Mining the News (6/12/26)

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

American League

Angels

• Before going on the IL, Vaughn Grissom (oblique) had been working on making more contact.

Vaughn Grissom, who has been filling in for Schanuel, also went 2-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs while Peraza, who started in place of Neto, went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Grissom noted the new approach that’s been working in recent weeks and said making more contact has been a huge key for the offense’s turnaround.

While his strikeout rate is down from 21% K% last year to 11% K% this year, the rate had grown back to 21% in June.

A deep league bench bat with his position eligibilities (1B, 2B, and possibly 3B)

• Recent call-up, Denzer Guzman, will start at third base after working on his strength and mechanics in AAA.

“He’s going to get a run here at third base,” Suzuki said of Guzman before the game. “I’m not going to run him into the ground and rush him, but for the most part, he’s going to be playing every day.”

Guzman had a breakout season in the Minors, slashing .336/.403/.571 with 12 homers, 16 doubles, two triples, nine stolen bases and 57 RBIs in 58 games at Triple-A. The 22-year-old got his first taste of the Majors last year, when he slashed .190/.209/.357 with two homers, a double and three RBIs in 13 games down the stretch.

But he said he worked hard to get stronger in the offseason and made some mechanical tweaks at the plate that have paid off. He’s a natural shortstop who played 41 games there — compared to 14 at third — at Triple-A this year, so that will also be an adjustment, which was evident when he fielded a bunt going foul in the 10th.

Guzman has been promoted and started two of three games at third base. In AAA, he was batting .336/.403/.571 with 12 HR and 9 SB. While he doesn’t have a hit in 10 PA, he should be worth monitoring to see if the changes help.

Astros

• Yainer Diaz is close to returning from the IL.

C Yainer Diaz
Injury: Left oblique strain
IL date: May 5 (10-day)
Expected return: Mid-June
Status: Started at catcher and went 1-for-3 with a run scored in his first Minor League rehab game June 9 at Triple-A Sugar Land.

Adding Yainer is a no-brainer, but remember to cut Christian Vázquez

Blue Jays

• Ernie Clement is looking to pull the ball for home runs.

He’s a contact machine who is suddenly doing a bit more with that contact.

“I’m pulling the ball a ton. I’m looking for pitches I can pull and do some damage on,” Clement said. “I don’t hit a lot of homers or doubles in the middle of the field. I don’t know if I have the juice for that, so I’ve got to find a way to do that. My extra-base hits come in left field. I’m pretty aware of that.”

That’s Clement’s superpower. He knows exactly who he is, and the fullest version of Clement might just be the most important hitter on this roster right now.

Among qualified hitters, Clements 49% Pull% ranks 24th among qualified hitters (N=158). His 7.3% HR/FB% is the highest in five seasons. The improvements increase his usefulness.

• Shane Bieber is about to come off the IL.

Bieber made his fourth rehab start overall and second with Triple-A Buffalo, dealing five scoreless innings with four strikeouts in a 3-1 win over Syracuse at Sahlen Field. He scattered five hits and walked one, earning the victory.

Perhaps most importantly, Bieber ran up to 62 pitches, with 46 of them finding the strike zone. It was his longest rehab outing yet after his previous high was 59 pitches in 2 2/3 innings on Saturday.

In the minors so far, his fastball is averaging 91.8 mph after averaging 92.6 mph last season. He’s throwing a similar pitch mix. Last season, he posted a 3.57 ERA (3.35 xFIP), 1.02 WHIP, and 8.3 K/9 in 40 IP. Even if he throws just 40 IP this year, he’ll be worth adding if his stats repeat.

Orioles

• Samuel Basallo will always deal with wrist discomfort because of a bone growth.

Meanwhile, Basallo felt some discomfort in his left wrist during the sixth inning of Sunday’s 6-4 loss at Toronto following a play at the plate. He didn’t stay in for the entire game, as Leody Taveras pinch-hit for him in the eighth, and on Monday, Basallo learned of the bony growth.

“I didn’t know I had a bone grow there before [Monday], they told me that,” Basallo said Tuesday. “I feel my wrist in the past — now I know why it hurts. Now, I can treat it the right way. Maybe when the season ends, do something to take that off, or I don’t know.”

The injury seems to be giving him issues. Since June 3rd, he has had a .236 OPS. The injury is not a reason to drop him, but if he continues to struggle, and the Orioles aren’t making the playoffs, they could shut him down and have the surgery early.

• Ryan Helsley started his rehab assignment.

RHP Ryan Helsley
Injury: Right elbow inflammation
IL date: May 1, retroactive to April 29 (15-day IL)
Expected return: Late June
Status: Threw live batting practice at Camden Yards on June 8. Began rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk on June 11, collecting three strikeouts in a scoreless inning.

Helsley is 100% rostered in most formats, so the only major move is to drop Rico Garcia

Rangers

• Josh Smith is on a rehab assignment.

2B Josh Smith
Injury: Right glute strain, wrist inflammation, viral meningitis
IL date: May 5 (10-day, retroactive to May 4)
Expected return: TBD
Status: Began rehab assignment with Double-A Frisco on June 7 (2-for-4, 2 BBs) in the RoughRiders’ doubleheader. The rehab assignment was transferred to Triple-A Round Rock on June 9.

I see no reason to add Smith; he should take Nicky Lopez‘s spot on the bench and not cut into Ezequiel Duran’s playing time.

Red Sox

• Romy Gonzalez is about to begin his rehab assignment.

INF/OF Romy Gonzalez
Injury: Left shoulder surgery
IL date: March 12 (60-day IL)
Expected return: July
Status: The right-handed hitter recently cleared an important hurdle in his swing progression, releasing his top hand on his follow-through during BP swings. Minor League rehab assignment might not be far off.

Gonzalez (career .729 OPS) could see regular playing time with the team starting Isiah Kiner-Falefa (.670 OPS) at second base and Caleb Durbin (.594 OPS) at third base.

Royals

• Kris Bubic started his rehab assignment.

LHP Kris Bubic
Injury: Left elbow soreness
IL date: May 18, retroactive to May 15 (15-day)
Expected return: June
Status: Began rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on June 9, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits in 1 1/3 innings. Threw 49 pitches (29 strikes), battling command but otherwise felt healthy. Will see how he feels in coming days to determine next steps.

In his first rehab assignment, he only lasted 1.1 IP, allowing 5 ER. During the start, he leaned into his sinker (same velo) with its usage up 18% points. Add-and-monitor.

• Michael Wacha has been dealing with “some knee stuff”.

The second wild pitch Wacha threw hit catcher Salvador Perez’s thumbnail, prompting one trainer’s visit for him while another trainer visited Wacha, who said he had “some knee stuff” going on, but feels fine.

Over his last five starts, he has a 5.84 ERA (4.47 xFIP), 1.50 WHIP, and 5.1 K/9. Maybe sit him until his “knee stuff” clears up.

Tigers

• Justin Verlander is close to returning.

RHP Justin Verlander
Injury: Left hip inflammation
IL date: April 4 (60-day IL, retroactive to April 1)
Expected return: Possibly next week
Status: Allowed four runs, all on solo homers, on five hits in six innings in his second rehab start with Triple-A Toledo on June 10 vs. St. Paul.

With Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize also coming off the IL, Troy Melton, Keider Montero, and Ty Madden could head to the bullpen or AAA.

Twins

• While in AAA, Royce Lewis changed his batting setup.

The Twins optioned Lewis on May 19 as he found himself mired in the deepest slump of his career (.163 average with three home runs), hoping that the reduced pressure of the Minors would help him make the adjustments he needed in order to be a key part of their lineup again. It appears to have been successful, based on both the results and the club’s observation. Lewis has stopped working with the outside hitting coach he took on over the winter.

A source indicated there was no friction regarding that coach — it just wasn’t working for Lewis on the field. As for other adjustments he made, Lewis was somewhat coy, but he acknowledged that he made some changes in his setup.

“A little bit,” Lewis said. “Just small stuff. Keeping it simple and going back to being Royce.”

Since returning from his demotion, Lewis has a .907 OPS and 14% K%. Before the demotion, it was a .539 OPS and 31% K%.

White Sox

• Everson Pereira is on a rehab assignment.

OF Everson Pereira
Injury: Right pectoral strain
IL date: April 29 (10-day IL)
Expected return: Mid-June
Status: Played nine innings for Triple-A Charlotte on June 10 after playing a night game for the Knights on June 9. The White Sox will wait to see how he responds before taking the next step.

Before going on the IL, he was batting .250/.310/.453 with 3 HR and 1 SB in 71 PA. He started 12 straight games before getting hurt. It’ll be interesting to see if his previous playing time remains.

National League

Braves

• The manager wants to play Mauricio Dubón as much as possible.

Mauricio Dubón continues to reward Braves manager Walt Weiss’ commitment to prioritizing production over financial commitment when he constructs his lineup on a daily basis.
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When the Braves face a left-handed starting pitcher, Dubón has usually played left field in place of Mike Yastrzemski. This created some opportunities for Mateo, who homered twice (once while playing shortstop and once while serving as the designated hitter) during this past weekend’s series in Cincinnati.

“It’s easy for me to write Dubón’s name in the lineup, with what he’s doing and what he’s been doing all year for us,” Weiss said. “He seems to be in the middle of a lot of really good things this year.”

This bias can be seen with Dubon (.729 OPS) getting shortstop starts over Jorge Mateo (.833 OPS).

Cubs

• The team worked on Edward Cabrera’s arm slot while on the IL.

Pitching coach Tommy Hottovy and assistant pitching coach Casey Jacobson took advantage of the fact that this wasn’t a debilitating injury for Cabrera. Jacobson pointed out that these types of opportunities are rare during a season. Either an injury keeps them from getting the work done or the urgency of getting ready for the next start doesn’t allow the staff to really work on the issues.

For Cabrera, the main issue manifested in a lower arm angle. Sometimes, this can mean compensation for an injury. The Cubs were certain that wasn’t the case.

“Usually when you see guys’ arm slot drop, a lot of times there’s a shoulder impingement and they don’t want to get into that so they work (down) to create space,” Hottovy said. “His is much more about an inefficiency with the lower body that was creating a rotational move with the upper body.”

I’m not smart enough to know the effects of the change, but Cabrera is someone to monitor when he comes off the IL.

Giants

• The manager considers Dylan Smith to be a closing option.

Smith was the third pitcher Vitello considered to start the ninth. The former Tiger, who has spent most of the season in Triple-A, saved Sunday’s 2-1, 10-inning win at Wrigley Field.

Vitello left no doubt that Smith is now a bona fide candidate to save games, saying, “Smitty is kind of putting his hat in there for the end of the game.”

• The team wants Ryan Walker to return as a long reliever.

Before the game, Vitello said the club was not ready to bring Ryan Walker back from Triple-A, despite mechanical changes that have led the one-time closer to a 1.08 ERA in seven games with Sacramento. The staff wants to extend Walker to multiple innings so he can offer some sorely needed length from the bullpen.

• The manager thought about moving Jung Hoo Lee and Bryce Eldridge up the lineup.

Manager Tony Vitello said before the game he has resisted the temptation to move his two hottest hitters any higher because leaving Jung Hoo Lee and Bryce Eldridge in the fifth and sixth spots has worked, providing punch in the middle of the lineup and more balance overall.

“You look at how the lineup played on the road trip,” Vitello said. “Things have gone well.”

But the longer the stalwarts who hit above Lee and Eldridge stay cold, the better the chances Vitello succumbs to the temptation.

Nationals

• Miles Mikolas is throwing harder.

There were back-to-back-to-back home runs countered with his longest outing of the season and mixed in with much-improved velo.

“The velocity was the highest we’ve seen it,” manager Blake Butera said. “He mixed speeds well and threw strikes. It was really just that fifth inning, just taking a look under the hood and seeing what it was he wasn’t able to execute.”

Over his last three starts, he averaged 94.3 mph after averaging just 93.0 before them. Over that stretch, he has a 5.09 xFIP.

Padres

• Luis Campusano is close to going on a rehab assignment.

C Luis Campusano
Injury: Left big toe fracture
IL date: May 7 (10-day IL)
Expected return: Late June
Status: Making notable progress — is swinging pain-free and catching bullpens. Caught Matt Waldron’s simulated game on June 9. Could begin a rehab stint in the coming days.

Another catcher replacement on the way.

Phillies

• The team may need to platoon outfielders.

The Phillies, if García or any outfielder must miss time, can choose among these options at Triple-A Lehigh Valley: Otto Kemp, Felix Reyes, Gabriel Rincones Jr., Bryan De La Cruz and Dylan Carlson.

So, in all likelihood, the Phillies would have to run multiple platoons in the outfield. The closest thing to an everyday outfielder in the minors might be De La Cruz, who is not on the 40-man roster but has played 491 big-league games. He has a .732 OPS at Lehigh Valley. Rincones could form the strong side of a potential platoon, even with García, down the line.

Unproductive, platooning outfielders are worthless in fantasy.

Rockies

• Hunter Goodman is working on adjusting to pitchers since changed how they attack him.

“You know, it’s a new year,” Goodman said, reflecting on the start of the All-Star voting cycle. “There’s different things. You get pitched differently. The scouting reports for them are probably a little different for me this year. So trying to make an adjustment to that and just take it day by day, try and come in every day, get a little bit better and have a good day.”

The adjustments are clear in how pitchers avoid giving him clean looks in the zone, often forcing him to defend against breaking pitches on the edges. According to Goodman, finding a way to stabilize his routine amid those adjustments has been a primary focus behind the scenes.

“I’ve been doing some more stuff in the weight room to help my swing and help me in the box, and change some things in my routine in the cage,” Goodman said. “And this seems to be helping me a little bit with swinging at better pitches and doing stuff like that. So hopefully I can keep that going.”

• Victor Vodnik is on a rehab assignment.

RHP Victor Vodnik
Injury: Right ulnar nerve inflammation
IL date: May 20 (15-day IL)
Expected return: June
Status: Completed a clean inning with one strikeout (15 pitches) for Triple-A Albuquerque on June 9 in the first of two scheduled rehab appearances.

For those in deep leagues, he might step back into the closer’s role with everyone else in the bullpen struggling.