• The Tigers announced tonight that they’ve optioned lefty Chad Bell to Triple-A Toledo and will select the contract of right-hander Zac Reininger prior to Thursday’s contest. The 24-year-old Reininger was Detroit’s eight-round pick back in 2013 and has had a strong season across three minor league levels in 2017, rising from Class-A Advanced to Triple-A. In 63 2/3 total innings, Reininger has posted a 2.54 ERA with 8.5 K/9 against 2.5 BB/9. His ground-ball rate was a strong 53.4 percent in 28 Class-A frames but has fallen to the 39 percent range in the upper minors.

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• The Mariners outrighted right-hander Christian Bergman to Triple-A after he cleared waivers, per a club announcement. Bergman, 29, had the right to opt for free agency now or at the end of the season; given that he’s now listed on Tacoma’s roster, it seems he’ll wait and consider the latter option when the time comes. Bergman, 29, has thrown 51 1/3 innings on the year for Seattle, working to a 4.91 ERA with 5.9 K/9 and 2.5 BB/9.
• Outfielder Daniel Robertson will return to the Indians on a minors deal after being designated for assignment and then released, the club announced. The 31-year-old has appeared in each of the past four MLB campaigns — each time with a different team.  This year, he took 88 plate appearances for Cleveland, slashing .225/.287/.338. While it’s not clear whether Robertson will factor at the major league level again this year, the fleet-footed, high-contact 31-year-old could conceivably make for a useful bench piece once rosters expand in September.
• The Diamondbacks have added right-handers Andury Acevedo and Louis Coleman on minors deals. Acevedo, who’ll soon turn 27, was intriguing enough to land a 40-man spot with the Cubs a few years back, but has yet to show any consistency on the mound in the upper minors. As for Coleman, who threw 48 innings of 4.69 ERA ball last year for the Dodgers, he’ll return to Arizona after briefly testing the open market. He has worked to a 2.05 ERA with 10.6 K/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over 57 innings this year in stints with the D-Backs’ and Reds’ top affiliates.
• Heading to the Reds on a minors deal is slugging outfielder Adam Walker. He has bounced around via waiver claims and minor-league deals of late, seeing time in three organizations thus far in 2017. All told, he has compiled a tepid .185/.220/.410 batting line — with a dozen home runs but also 88 strikeouts against just ten walks — in his 241 plate appearances in the upper minors.
• The White Sox released infielder Grant Green, who had previously seen brief action in the majors this year with the Nationals. On the season, Green owns an overall .232/.306/.300 slash over 245 plate appearances at the Triple-A level with those two organizations. The 29-year-old was once considered a notable possible contributor with the Athletics and Angels, but has managed only a .248/.283/.336 batting line in his 353 trips to the plate in the majors.
• Six-year MLB veteran Collin Cowgill has been released by the Padres. Cowgill, 31, joined the organization on a minors deal over the winter, but never earned a crack at a return to the majors. He carries a .235/.297/.390 slash through 220 plate appearances
• Finally, the Rangers have released lefty Bobby LaFromboise and righty Jaye Chapman. The former has made 27 MLB appearances and shown some intriguing numbers at times, but struggled last year at Triple-A with the Phillies and was sidelined for much of the current season. The 30-year-old Chapman, meanwhile, is looking to work back toward the majors for the first time since his lone stint back in 2012. But he was hit hard in his 36 2/3 innings at Triple-A Round Rock, with a 6.63 ERA and 6.9 K/9 against 5.2 BB/9.

Newest Moves

• The White Sox signed Grant Green to a minor league deal on Wednesday, the team’s Triple-A affiliate announced (on Twitter).  The veteran infielder signed a minors contract with the Nationals over the winter and appeared in two games for the team before being outrighted off the 40-man roster in April and released in mid-June.  Picked 13th overall by the A’s in the 2009 draft, Green has played for four teams over parts of five seasons in the big leagues, posting a .248/.283/.336 slash line in 353 PA.
• The Athletics signed left-hander Patrick Schuster last week, Baseball America’s Matt Eddy reports.  Schuster joined the A’s organization just a couple of days after being released from his minor league deal with the Dodgers.  This is Schuster’s second stint in Oakland, as he made his MLB debut last July before being claimed on waivers by the Phillies in September.  Still just 26 and in his ninth year as a pro, Schuster has a 3.38 ERA over 474 2/3 IP in the minors (mostly as a reliever) as well as 11 big league games with the A’s and Phillies.
• The Tigers released southpaw Mike Zagurski earlier this month, Tom Reisenweber of the Erie Times-News reports (via Twitter).  Zagurski signed a minor league deal with Detroit last winter, making his return to North American baseball after spending the previous two seasons in Japan.    The lefty posted a 3.29 ERA, 5.38 K/BB rate and 14.2 K/9 over 27 1/3 combined innings at the Double-A and Triple-A levels, including a 5.06 ERA in 10 2/3 IP at Toledo despite those impressive peripherals.  Zagurski will now look to catch on with another team in hopes of making it back to the majors for the first time since 2013.

Earlier Today

• Veteran Phillies players Michael Saunders and Jeanmar Gomez were each released, according to the MLB.com transactions page. Both were designated at the same time recently, and the Phils evidently couldn’t find takers in trade — which isn’t terribly surprising given their pronounced struggles and big salaries. Saunders, 30, had a strong 2016 season and has mostly been a better-than-average hitter in the big leagues, so he’ll surely find a new opportunity elsewhere. The same holds for Gomez, who always seemed miscast as a closer but might provide some solid innings in a middle-relief role. Though both can now be had for the league minimum, it would perhaps be a surprise were either to sign directly only a MLB roster at this stage of the season.
• Likewise, the Royals announced that release waivers have been requested on veteran right-hander Chris Young, who was just designated. It’s not clear whether the 38-year-old will continue pitching after losing his job with Kansas City. He overcame significant arm injuries to make it back to the majors, and had a few good years upon his return, but has struggled mightily over the past two campaigns.
• The Twins have released lefty Adam Wilk, per Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). He had been designated for assignment after making a few fill-in outings for Minnesota. Wilk has allowed 14 earned runs on 24 hits in his 14 MLB innings this year, while recording just eight strikeouts against nine walks. He’ll likely end up finding a new organization on a minors deal.

Green’s stay with the Nats this month lasted just over a week, aligning with the DL placements of shortstops Trea Turner and Stephen Drew. Once Turner came back, there was no longer a need for Green, who only appeared in two games and collected three plate appearances. A first-round pick of the Athletics in 2009 (No. 13 overall), Green has has cracked the majors in five straight seasons, but the journeyman has hit just .248/.283/.336 in 353 trips to the plate.

The 29-year-old Green spent last season with the Giants organization and slashed a respectable .319/.336/.454 in 364 PAs with their Triple-A club. Overall, he has hit an impressive .309/.351/.466 in 3,223 Triple-A PAs.

Green was summoned recently when Stephen Drew joined Turner on the disabled list, leaving the Nats in need of another infielder. He saw only limited action, but this does mark the fifth consecutive season in which Green has cracked the majors. While opportunities have been fairly sparse, the 29-year-old hasn’t shown the ability to carry his successes at the plate in the upper minors into the majors.

As for Turner, it ended up being only a brief stop on the DL. Hamstring injuries are always concerning, especially for a player who derives so much value from his legs. But the club was evidently confident enough to bring him back rather quickly. That said, Turner isn’t in the lineup this evening and will likely be handled with care.

The loss of Drew to the disabled list comes shortly after the Nationals placed starting shortstop Trea Turner on the 10-day DL with a hamstring strain of his own. With both Turner and Drew on the shelf, the Nats will turn to the inexperienced Wilmer Difo as their primary shortstop, while Green serves as a versatile utility infield piece.

The 29-year-old Green was once a well-regarded prospect, but the former first-round pick has never solidified himself as a big league regular or bench piece. In 350 plate appearances with the A’s, Angels and Giants, Green is a .251/.286/.339 hitter, though his lifetime .312/.350/.468 batting line in Triple-A is far more respectable. Green began his career playing mostly shortstop and second base, but he’s begun to bounce around the diamond more in recent seasons and now comes with experience at all four infield positions and in the corner outfield.

[Related: Updated Washington Nationals Depth Chart]

Now 29 years of age, Green was a first-round pick by the A’s back in 2009 (No. 13 overall) and rated among the game’s top 100 prospects for multiple seasons prior to his debut in the Majors. However, despite consistently strong performances at the Triple-A level, where he’s a career .313/.351/.470 hitter in nearly 2000 plate appearances, Green’s bat simply hasn’t panned out in the Majors.

Green spent the 2016 season in the Giants organization and hit well in Triple-A, as usual, prompting a promotion to the Majors in late June. He slashed .261/.300/.370 in 50 plate appearances with the Giants, but he lost his roster spot when Joe Panik was activated from the disabled list in late July. San Francisco acquired Eduardo Nunez from Minnesota shortly thereafter, further blocking the road for a return to the Majors for Green.

The bulk of Green’s experience in the Majors has come as a second baseman, though he’s also spent time in the outfield corners and at each infield corner. In the minors, Green has seen more than 2000 innings at shortstop as well as more than 1100 innings at second base and more than 500 innings at virtually every spot on the diamond other than on the mound and behind the plate.

The Nationals are set with Ryan Zimmerman at first base, Daniel Murphy at second, Trea Turner at short and Anthony Rendon at third base. Behind that quartet is the recently re-signed Stephen Drew as well as corner outfielder Chris Heisey and first baseman/outfielder Clint Robinson. It seems unlikely that Green would beat out anyone from that group, especially as a right-handed bat (which the Nationals already possess in abundance), so it seems likeliest that he’ll either open the season in the upper minors with Washington.

• Outfielder Craig Gentry is a free agent after rejecting an outright assignment from the Angels, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times tweets. The hope was that the 32-year-old would combine with Daniel Nava to provide a solid left field platoon, but both players ended up being designated at the same time. Ultimately, Gentry was limited by injury and appeared in only 14 games, failing to hit in that short sample — much as he did last year. Before that, the veteran had been a sturdy, glove-first outfielder who was capable at times of slightly above-average offensive production.
• Fellow Angels outfielder Todd Cunningham, who was recently designated, has been assigned to Triple-A after clearing waivers for the third time this year, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register adds on Twitter. The 27-year-old, who was acquired from the Braves during the offseason, has struggled in limited MLB playing time in three of the last four years. The former second-round draft pick owns a .275/.348/.368 batting line over 1,698 Triple-A plate appearances.
• Giants infielder Grant Green cleared outright waivers, Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area tweets. Now 28, Green was once considered a quality prospect with the Halos but hasn’t managed to gain any traction at the major league level. He slashed .261/.300/.370 in his fifty plate appearances this year with the Giants.
• The Giants have agreed to a minor league deal with catcher Tony Sanchez, per SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo (via Twitter). Recently released by the Blue Jays, Sanchez will help bolster San Francisco’s catching depth after the team dealt away Andrew Susac. Sanchez’s prospect star has faded over recent years, and was cut loose by Toronto after putting up a meager .201/.292/.309 slash in 168 Triple-A plate appearances this year.

[Related: Updated Giants Depth Chart]

Green, 28, has produced at a .251/.286/.339 clip over 350 MLB plate appearances in parts of four seasons. The former Angels and Athletics prospect was always considered a bat-first player, and has a sturdy track record of hitting in the minors. But Green comes with a lightly-regarded glove and his home run pop has dissipated in the upper minors. It remains to be seen whether he’ll ever earn a full shot a steady MLB job.

San Francisco will certainly be glad to welcome back Panik, who missed a month with concussion symptoms. He hasn’t produce at anything close to his rate from a year ago, but Panik still carries a league-average hitting line in 2016 to go with a quality glove at second. Plus, he has probably been a bit unlucky with a .266 BABIP, so there’s reason for the Giants to expect that he’ll be even more useful down the stretch than he was in the first half.

[Related: Updated Giants Depth Chart]

Smith, 28, has made a u-turn after his stellar 2015 campaign. Over 84 1/3 frames last year at High-A, he allowed just 2.35 earned runs per nine with 12.6 K/9 against only 2.2 BB/9. While the strikeouts are still there through his first 20 1/3 innings at the Double-A level, Smith has walked nearly as many batters as he has K’ed and currently sports a 7.08 ERA.

The 28-year-old Green will now suit up with his third major league club from California after previously seeing action with the Athletics and Angels. He has not managed to hit enough at the MLB level over his first 300 trips to the plate to make up for a suspect glove, and joined San Francisco as a minor league free agent. Green owns a .294/.321/.437 batting line over 250 plate appearances this year with the Giants’ Triple-A affiliate.

• Infielder Grant Green has signed a minor league deal with the Giants, reports Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (on Twitter). Green, 28, is a former first-round pick of the Athletics that hasn’t panned out as hoped. Traded to the Angels back in 2013, Green has amassed a .249/.283/.335 batting line in 300 Major League plate appearances, spending most of his time at second base. He’ll give the Giants some depth at second and in left field.
• Eddy also tweets that the Reds have signed former big leaguer Brandon Allen to a minor league deal. The powerful first baseman hasn’t seen the Majors since 2012 and is a career .203/.290/.375 hitters in 389 PAs in the Majors. He’s crushed Triple-A pitching to the tune of a .276/.372/.502 batting line, however, making him a useful bat to stash at the team’s top minor league level.
• The Indians announced that outfielder Michael Choice has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Columbus. The former top 100 prospect will be in Major League camp as a non-roster invitee come Spring Training. Choice, 26, was designated for assignment when the Indians claimed Kirby Yates off waivers from the Rays. He’s a career .188/.253/.320 hitter in 300 big league plate appearances but has a more palatable line of .271/.356/.426 in Triple-A.
• The Red Sox have outrighted infielder Josh Rutledge to Triple-A Pawtucket, the team announced today. Rutledge, 26, was acquired from the Angels in exchange for Shane Victorino this past summer. He batted .284/.333/.338 in 85 PAs for the BoSox and is a career .261/.310/.398 hitter in the Majors, though some of that success is attributable to spending the early portion of his career playing his home games at Coors Field.

• The Phillies announced that they’ve outrighted seven players from the 40-man roster. Right-hander Justin De Fratus, catcher Erik Kratz, infielder Chase d’Arnaud, outfielder Jordan Danks and lefties Adam Loewen and Ken Roberts were all outrighted off the roster. Additionally, right-hander Jonathan Pettibone was activated from the 60-day DL and outrighted. The 27-year-old De Fratus has been a regular member of the Philadelphia bullpen for the past three seasons but struggled to a 5.51 ERA in 80 innings this season. Pettibone, 25, tossed 100 1/3 solid innings for the Phils in 2013 but has struggled to recover from shoulder surgery. He threw just three innings last year and didn’t pitch in the Majors in 2015.
• The Angels announced today that infielder Grant Green has cleared outright waivers and will be assigned to Triple-A. Green, 28, was designated for assignment just before the end of the regular season. He was once a prized young player, and continues to perform in the upper minors, but has slashed just .249/.283/.335 over an even 300 career plate appearances. Notably, the move does not necessarily mean that Los Angeles will be able to stash Green in the minors. Now that he’s off of the 40-man, he’ll be eligible for minor league free agency.

Green, a former first-round pick of the Athletics and Top 100 prospect, was acquired by the Angels in an intradivision trade that sent Alberto Callaspo to Oakland prior to the 2013 non-waiver trade deadline. Now 28 year of age, Green has been up and down between the Majors and Triple-A over the past three seasons with Anaheim but has failed to translate his considerable minor league success to the big leagues. The USC product has compiled a healthy .311/.354/.474 batting line in the admittedly hitter-friendly Triple-A Pacific Coast League, but he’s struggled to a .263/.299/.353 line in 284 plate appearances with the Angels dating back to that trade.

Green has experience at all four infield positions, though the vast majority of his work there in the Majors has come at second base, and defensive metrics like UZR and DRS haven’t given a ringing endorsement of his work at any position. He’s also logged 127 big league innings in left field. If he goes unclaimed by another team, Green would be outrighted, and he has enough pro experience to qualify for minor league free agency at season’s end, so he could be looking at a new organization in 2016.

As for Reyes, the 30-year-old will be returning to the Majors for the first time since the 2011 season, when he tossed a combined 140 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays and Orioles. Reyes came up with the Braves as a 22-year-old in 2007 and has worked to a 6.05 ERA over the life of 334 2/3 big league frames. He had posted a 4.76 ERA in 68 innings at the Triple-A level this season after enjoying success in the Mexican League earlier in 2015.

According to Heyman, the Halos are more likely than not to keep Kendrick. The 31-year-old is coming off of perhaps his best season as a professional. He will earn $9.5MM this year before hitting the open market.

Nevertheless, the team is still listening to proposals that would help bolster its rotation depth, which remains an area of focus. The club is comfortable considering that possibility due to the presence of Gordon Beckham, says Heyman, though he also seems to be a plausible non-tender candidate. Presumably, Grant Green could be a factor as well if the Angels create an opening up the middle.

• Mark Reynolds started his Yankee tenure with a bang, ripping a two-run homer, going two-for-five, and adding another RBI on the evening. As Mark Feinsand and Roger Rubin of the New York Daily News report, Reynolds and his new teammates and manager all seemed pleased with his signing after the game. The Yanks will hope that Reynolds catches one of his patented hot streaks down the stretch this year.
• The Angels' acquisition of young second baseman Grant Green in exchange for Alberto Callaspo is looking better and better in the eyes of MLB.com's Lyle Spencer (via Twitter). Spencer says that Green evidently has the kind of talent that it is worth taking a chance on. After an underwhelming (0-for-15) stint with the Athletics earlier this year, Green has been on fire early in his Angels tenure. In his 36 plate appearances with the Halos, Green has posted a .433/.528/.500 triple-slash. 
• For his part, Callaspo's .229/.308/.371 line since joining the A's corresponds to the OPS+ mark (92) he put up in Anaheim this year. With his defensive metrics trending down, Callaspo seems unlikely to put up more than one win above replacement this season (whether measured by Fangraphs or Baseball Reference) for the first time since he became a regular. He will earn $4.875MM next season before becoming a free agent the following year.