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Dodgers To Recall Alexis Díaz For Team Debut

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The Dodgers are calling up right-hander Alexis Díaz, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The former Reds closer was acquired in a trade earlier this year but has been in the minors since that deal. He is on the 40-man roster, so the Dodgers will only need to make a corresponding active roster move to open a spot.

Díaz will get his first look in Dodger blue. L.A. acquired the 2023 All-Star from Cincinnati in late May. It was essentially a salary dump for the Reds. The Dodgers agreed to cover the nearly $3MM remaining on Díaz’s $4.5MM salary for this season. Between that and the associated 110% luxury tax figure, it was a sizable bet on a rebound. Díaz had given up eight runs with more walks than strikeouts through his first six MLB innings this year. He was pitching in Triple-A at the time of the trade.

The Dodgers opted for a complete reset, assigning Díaz to their Arizona complex for a couple weeks. They presumably felt they could iron out some kind of repertoire or mechanical issues before sending him back to a minor league affiliate. He has been at Triple-A Oklahoma City for the past two weeks. The results haven’t been any better, as he’s allowed five runs while issuing seven walks and hitting two more batters in only 4 2/3 innings.

Díaz has always had below-average command, but he showed big swing-and-miss ability over his first two MLB seasons. His velocity and strikeout rate each dipped last year, though he managed a respectable enough 3.99 ERA across 56 1/3 frames. Díaz combined for 65 saves between 2023-24 but won’t be in position for high-leverage work unless he begins missing bats again. He remains a project but will get a look in Dave Roberts’ middle innings group, likely bumping one of Will Klein or Julian Fernández back to Triple-A. Díaz is trending towards a non-tender but would be eligible for arbitration for another three seasons if he pitches well enough to hold his roster spot.

Orioles Outright Luis F. Castillo

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The Orioles announced on Monday that Luis F. Castillo went unclaimed on waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. Baltimore designated him for assignment last week.

Castillo has yet to appear in a big league game with Baltimore. The O’s acquired him from Seattle in a DFA trade in early May. Castillo was immediately optioned and promptly landed on the minor league injured list. He wasn’t ready to return from the IL until June 29, the same day that the Orioles designated him for assignment. His only appearances in the Baltimore system so far have been a pair of rehab starts for their Florida complex affiliate.

The 30-year-old Castillo made a pair of starts for the Mariners in April. He allowed seven runs (six earned) with more walks than strikeouts over seven innings. That marked his first MLB work since his three-appearance debut with the 2022 Tigers. Castillo has been outrighted once before in his career, so he could have refused this assignment, but he’ll remain in the Baltimore system. He figures to occupy a spot in Norfolk’s rotation now that he’s healthy.

Angels, Brandon Drury Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Angels reunited with Brandon Drury on a minor league contract last week, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. The veteran infielder has been assigned to the Arizona Complex League. He’ll presumably head to Triple-A Salt Lake after a few tune-up games in rookie ball.

Drury’s most recent MLB action came with the Halos. The Angels signed him to a two-year, $17MM free agent deal during the 2022-23 offseason. Drury had a strong first season in Orange County, hitting .262/.306/.497 with 26 homers. His numbers plummeted in year two. Drury was one of the least productive players in MLB, posting a .169/.242/.228 slash over 97 games in 2024.

The former Silver Slugger award winner was limited to minor league offers on the heels of that disappointing showing. He landed with the White Sox and raked in Spring Training. That seemingly positioned him to break camp, but Drury broke his thumb late in March. Chicago released him before re-signing him to a minor league deal in April. Drury hit .179 in 10 Triple-A games before going on the minor league injured list on May 8. The Sox released him again a week later.

Drury has not played in more than two months. That explains the Angels’ decision to send him to the complex for a few games before he reports to Salt Lake. It’s a decent landing spot. He’s not only familiar with the organization but has a solid path to playing time if he hits the ground running once he resumes facing minor league pitching.

Christian Moore went on the injured list last week. The Halos are using Luis Rengifo and 26-year-old rookie Chad Stevens between second and third base. Yoán Moncada is on a rehab assignment at the complex and figures to resume his everyday third base role once he’s healthy. Moore hit .189 in 20 games before his injury, while Rengifo has had a terrible season. The switch-hitting Rengifo had a decent June, so perhaps he’s begun to find his stride, but he’s a poor defender who is batting .226/.268/.307 over 307 plate appearances on the year.

D-Backs Place Shelby Miller On Injured List With Forearm Strain

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The Diamondbacks announced that closer Shelby Miller has gone on the 15-day injured list, retroactive to July 6, with a forearm strain. Arizona recalled rookie righty Juan Morillo to step into the vacated bullpen spot.

It’s the latest hit to the D-Backs bullpen, one that seems likely to have ramifications for the trade market. The Snakes have yet to provide a timetable for Miller’s return, but he’ll be out until at least July 21. A forearm injury certainly threatens to sideline him beyond a minimal stint. There’s not a ton of leeway for him to make it back prior to the July 31 deadline.

Arizona kicks off a pivotal four-game series in San Diego this evening. They sport a 44-46 record and sit 4.5 games back of the National League’s last Wild Card spot. The Padres currently occupy the final playoff position; each of the Giants, Cardinals and Reds sit between San Diego and Arizona. The D-Backs would nearly close the gap with the Friars if they manage a sweep. If they lose the series (or get swept themselves), they could fall seven or eight games back with the All-Star Break looming. The next few days may be crucial for determining their deadline trajectory.

In either case, a long-term injury for Miller would be significant. GM Mike Hazen said last week that the Snakes would prioritize adding to the bullpen if they’re in position to buy. That comes as no surprise, as Miller had been thrust into the ninth inning by season-ending injuries to Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. While the veteran righty has pitched well, Hazen noted that the whole bullpen would benefit from the addition of a late-game weapon who could free skipper Torey Lovullo to use Miller a little earlier in games. If Miller is out beyond the deadline, that only becomes more pressing.

If the Diamondbacks don’t play their way into buying, a healthy Miller would be one of their clearest trade candidates. He’s an impending free agent playing on a modest salary after signing an offseason minor league deal. He’d fit into the budget for every team and would be an upgrade to any bullpen. The 34-year-old carries a 1.98 earned run average through 36 innings. He has fanned 28% of opposing hitters against a 7.7% walk rate. Miller has recorded 10 saves — he entered the season with three career saves — and another eight holds while getting whiffs on 15% of his offerings.

Miller is one of the top rental relievers who may be available. It’s possible that still comes to pass if he returns within three weeks, but a forearm injury has the potential to significantly reduce his trade value. While he would be eligible to be traded even if he’s on the injured list come July 31, the D-Backs would have a tough time getting much in return if he doesn’t demonstrate he’s healthy.

Dodgers To Activate Tyler Glasnow On Wednesday

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The Dodgers will welcome Tyler Glasnow back on Wednesday, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen). He’ll take the ball opposite veteran southpaw Jose Quintana in the series finale against the Brewers. Glasnow is on the 60-day injured list, meaning the Dodgers will need to create a 40-man roster spot within the next two days.

Glasnow has been out since late April with inflammation in his throwing shoulder. He had made five starts before the injury, surrendering nine runs across 18 innings. Glasnow punched out 23 hitters but issued 11 walks and surrendered four home runs. The Dodgers shut him down for a couple weeks before he built back into game shape. He has been at Triple-A Oklahoma City on a rehab assignment since June 22. Glasnow allowed eight runs in 8 2/3 innings over three minor league appearances. He struck out eight while throwing 78 pitches in 4 1/3 frames during his final rehab start last Thursday.

The Dodgers will give Glasnow five days rest leading up to his return to the MLB rotation. He’s likely to be limited to a 4-5 inning appearance in his first outing. That’ll be his only appearance before the All-Star Break, so he’ll have plenty of time off before he next toes the rubber. Dustin May, who had initially been scheduled to pitch on Wednesday, will move back to Friday’s series opener in San Francisco.

Los Angeles has used Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani alongside May in the rotation. They recalled Emmet Sheehan to start yesterday against the Astros. Sheehan could be optioned back to OKC to clear an active roster spot for Glasnow. They’ve limited Ohtani to 1-2 inning appearances after his return from elbow surgery. Ben Casparius is capable of working multiple innings out of the bullpen and could pitch behind Ohtani in a piggyback setup.

Giants Re-Sign Logan Porter To Minor League Deal

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The Giants announced that catcher Logan Porter re-signed on a minor league contract. San Francisco had designated him for assignment when they called up Sergio Alcántara to add infield depth as they navigated a few injuries on the dirt. Porter evidently cleared waivers, refused an outright assignment, then signed a new contract.

Porter, who turns 30 later this week, signed a minor league deal early in the offseason. He has spent the bulk of the season at Triple-A Sacramento but was called up for a week in June while Patrick Bailey was sidelined by a neck strain. The Giants optioned Porter as soon as Bailey returned but had kept him on the 40-man roster until last week’s DFA.

The righty-hitting Porter went 1-7 with a walk in four MLB games. Those were his first appearances since he played in 11 games for the Royals two years ago. Porter has spent parts of four seasons in Triple-A. He’s a .249/.365/.396 hitter with 29 homers in more than 1000 career plate appearances at that level. That includes a .222/.354/.310 slash over 193 trips to the dish with Sacramento this year.

Bailey and Andrew Knizner are the only catchers on the 40-man roster. Tom Murphy has been on the 60-day injured list all season. Bailey and Knizner will continue as Bob Melvin’s catching duo for the time being. An injury to either player would necessitate selecting another backstop onto the 40-man. Porter would likely be the first man up in that scenario. Sam Huff and Max Stassi are both on the Triple-A injured list.

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Anthony Franco

  • Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed the holiday weekend!
  • Steve stretched his into a four-day weekend so I'm in today and he'll take the usual Friday slot. Going to stay around an hour on this one as a result
  • Let's get rolling

Cactusflair

  • Why didnt the Nats actually try to improve the team in this past off season??  Felt like outside of Sirotka signing they did nothing.

Denise Dunbar

  • Do you think the Nats' first pick in next week's draft will be even more telling after the Rizzo firing? It seems to me if they pick Holliday, they're saying the rebuild is ongoing for quite a while. In that instance, I think they should trade Gore if they can get a haul for him. Conversely, if they take one of the college lefties, to me that means they think they could possibly contend for a wildcard next year and might signal they plan to spend more this offseason. Interestingly, they sent out a season ticket holder survey about 10 days ago asking lots of questions about how satisfied we were with the direction of the team. I lambasted ownership, but not management, in responses. But I also wonder if this survey and its overall results factored into their decision making?

Anthony Franco

  • Two of a number of Nats questions in here. Martinez getting fired didn't really surprise me but I was a little taken aback that they moved on from Rizzo. I get why it happened, but I didn't see that coming
  • I actually think their offseason made sense. They felt they were still a year off from being competitive and didn't think a Danny Jansen signing or Eugenio Suárez trade would've moved the needle. Hard for me to disagree with that. They probably should've been involved at the top of the rotation market, but that's as much an ownership question as it is a front office one
  • Obviously, their series of low-cost bullpen pickups especially blew up, but I actually think they've shown progress this year in the more meaningful stuff (Wood's emergence as a superstar, Gore's development, etc.)
  • I wouldn't read too much into the #1 pick as a sign of their long-term direction. Even if they do take Holliday (or Eli Willits, I guess), it's not uncommon for top high school draftees to get to the majors within two or three years. It'd just be a sign that they think those guys are better prospects than the top college pitcher on their board

Opt-Out

  • Is this the trade deadline someone with an opt-out or player option finally gets traded?

Anthony Franco

  • Happened with Scherzer a few years ago, though he preemptively exercised the option to make it happen. I think someone will take the risk on Lugo this summer
  • He's obviously going to opt out if he's healthy, $15M if he does blow out would suck but isn't catastrophic (it's what teams gamble on the current version of Scherzer and Verlander and Alex Cobb), and the supply of starting pitching is really light

Edward Cabrera

  • What does a trade package look like for me and who do you think will be calling Bendix the most about it? Is there a world where Sandy and I get dealt to the same team?

Anthony Franco

  • He fits anywhere really (aside from the deep rebuild teams like Colorado and the White Sox). Cheap, amidst a potential breakout, two and a half seasons of control
  • Yankees, Cubs and Padres are the first three that come to mind but there aren't many places he could land that would surprise me
  • Seems less likely that someone would do the Alcantara/Cabrera package deal. They're both good enough to support a strong return individually, and the Fish would probably be better off splitting them up and shopping each individually. No guarantee they move Cabrera at all

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White Sox Recall Colson Montgomery For MLB Debut, DFA Vinny Capra

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Today: The White Sox have officially announced Montgomery’s promotion. To open a space on the active roster, the team designated infielder Vinny Capra for assignment. They had claimed Capra off waivers from the Brewers in May. He hit .190 with a .443 OPS over 23 games in Chicago, while splitting his time between second base, third base, and shortstop. The White Sox now have five days to trade Capra. If they cannot find a taker, they must place him on outright or release waivers.

In an additional transaction, the White Sox reinstated left-handed pitcher Fraser Ellard from the 60-day IL and optioned him to Triple-A Charlotte. Because Montgomery was already on the 40-man and Ellard will essentially take Capra’s spot, Chicago’s 40-man roster remains at 38 players.

July 3: The White Sox will promote Colson Montgomery for this weekend’s series against the Rockies, reports Kris Norton of WITZ Radio in Indiana. Montgomery is already on the 40-man roster, so the Sox only need to make an active roster move.

It’s the first MLB call for the 23-year-old, who’ll likely make his MLB debut tomorrow against Colorado’s Antonio Senzatela. Chicago’s first-round pick in 2021, the lefty-hitting shortstop was one of the sport’s top prospects not too long ago. Montgomery placed among Baseball America’s top 50 minor league talents entering each of the past three seasons. BA ranked him as the best prospect in the Sox’s system each year from 2022-24.

Montgomery is listed at 6’3″ and 230 pounds, giving him big raw power potential for a middle infielder. A very patient plate approach led to strong on-base marks against low minors pitching, but he has had a tougher time against more polished arms. Montgomery spent all of last year at Triple-A Charlotte, where he hit .214/.329/.381 in 130 games. He connected on 18 home runs with a strong 12% walk rate but struck out in nearly 29% of his trips to the plate.

Chicago needed to add Montgomery to the 40-man roster last offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. He’d surely have been selected despite the middling Triple-A numbers, so that was an easy call for the front office. They optioned him back to Charlotte to begin the season, and he’s had similar concerns in his second crack at the level. He has struck out a third of the time while batting .218/.298/.435 in 55 games.

While the season numbers don’t exactly demand a promotion, they’re weighed down by an atrocious April. Montgomery had a serviceable May and was very productive in June, batting .281 with six homers and 11 extra-base knocks in 16 games. The plate discipline concerns persist — he struck out 22 times while drawing only five walks in 71 plate appearances last month — but he’d shown enough from a power perspective for the team to give him a look.

The Indiana native has played four games at third base this year but has otherwise been a full-time shortstop in his minor league career. It’s unlikely the Sox would call him up if they weren’t prepared to give him everyday playing time at his natural position. Rookie Chase Meidroth has gotten the playing time there. Meidroth, acquired from the Red Sox in the Garrett Crochet trade, is hitting .260 with a solid .347 on-base percentage. He hasn’t shown any kind of power, but the disciplined approach is probably enough to stay in the lineup.

Meidroth’s defensive grades are serviceable, but most scouting reports project him as a second baseman. The Sox could slide him to the keystone and move Lenyn Sosa to third base to push Josh Rojas out of the mix. Sosa is a known commodity as a utility type as well, so the focus should be on getting Montgomery and Meidroth into the lineup on a daily basis.

Tayler Scott Elects Free Agency

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Reliever Tayler Scott elected free agency after being outrighted by the Diamondbacks, according to the MLB.com transaction log. Arizona had designated the righty for assignment over the weekend when they called up John Curtiss.

Scott has been DFA twice on the season. He began the year with the Astros and was dropped from the roster in mid-May. He elected free agency, signed a minor league deal with Arizona, and was selected onto their big league roster in June. Scott pitched six times for the Snakes, allowing nine runs in as many innings with seven strikeouts and four walks. He carries a 6.66 earned run average over 25 2/3 innings between Houston and Arizona on the season.

The 33-year-old Scott has pitched in parts of five MLB campaigns. He made 79 appearances with Houston but has otherwise yet to reach 10 games for any individual team. He has been a very popular depth target, however, as the Diamondbacks were the eighth club of his big league career. He’ll pursue his next opportunity now that he’s back on the open market.

Rays Outright Forrest Whitley

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The Rays announced that right-hander Forrest Whitley was outrighted to Triple-A Durham. Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times first reported the move. Whitley, once the sport’s top pitching prospect, went unclaimed on waivers after being designated for assignment over the weekend.

It was the second DFA of the season for the former first-round pick. The Astros had carried Whitley on their 40-man roster for years as he battled injuries and struggled to find the strike zone. They finally pulled the plug in mid-June, flipping him to the Rays after taking him off the 40-man roster. Whitley continued to struggle in his brief run in Kevin Cash’s bullpen. He surrendered 10 runs (eight earned) on 10 hits and a pair of walks in 4 2/3 innings.

The 6’7″ righty still has a power arsenal led by a 96 MPH fastball. Yet he has given up 18 earned runs in 15 1/3 major league innings over the past two seasons. His 8% swinging strike rate is well below-average. Whitley managed a 1.89 ERA across 33 1/3 Triple-A frames as recently as last season, but he’s out of minor league options. A claiming team would have needed to carry him on the MLB roster.

Whitley had never been outrighted and doesn’t have three years of MLB service time. He must accept the assignment and report to Durham. The Rays’ player development staff will have a few months to try to get him on track. He would qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season if Tampa Bay doesn’t select him back onto the MLB roster before then.

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