while the ERA isn’t as inflated in Omaha as it was with the A’s, he’s still served up five homers (3.14 HR/9) in his 14 1/3 innings there.

Barlow’s velocity in Omaha is particularly alarming. In his career, he’s averaged 92.1 mph on his sinker and 93.4 mph on his four-seamer. Last year with the Reds, he sat at 92.5 mph and 92.2 mph, respectively, on those two pitches. But with the A’s, he sat 89 mph on both pitches — and he’s been at 89.6 mph on the sinker and 88.1 mph on his four-seamer with the Storm Chasers.

During his 2021-22 peak with the Royals, Barlow was genuinely excellent. He pitched 148 2/3 innings with a 2.30 ERA, 28.2% strikeout rate, 8.4% walk rate, 40 saves and 20 holds. He’s since been more of a serviceable but command-challenged setup man, logging 191 1/3 innings with a 4.28 ERA and 13% walk rate in 2023-25. This is the first season he’s been unable even hold a roster spot in the majors.

Another club could scoop Barlow up on a minor league deal as a means of adding some depth before this year’s postseason eligibility deadline on Sept. 1. A contending club isn’t going to view Barlow as any sort of reliable answer, but playoff hopefuls routinely bring in veteran arms to safeguard against injury this time of year. Barlow’s big velocity drop and substantial command woes — both in terms of throwing strikes and avoiding the middle of the plate this year — will give plenty of clubs pause, however. It’s possible he’ll have to wait for the offseason (when he can focus on regaining some of that lost velo), but his track record should get him another look on a minor league deal at some point.

Ottoneu Starting Pitching Planner: August 24–30

Jake Mailhot — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:30:21 +0000

Ottoneu Starting Pitcher sit/start recommendations for the week of August 24–30.

Source

Yankees, Eli Morgan Agree To Minor League Deal

Steve Adams — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:10:08 +0000

The Yankees and reliever Eli Morgan are in agreement on a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The 30-year-old righty had been with the Royals organization but elected free agency after being designated for assignment earlier in the week. He’ll now head to the Yankees’ Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Triple-A affiliate and provide some depth while New York gears up for the postseason. Morgan is represented by CAA.

Morgan got plenty of big league run with Kansas City this year, albeit in up-and-down fashion. He’s been recalled to the majors five different times and combined for 19 1/3 innings. Opponents dinged him for 11 runs (5.12 ERA) on 24 hits and nine walks with 16 strikeouts.

That performance follows a 2024-25 run that was impacted by elbow and shoulder injuries. Morgan was limited to 39 appearances and 49 1/3 innings across those two seasons, pitching to solid results with the Guardians and Cubs but spending two month-long stints on the 15-day IL and another four-month stay on the 60-day IL.

From 2022-24, Morgan was a solid middle-relief arm in Cleveland. He logged 176 innings with the Guardians over those three years and notched a 3.27 ERA, 25.1% strikeout rate and 6.6% walk rate. Morgan worked primarily medium- and low-leverage situations but was still a reliable source of quality innings in the Cleveland ‘pen.

Even with this year’s shaky major league results, Morgan has a 1.40 ERA in 25 2/3 Triple-A frames. The 5’10” righty has punched out 32.4% of his opponents there, albeit against a 13.9% walk rate. His once-excellent command had taken a step back since those elbow and shoulder issues surfaced, and this year’s 91.2 mph average four-seamer is down about a mile per hour from the 92.3 at which he sat in ’22-’24. He couples the pitch with a slider that’s averaged 85.4 mph and a changeup that has sat at 77 mph.

Yankees relievers rank second in the majors with a 3.00 ERA this season, and over the past month they’re fourth in MLB with a 2.69 earned run average. They don’t necessarily have a dire need for ‘pen help, but they have at least one spot somewhat up in the air. Bradley Hanner was only just promoted for his major league debut, and while 28-year-old Yerry de los Santos has been terrific in 14 big league innings (just one run allowed), he’s spent more of the season in Triple-A than in the majors and has only 99 2/3 big league innings under his belt overall.

Morgan joins Justin Topa as the second veteran reliever — and second former Royals/AL Central righty — to be scooped up by the Yankees in the past two weeks as they look to safeguard against any late injuries in the post-deadline push toward the playoffs.

The Opener: Holmes, deGrom, Misiorowski/Sale

Charlie Wright — Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:06:31 +0000

The Cardinals and Reds had a wild one on Thursday. Cincinnati erased a four-run deficit with five runs in the sixth inning. The Reds had the victory in hand in the ninth inning, but a Dane Myers error extended the game. The Cardinals ended up scoring six times in the frame. Cincinnati’s comeback attempt fell just short, as Matt McLain lined out with the bases loaded.

1. Holmes loses no-hit bid in seventh

Braves right-hander Grant Holmes cruised through six frames with just a walk on the ledger against the White Sox on Thursday. He walked Miguel Vargas to lead off the seventh inning, then permitted a single to Andrew Benintendi. Didier Fuentes relieved Holmes and quelled the rally by striking out the side. It was the third time in four starts this month that Holmes has tossed six scoreless innings. There was a clunker in the middle (six earned runs vs. Arizona), but the righty has done enough to hold onto a rotation spot. Atlanta is currently rolling with a six-man look with AJ Smith-Shawver back in the majors.

2. deGrom reaches 2K strikeouts

Rangers righty Jacob deGrom was featured in this space yesterday because of the uncertainty around his health. Apparently, he’s good to go. The two-time Cy Young winner fired six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts against the Nationals. deGrom punched out Daylen Lile to lead off the game, then got Abimelec Ortiz on a backfoot slider to secure strikeout No. 2,000. He’s the second-fastest pitcher to reach the milestone, behind only Chris Sale. “He’s 38 and he’s still throwing 100,” catcher Danny Jansen said (h/t Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News). “It’s remarkable.”

3. Misiorowski vs. Sale

Speaking of Sale, he’ll get the ball in the first game of an intriguing series between the Braves and Brewers on Friday. Sale will be opposed by right-hander Jacob Misiorowski. The high-octane matchup could go a long way toward deciding which NL titan has to play in the first round of the postseason. Milwaukee is currently four games ahead of Atlanta for the best record in the National League. The Dodgers are sandwiched in between, two games back of the Brewers. The top two teams will earn first-round byes in the playoffs.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images