Shohei Ohtani Scratched From Wednesday Start, Won’t Pitch For “Some Time”
Shohei Ohtani‘s troublesome left knee continues to limit his mound work, as Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen) today that Ohtani won’t make his scheduled start on Wednesday against the Phillies. Ohtani will continue his regular DH duties, but it isn’t clear when he’ll be back pitching.
“Where we’re at right now, how we’re proceeding, I would say that it’s going to be some time. I’d say that it’s not going to be a day-to-day thing,” Roberts said. The skipper did state that Ohtani would pitch again this season, and that the decision is somewhat precautionary.
“Honestly, a lot of it is where we’re at and how we’ve put ourselves in a good spot,” Roberts said, referring to how Los Angeles is cruising towards another NL West title. “Could he probably do it? Sure. But right now, the benefits just [don’t] seem to outweigh the cost at this time of the season. So I think we still have plenty of time to get him to a good spot to then pitch.”
Ohtani’s last game as a pitcher was on July 3, when he allowed three earned runs over six innings in the Dodgers’ 4-3 win over the Padres. Ohtani has a 4.38 ERA in his last 24 2/3 innings pitched, which may reflect his knee irritation or perhaps just some natural regression from the otherworldly 0.74 ERA Ohtani posted in his first 10 starts and 61 frames. The Dodgers held Ohtani out of his last scheduled start before the All-Star break and he skipped the All-Star Game itself to give himself more rest, while getting a lubricating Orthovisc shot in his knee.
After a UCL surgery kept him from pitching at all in 2024, Ohtani posted a 2.87 ERA over 47 regular-season innings as a pitcher in 2025, and he then added 20 1/3 more pitching innings during the playoffs. The Dodgers have been careful in managing Ohtani’s rest all year, giving him some off-days from the DH role on starting days or either before or after his starts.
As always, the Dodgers’ focus is on keeping Ohtani (and all of their injured players) healthy for October. In Ohtani’s particular case, the Dodgers certainly don’t want to push him and risk any sort of injury that would also limit his ability to hit. The knee problem doesn’t appear to be slowing down Ohtani’s bat, and he had two hits in the Dodgers’ 8-2 win over the Yankees today in the first game of a doubleheader.
Los Angeles has dealt with a mountain of injuries over the last few years, yet those losses haven’t impacted the Dodgers’ success due to the depth of talent on both the big league roster and in the farm system. Even now, with Ohtani unavailable to pitch and both Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow on the 60-day injured list, L.A. still has Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Justin Wrobleski, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, and Eric Lauer in the rotation.
Between these arms and a playoff ticket all but assured, Los Angeles can afford to give Ohtani, Snell, and Glasnow all the time they need over the rest of the regular season. Trading for at least another depth starter is also a possibility, if the Dodgers’ concern about their rotation health grows between now and the August 3 trade deadline.
Royals Place Stephen Kolek On 15-Day Injured List
Prior to today’s 19-2 loss to the Padres, the Royals activated right-hander Stephen Kolek from the restricted list and placed Kolek on the 15-day injured list due to a right flexor strain. K.C. manager Matt Quatraro told MLB.com’s Anne Rogers and other media that Kolek will undergo testing on Monday to determine the extent of the injury, which arose on Saturday when Kolek was pitching in a rehab start at Triple-A Omaha.
The flexor strain comes after a trying month for the Kolek family, as Rogers writes that Kolek’s daughter Faye was born on June 25, seven weeks premature. The most important news of all is that Faye is doing well enough that Kolek was able to officially plan the resumption of his on-field work, as he had made just one start in the last four weeks due to multiple stints on the paternity list, family emergency list, and restricted list.
Rogers noted that MLB gave Kolek special permission to have a rehab start while on the restricted list, in a nod to the circumstances of his family situation. The expectation was that Kolek might’ve just needed the one start in Omaha (scheduled for four innings or 65 pitches) before rejoining the Kansas City rotation, before the injury has now potentially put his season in jeopardy, depending on the severity of the strain.
Kolek has a 4.50 ERA over 10 starts and 54 innings this season, the third of his big league career. A bit of a throwback pitcher, Kolek relies on control and grounders rather than strikeouts, but he has a 14% homer rate and a relatively modest 45.7% grounder rate this year. That said, Kolek’s ERA was inflated by a ghastly start that saw him allow nine runs in 1 2/3 frames against the Cardinals on June 21. While traveling back and forth between the team and his family over the last four weeks, Kolek made one start, and gave up three runs in two innings of work against the Rays on July 2.
The Royals have eight pitchers on their current injured list, as both health issues and a general lack of effectiveness have plagued their pitching staff all year long. Only three teams have given up more runs than Kansas City’s 525 runs allowed, and the result has been a dismal 40-60 record for a Royals club that had winning seasons in both 2024 and 2025.
AL East Notes: Bassitt, Rodon, Scherzer, Santander
Chris Bassitt was placed on the Orioles‘ 10-day injured list on June 5 due to back soreness that had bothered the right-hander all season. The answer was a minor surgery last month that saw a bone spur removed from Bassitt’s lumbar spine area, and Bassitt told the Baltimore Sun’s Jacob Calvin Meyer that he believes he is the first big league player to undergo such a procedure. Despite the uncertainty around such a new type of surgery, Bassitt is already feeling much better, and he has started his throwing progression in the form a long-toss session on Friday and a couple of bullpens planned for this week.
Because the O’s moved Bassitt to the 60-day IL yesterday, August 4 is the earliest possible date he’ll be able to return to Baltimore’s rotation. While it’s probably unlikely that Bassitt is back quite that early, it seems like he’s making enough progress that a return by mid-August seems feasible, assuming no setbacks in his recovery. With only a 5.27 ERA to show for his first 56 1/3 innings in an Orioles uniform, it is fair to say that Bassitt’s recurring back issues limited his performance, so a healthy Bassitt might provide a boost to an O’s team that could still be in a playoff race in August. What was looking like a lost Orioles season has been revived by the team’s ongoing seven-game winning streak, putting Baltimore two games out of a wild card slot in the crowded American League.
More injury updates from the AL East…
- Yankees manager Aaron Boone told the New York Post’s Greg Joyce and other reporters that Carlos Rodon received a PRP shot amongst other injections following a 10-pitch bullpen session on Friday. This isn’t necessarily a setback, as the plan is for Rodon to throw a full bullpen before the week is over. The left-hander hasn’t pitched since June 28 due to inflammation in his throwing elbow, and Rodon is thought to have a 4-to-6 week recovery period, putting him in line to return to the Yankees in early-to-mid August. More details on Rodon’s recovery (like if he’ll need a minor league rehab assignment or not) will be known once he gets deeper into his throwing progression.
- Max Scherzer had three cortisone injections in his right thumb last Monday, Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters (including MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) and other reporters on Friday. It seemed like Scherzer was on the verge of making what might’ve been his final minor league rehab outing before being activated from the IL, but Schneider described the situation as “a bit of a pause,” rather than a setback. “Everything else is feeling good — arm, ankle, back. We’re trying to knock out all of the stuff around it….then when we hit ‘go,’ he can go and not have these stalls in between.” Scherzer has been limited to 22 innings of 10.23 ERA ball when he has been able to pitch this season, in between two IL stints.
- There was more bad news for another injury-riddled Blue Jays player, as Anthony Santander was shut down for around a week after getting a cortisone shot in his left shoulder. Since signing a five-year, $92.5MM free agent contract with Toronto in the 2024-25 offseason, Santander has played in only 54 regular-season games in 2025 and none this season, largely due to recurring shoulder issues. Santander underwent labral surgery in February to try and address the problem once and for all, but we’re now into the projected 5-to-6 month recovery period with no sign yet about when Santander might be able to make it onto the field this year.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Mark P
- A very busy day on the sports calendar reaches its logical peak with….the MLBTR Weekend Chat. Let the questions and comments commence!
Guest
- Dodger trade deadline?
Mark P
- They’ll look for a backup catcher type given the uncertainty over Smith. It’s possible LA might seek out more than just a pure backup if reports sour on Smith in the next couple of weeks, but for now, the team will probably just look for veteran support for Rushing (and a vet who can be easily optioned if and when Smith returns)Beyond that, it’s probably depth in general for the Dodgers. A bullpen arm or bench addition, and maybe a starting pitcher since Ohtani/Glasnow/Snell are all dealing with injuries. Because they’re the Dodgers, they’ll be linked to all the big names on the market out of pure due diligence, and they have the asset to make a big play for Skubal or someone if they really feel the need
Guest
- Any Reds news’s
Mark P
- They’re planning to move (at least) their impending free agents at the deadlinehttps://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/07/reds-to-pursue-trading-players-…
Blue Jays birds
- What would Louis Varlands hypothetical trade value be?
Mark P
- Though the roof. But, Varland is one of the players Toronto absolutely won’t move, even if the Jays are increasingly looking like sellers
Chaim Bloom
- Do you see me buying or selling at the deadline? Its still a question everyone wants an answer too
Tony
- I would like the Cards to look for bullpen help. They can get by with a weak starting staff but have to fix the bullpen.
Mark P
- The fact that the Cards need help in both pitching areas isn’t great, so focusing on either the pen OR the bullpen leaves the club short.St. Louis is looking like they’ll buy to some limited extent at the deadline, but without moving any significant young trade assets. Bloom’s eye is likely still on the overall rebuild process, so the Cards probably feel 2027 is a better year to truly contend than 2026.
- That all being said, I feel like I’ve made similar comments about the Cardinals in the last several weeks of chats, but they just keep surprising me and winning!
Padres
- If you attached Miller with Bogaerts (assuming no trade waiver) and maybe Kash Mayfield, does someone bite?
Mark P
- Bogaerts is owed $175MM from 2027-33. One can make the case that it’s just about the most underwater contract in all of baseball.Miller, meanwhile, is just about San Diego’s best trade asset, and Mayfield is an intriguing pitching prospects. Moving those two with Bogaerts just to get that contract off the books is just flat-out not happening. If Miller is dealt, it will be for young and cost-effective talent, which is more important to the Padres in the long haul than getting a bad deal off the books.
Ted Turner
- AA said he’s looking for anything to make the team better. Is a trade with Mets for Peralta or Holmes realistic?
Mark P
- Atlanta will get some kind of pitching help, but an in-division isn’t likely. The Braves and Mets aren’t exactly frequent trade partners.
White Sox Showing Interest In Clay Holmes
The White Sox have maintained a one-game lead over the Guardians for first place in the AL Central, and it looking increasingly likely that the Sox will look to build on their success by adding some help at the deadline. To this end, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that Mets starter Clay Holmes is on Chicago’s radar, as White Sox special assistant Nick Hostetler will “keep tabs” on Holmes during his minor league rehab assignment.
That rehab assignment has officially yet to get underway, as Holmes’ planned outing with high-A Brooklyn was canceled due to poor weather. According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, multiple scouts and evaluators from rival teams in attendance to see Holmes pitch, but Holmes instead threw around 45 pitches during a live bullpen session that was naturally limited to just Mets personnel.
Holmes’ fibula was fractured back on May 15 when the Yankees’ Spencer Jones drilled a line drive off Holmes’ right leg. The right-hander was able to avoid surgery, and is on track to meet the initial timeline of a return at some point in August, though when exactly Holmes will be ready is a major question looming over the Mets’ trade deadline plans. Saturday’s canceled game throws another delay into the works, and it decreases the chance that Holmes will be activated from the 60-day IL before the August 3 deadline.
This wouldn’t necessarily prevent a trade, of course, as teams may feel okay with taking the plunge on an injured Holmes if they like what they see in his rehab outings. DiComo cited the example of last summer’s trade that sent Shane Bieber from the Guardians to the Blue Jays, as Cleveland was able to land a notable pitching prospect (Khal Stephen) even though Bieber hadn’t pitched since April 2024 due to a Tommy John surgery.
The Mets should therefore be able to acquire some kind of interesting trade return, if they choose to move Holmes at all. The righty is in the second season of his three-year, $38MM contract, but he is expected to opt out of the final year of that deal and test free agency even though he has spent over two months on the IL. This effectively makes Holmes a rental player, which will limit what other teams will offer New York in trade talks. However, Holmes has said that he likes playing in Queens and is interested in discussing an extension, so the Mets are expected to explore that possibility while also fielding trade offers.
Eyebrows were raised when the Mets signed Holmes with the plan of converting him to starting pitching, but the experiment ended up being a success. Holmes posted a 3.53 ERA over 165 2/3 innings in 2025 and then a 2.39 ERA in his first 52 2/3 innings of 2026 before Jones’ fateful comebacker. Holmes’ strikeout numbers have sharply dropped as a starter, but he has continued to keep the ball on the ground (55.8% grounder rate in 2025-26) and he has allowed just 17 home runs in his time in New York.
A healthy Holmes would boost the rotation of any contender, including the upstart White Sox. Davis Martin and Sean Burke have both pitched well at the front of the rotation, while the results have been a little more mixed for Anthony Kay, Erick Fedde, and rookie Noah Schultz. The Sox are thin on experience and depth when it comes to their starting options, so the rotation and bullpen figure to be Chicago’s top target areas as the deadline approaches.
Chicago GM Chris Getz said back in early June that the team’s focus remains on the big picture in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year, but “we know where we are in the standings, both within the division and Wild Card, and we’re monitoring it….if there’s chances to really add to this group, we’re going to do that.” Since the Sox have kept on winning since Getz made those statements over six weeks ago, it would seem like the front office will indeed look to make some upgrades, even if a deadline buying splurge isn’t happening.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal recently wrote that the White Sox “are willing to be relatively aggressive on players under club control, but are not inclined to overpay for rentals, according to a person briefed on their plans.” Holmes doesn’t technically fit this model given the likelihood that he’ll trigger his opt-out clause, which could limit Chicago’s ability or desire to meet the Mets’ asking price. With many teams involved and the continued uncertainty over his health situation, other pitchers may be likelier trade targets for Chicago than Holmes, but that shouldn’t stop the Sox from doing their due diligence.
A’s Receiving Trade Interest In Their Major League Outfielders
The Athletics’ outfield depth has drawn the attention of trade suitors, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Morosi notes that rival clubs have asked about the outfielders currently on the active roster, with the idea of obtaining one of the A’s outfielders in exchange for pitching.
Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler each signed contract extensions within the last 18 months, putting the two under long-term control through at least the 2032 season. It can be presumed that both are off the table in terms of trade talks, even if the A’s might have a bit of buyer’s remorse on the Butler extension given how his numbers have tailed off since signing that deal in March 2025. By that same metric, however, other teams aren’t likely to have much interest in Butler given his declined production and the roughly $59MM still owed on his contract.
Denzel Clarke is on the 60-day injured list and hasn’t played since April due to hamstring injuries, but he is expected to be back at some point in August. That probably rules the defensive standout out of trade discussions, unless Clarke (who is only in his second MLB season) was perhaps dealt for a young pitcher who is similarly new to the Show. Such a hypothetical deal would probably be more about the future for both teams rather than something that would help the trade partner win now, but a healthy Clarke would provide a major defensive upgrade for just about any club in center field.
Like Clarke, all three of Carlos Cortes, Henry Bolte, and Colby Thomas have less than a year’s experience in the majors. Thomas hasn’t hit much during his brief time in the Show, but Cortes and Bolte would be more interesting adds for a contender looking for immediate deadline help.
Cortes has hit .291/.349/.477 with 11 home runs over 338 plate appearances since making his MLB debut last year. This translates to a 127 wRC+, and Cortes’ strikeout and walk rates have improved from 2025 to 2026, even if he is hitting with less power this season. He is an average corner outfielder with a good enough arm to handle right field, and Cortes has actually posted better career numbers away from Sutter Health Park than he has at his hitter-friendly home ballpark. The A’s have used Cortes almost exclusively against right-handed pitching, but he has hit southpaws pretty well during his minor league career.
That minor league career consists of parts of seven seasons in the Mets’ and Athletics’ farm system, as well as a stint in the Australian Baseball League in 2020. Cortes turned 29 last month, so while he is arb-controlled through 2032, the A’s may not view him as a long-term asset. Another team in need of a bat might well have a different view and more room in their outfield picture for Cortes, so the A’s could be open to a move if some desperately-needed pitching help can be found.
Bolte has more offensive upside than Clarke, so the A’s may view him as their center fielder of the future for now. Since finding a solid center field glove is a lot trickier than a corner outfielder, the A’s aren’t likely to move Bolte for anything less than a premium young arm in return. Bolte has hit a respectable .264/.343/.352 in his first 208 PA in the majors, while stealing 11 bases.
It should be noted that Zack Gelof and Jeff McNeil have gotten some time in the A’s outfield this season, and McNeil of course has plenty of outfield experience from his time with the Mets. Gelof is pretty unlikely to be dealt, both since he’s been enjoying a bounce-back season and because he is currently on the 10-day IL. McNeil has struggled badly all year and would be a salary dump if he is traded at all.
Orioles Transfer Ryan Helsley To 60-Day IL, Select Sam Huff
5:07PM: Speaking with MASN Sports and other media after today’s 5-2 win over the Astros, Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said Rutschman is day to day with some discomfort in his left wrist. Adding to the catching situation, Samuel Basallo left today’s game in the second due to right shoulder discomfort. Albernaz said the shoulder issue has been “a lingering thing” for Basallo that was “aggravated today.”
12:55PM: The Orioles are going with three catchers for the time being, as Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports reports that the club is selecting Sam Huff from Triple-A Norfolk. Right-hander Cam Sanders is being optioned to Triple-A to clear space Huff on the active roster. In a corresponding 40-man move, Ryan Helsley is being transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Baltimore is facing the Astros’ Hunter Brown today, a right-handed pitcher. Notably, Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman is not in the starting lineup, despite doing most of his damage against righties this year. Rutschman played the whole game yesterday as the DH, going 0-4 with one strikeout and a walk. It’s unclear if he’s injured or just needs a day or two to rest, though in any case, the team felt it necessary to bring up Huff as an extra option behind the plate.
Helsley’s transfer to the 60-day IL is the bigger move. The Baltimore closer missed a month and a half earlier in the season for right elbow inflammation. He was activated on June 16th but clearly wasn’t at his best. From June 17th through the 27th, Helsley allowed four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings, along with three home runs. He went back on the IL with renewed elbow discomfort on July 3rd (retroactive to June 30th).
Helsley seems to be taking a cautious approach to his rehab given his initial unsuccessful return last month. Yesterday, he told reporters, including Jacob Calvin Meyer of The Baltimore Sun, that he expects this IL stint to be more “extended.” It was reported last week that Meyer would avoid elbow surgery, but in the righty’s own words, “[I’m] just trying to make sure that it’s out of there. The only way, logically, is to give it a little bit more time.”
With today’s transfer, Helsley is eligible to return from the IL as early as August 29th. That would give him only a month of the regular season in the best case scenario. Helsley joined the Orioles on a two-year, $28MM guarantee this past offseason, with the latter $14MM coming via a player option for 2027. Given his injury troubles this year, it’s becoming more likely that he’ll accept that option and remain with Baltimore for 2027. That would set Helsley up for a healthier platform season and a more lucrative return to free agency than he could achieve this year, which may have been difficult anyway with the looming lockout.
Sanders was acquired last week in a cash trade with the Pirates, and Baltimore immediately optioned him to Triple-A. He was recalled on Friday and pitched both that day and Saturday, tossing a combined 1 2/3 hitless innings with two strikeouts. Sanders’ 8.68 ERA in 9 1/3 innings with Pittsburgh was less impressive, though his mid-90s fastball and mid-80s slider are intriguing enough. He’ll presumably get called up in the future when the bullpen needs a fresh arm.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
Twins’ Mick Abel, David Festa Likely To Miss Rest Of 2026 Season
Twins GM Jeremy Zoll provided reporters (including Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press) with some unfortunate updates on two starting pitchers today. Mick Abel is unlikely to pitch again this season in the aftermath of his arthroscopic elbow surgery on July 1, and David Festa‘s season-long shoulder problems will keep him off the mound for the entirety of the 2026 campaign.
It was almost a year ago that Abel and catching prospect Eduardo Tait were acquired from the Phillies for Jhoan Duran, in one of the most prominent of the many deals the Twins swung as part of their deadline fire sale. The Twins’ focus was mostly on acquiring MLB-ready younger players who could contribute to the roster in immediate fashion, and Abel fit the bill as a former top prospect in his rookie season in the Show.
After four forgettable outings for Minnesota over the rest of the 2025 season, Abel posted a 3.98 ERA over 20 1/3 innings at the start of the year. The righty gave up nine earned runs over his first 7 1/3 innings of work, but rebounded to toss 13 shutout frames over his next two starts. Those ended up being Abel’s last outings of the year, as he was placed on the 10-day injured list due to an initial diagnosis of elbow inflammation.
Abel made a pair of minor league rehab starts in June before more elbow discomfort led to his surgery. A timeline wasn’t provided until today, when Zoll said Abel is scheduled to get his first post-surgery checkup in the last week of August. Even if everything goes well in that evaluation, there isn’t likely to be enough time left in the season for Abel to get through a throwing progression and some rehab outings, even if he is only built up enough for bullpen work.
Festa developed a shoulder impingement during Spring Training and received a stem-cell injection to try and aid the healing process, yet the right-hander hasn’t been able to take part in any game action. “He had thrown a few bullpens and then had a re-occurrence of symptoms in his shoulder,” Zoll said, adding the ominous detail that the Twins think Festa could be dealing with symptoms related to thoracic outlet syndrome.
This isn’t the first time Festa has dealt with a TOS scare, and more will be known once Festa visits a specialist this week. Once a well-touted prospect in Minnesota’s farm system, Festa posted a 5.12 ERA over 117 2/3 innings over the 2024-25 seasons, but it has been almost a year since his last big league game.
Between Pablo Lopez‘s internal brace surgery and these long-term injuries to Abel and Festa, the Twins’ rotation has lost some notable arms but remained fairly stable in terms of results. Joe Ryan is an ace while Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, and Zebby Matthews have all ranged from okay to inconsistent. Connor Prielipp is on a rehab assignment and could soon return as a fifth starter, but rotation help surely looks like a target for the Twins if the team does some buying at this year’s deadline.
Nationals Sign Matt Krook To Major League Deal
The Nationals announced this afternoon that they’ve signed left-hander Matt Krook to a major league deal and activated him. He takes the place of PJ Poulin on the active roster, with Poulin going on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to July 16th) for a left flexor strain. To clear space on the 40-man roster, Richard Lovelady was transferred to the 60-day IL.
It’s a quick reunion for the Nationals and Krook, whom the team designated for assignment on July 12th. Krook cleared waivers and was assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester, which he rejected in favor of free agency. After five days exploring the market, he ultimately returns to Washington as a fresh arm in place of Poulin. He’ll slot in as a low-leverage arm for however long he’s up this time.
Krook, 31, has only thrown 14 2/3 big league innings since debuting in 2023, though he’s actually pretty well-traveled. Originally a fourth-round pick by the Giants in 2016, he’s now with his seventh organization in the Nationals. Krook has considerably more experience at Triple-A, having first reached that level in 2021 while a member of the Yankees. From 2021-26, he’s thrown at least 29 innings at Triple-A in every season, and he’s only posted an ERA over 4.00 once (a 4.09 mark in 138 2/3 innings in 2022). He’s exclusively worked out of the bullpen since the start of 2023.
The profile is that of a Quad-A depth arm. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Krook stick around for a few games, get designated for assignment, then repeat the process of electing free agency and re-signing. For comparison, he only made three appearances for the Nationals between July 4th, when they claimed him from the Athletics, and July 12th, when he was designated.
Poulin heads to the IL in the midst of a polarizing season numbers-wise. On the one hand, he has a 2.70 ERA through 36 2/3 innings, improving on last year’s 3.65 ERA. He also gets grounders at an above-average 46.2% clip. On the other hand, Poulin’s strikeout and walk rates are significantly worse than average, and judging by opposing hitters’ .225 average on balls in play, his true talent is closer to his 5.37 expected ERA than the 2.70 figure. The severity of the flexor strain is not yet clear, but it’s nonetheless a cause for concern given that flexor strains can be precursors to Tommy John surgery. It’s possible the team will provide further information on Poulin’s timeline in the coming days.
Lovelady was acquired by the Nats in a cash trade with the Mets back in April. He’s since tossed 23 innings with a serviceable 3.91 ERA, although his 6.16 xERA suggests he’s been lucky to achieve that. Lovelady had been on the 15-day IL since June 29th with a left triceps strain, and with today’s transfer, he’s now going to be on the shelf until late August at best.
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images
Tigers Transfer Will Vest To 60-Day IL, Select Troy Watson
The Tigers announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Troy Watson from Triple-A Toledo and immediately optioned him to Triple-A. It seemed that Watson had interest from a team overseas, which prompted the Tigers to add him to the 40-man roster, according to Chris McCosky of The Detroit News. To clear 40-man roster space for Watson, the team has moved righty Will Vest to the 60-day injured list.
Vest was on the IL earlier this season for right lateral forearm inflammation. After being activated on May 17th, he posted an ugly 6.00 ERA in his next 14 appearances. Vest went down again on July 1st, this time for right posterior elbow inflammation. Manager A.J. Hinch later told reporters, including McCosky, that Vest had a stress fracture in his elbow which would not require surgery. His current placement is retroactive to June 28th, so today’s transfer to the 60-day IL will keep Vest on the shelf until late August in the best case scenario.
Even without surgery, the move is hardly a welcome update for Vest and the Tigers. The team is 46-52 entering play today and just 3.5 games out of an AL Wild Card spot. The rotation, led by a now-healthy Tarik Skubal, has a 3.43 ERA that ranks third-best in the Majors, along with a fifth-best 10.3 fWAR.
In contrast, the bullpen’s 1.5 fWAR makes them a middle-of-the-pack group and a target for upgrades if the team decides to buy at the deadline. Enmanuel De Jesus and Tyler Holton have been solid, if underwhelming, but Drew Anderson has a 4.62 ERA in 48 2/3 innings. Kyle Finnegan‘s expected numbers put him about two runs higher than his actual 2.11 ERA, mostly thanks to his well-below-average strikeout and walk numbers.
In between injuries, Vest has a 6.08 ERA in 26 2/3 innings this year. While he technically doesn’t have enough innings to qualify, he’s still been the Tigers’ third-best reliever by fWAR. His strikeout and walk rates are both better than average, while Vest’s 61.8% ground ball rate is fifth-best among relievers with at least 20 innings. Detroit can expect Vest’s run prevention numbers to improve with better health, given that he ran a 2.93 ERA in 187 1/3 innings from 2023-25. Rather, they simply may not get him back in time to make a meaningful difference on their playoff odds.
Watson, 29, was a late-round draft pick by the Blue Jays in 2018. He reached Triple-A in 2023 and started there again in 2024, when he was traded to the Tigers in a cash deal. Watson had a 2.75 ERA and a strong 47.4% ground ball rate between Double-A and Triple-A in 2025, and he’s followed that up with a 3.33 ERA in 46 Triple-A innings this season, despite middling strikeout numbers. Watson will be making his major league debut if and when he gets recalled from Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
