Mining the News (6/17/26)

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American League

Angels

• Vaughn Grissom went on a rehab assignment.

INF Vaughn Grissom
Injury: Left oblique strain
IL date: June 8 (10-day IL, retroactive to June 6)
Expected return: Mid-June
Status: Began a rehab assignment with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga on June 14, going 2-for-5 and playing nine innings at third base. Is expected to play in a few more rehab games but is nearing a return.

I’m not sure where and how much Grissom (.735 OPS) will play when he returns. I will guess that Denzer Guzman (.567 OPS) gets demoted. Also, I could see Grissom splitting time at first (Nolan Schanuel, .687 OPS), second (Oswald Peraza, .732 OPS), and third (Guzman). Nobody knows.

Astros

• Cristian Javier is on a rehab assignment.

RHP Cristian Javier
Injury: Grade 2 right shoulder strain
IL date: April 10 (retroactive to April 9, transferred to 60-day IL on April 20)
Expected return: Late June
Status: Will make his third Minor League start on June 14 at Triple-A Sugar Land

I’ve been lower on Javier than the consensus, but the Astros need pitching. Walks have always been his downfall (4.8 BB/9 over the past three seasons), but in his last rehab start, he went 3 IP with no walks. Monitor with caution.

• Kai-Wei Teng’s fastball velocity continues to drop with his move to the starting rotation.

Teng’s average fastball velocity Monday was 92.5 mph, down 1.4 mph from his season average entering the game, and his sinker and changeup were down more than 1 mph, as well. That caught the attention of Espada.

“We’re going to reassess tomorrow and see if there’s some fatigue in there,” he said. “That could be a reason why the stuff is down and he’s falling behind and probably some mechanical things and trying to find his rhythm during the game. That might be a reason, and we’ll talk to him tomorrow.”

Over the last two games with his velocity under 93 mph, he has a 12.27 ERA (4.17 xFIP, 5.34 botERA), 2.5 WHIP (6.1 BB/9), and 17.2 K/9 over 7 IP. He’s unstartable at this point.

Blue Jays

• Addison Barger will start a rehab assignment soon.

Schneider said that Barger (elbow) is now hitting off a Trajekt pitching machine and has increased his throwing program to 150 feet.

Schneider said the team hopes he can begin a rehab assignment later in the week. Barger hasn’t suited up for Toronto since early May.

For those teams needing power or help at third base or the outfield, Barger could be worth taking a shot on. He’s only 37% rosters in the NFBC Online Championship (12-team) and 41% at CBS. While he won’t be playing much third base, there are plenty of openings in the outfield.

Guardians

• Slade Cecconi is getting used to his cutter, thereby taking him to another level.

The [cutter] has become Cecconi’s self-described “Swiss Army Knife,” because it has been a few pitches wrapped in one.

“I can back door to lefties more now, I can go top rail with it, I can go down with it. It’s all the same pitch,” Cecconi said. “It’s just ever-so-slight manipulations of where I’m throwing it and what action I want to get on it. But it’s all the same pitch.”

The cutter has balanced his pitch mix, as he’s now using his fastball 30% of the time, while working in the cutter (27%) and sinker (18%) at higher rates than last season. He’s also using the curveball at a rate similar to last year (15%).

Over his last seven starts, he has a 2.89 ERA (3.35 xFIP), 1.21 WHIP, 51% GB%, and 8.2 K/9. It’s not elite, but he should be rostered in all leagues at this point to see if the production continues.

• The plan is for everyone to play third base with José Ramírez on the IL

Arias and Daniel Schneemann figure to handle most of the third-base duties, though it’s possible Fry could also play there. Arias hadn’t completed his rehab assignment, so Vogt said he’s not yet ready to play nine innings every day.

The note on Arias is interesting in that his playtime will be limited. While Arias can contribute some home runs and steals, he is a major batting average sink (34% K% over the past three seasons).

Mariners

• J.P. Crawford will start at third base.

But the more telling development has been where he’s taken infield drills — almost exclusively at third base — which began earlier this week in Baltimore.

“I feel great over there,” Crawford said. “I don’t know what the plan is, but I already said that I’m willing to do that. And I’m feeling great over there. [Emerson] has been great over there [at shortstop]. So yeah, we’ll see where it goes.”

Crawford had 10 HR in 237 PA, so he might be more of a power option than Barger. And will soon be qualified at two positions.

Rays

• Jonny DeLuca is near returning from the IL.

OF Jonny DeLuca
Injury: Right hamstring strain
IL date: May 24 (10-day IL, retroactive to May 23)
Expected return: Possibly June 19-21
Status: Sustained strain running out an infield single. Played two rehab games for Triple-A Durham June 12-14. Will remain with Durham and be reevaluated when Rays return home June 19.

He’s started three rehab games with a 1.292 OPS. Before going on the IL, he started six straight games while batting .269/.298/.412 with 2 HR and 6 SB on the season. He doesn’t need to be added in all leagues, but in those leagues where every everyday outfielder is rostered, he should be.

Royals

• John Rave reworked his swing in AAA.

Rave, meanwhile, can provide the ability to play all three outfield spots. Rave batted .278 with 10 home runs, 32 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 60 games at Triple-A Omaha. He played 72 games with the Royals last season, batting just .196.

Rave said he adjusted his swing mechanics this offseason, going from a leg kick to a toe tap, and is excited to see how it plays in the Majors.

“It’s been a good year, seeing the ball well right now,” Rave said. “Plate discipline has felt really good and [I have been swinging] at the right pitches. I have a little different move [with a toe tap], and I like where it’s at right now. I think it’ll help me be successful at this level.”

It doesn’t matter; in three games since being promoted, he has 1 PA (a walk).

White Sox

• Jacob Gonzalez reworked his swing to take a step forward this season.

You can see the difference in [Gonzalez’s] swing now, as he’s much more upright and his entire approach, from setup to swing to follow-through, is quieter. He’s starting with his hands lower so he doesn’t have to make a big move to load, his back elbow never gets as high as it used to and his front leg stays much stronger through contact. The result is harder contact where it’s also easier for him to tap into his raw power, as he’s pulling the ball more naturally now (rather than yanking it foul or pulling off the ball to go the other way), and making more efficient use of all that bat speed.

While he started out hot, he is now batting .205/.311/.282 with a 31% K%.

National League

Braves

• Spencer Strider will not throw for a month.

Dr. Keith Meister gave Spencer Strider and the Braves reason to believe the pitcher could be activated from the injured list at some point during the regular season’s final two months.

Meister found no structural damage when he evaluated Strider’s right elbow on Monday. The noted surgeon advised the pitcher to rest for a month and then undergo another MRI exam. If the scan is clean, Strider will be cleared to begin a throwing program.

So, when might Strider rejoin Atlanta’s rotation? Well, best-case scenario, he won’t even begin rebuilding his arm strength before the latter part of July. That would likely be the start of a four-to-six week process, which would include multiple Minor League rehab starts.

If all goes perfectly, a late August return seems possible. But an early September return might be more realistic.

I think he’s a drop in all formats unless a team has unlimited IL space. At best, he’ll be back for six weeks, and there is no guarantee he’ll be good. In 173 IP over the last three seasons, he has a 4.78 ERA (4.25 xFIP), 1.40 WHIP (4.0 BB/9), and a 9.8 K/9. That’s a long time to hold onto a Jack Leiter clone (4.97 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, and 9.4 K/9). Add a useful pitcher.

Diamondbacks

• Carlos Santana is on a rehab assignment.

1B Carlos Santana
Injury: Strained right adductor
IL date: April 7 (60-day IL, retroactive to April 6)
Expected return: TBD
Status: Was nearing a return to the active roster when he felt a twinge in the adductor on May 9 while on rehab assignment with Triple-A Reno. Played seven innings at first base for Reno June 10 and nine innings as DH June 11.

The assignment has not been going well (.536 OPS). He needed to take a three-game break after his last AAA game and is now back playing Complex league games. In his first game down there, this happened:

They turned him into a piñata.

Giants

• Heliot Ramos is nearing a rehab assignment.

The Giants have also seen nice progress from outfielder Heliot Ramos (right quad strain), who has been ramping up his hitting and running progressions and could be on track to begin his own rehab assignment next week.

Casey Schmitt, a natural infielder, has looked comfortable playing left field in Ramos’ absence, so it’s possible the Giants will keep Schmitt at that position, especially now that hot-hitting rookie Bryce Eldridge has tightened his grip on the designated hitter spot. One option would be to shift Ramos to right field and move Jung Hoo Lee 이정후 back to center field, where the Giants are currently platooning a pair of youngsters in Drew Gilbert and Jonah Cox.

After hitting over 20 HR the previous two seasons, he has only 4 HR in 176 PA this season. He might be worth taking a chance on for teams that need a power boost.

Marlins

• Kyle Stowers will see more time at first base.

As McCullough explains it, there are several reasons for Stowers’ increased action at first. Based on how guys are performing, it’s a chance to get hot hitters like Heriberto Hernández in the lineup more. Or to give Esteury Ruiz more regular playing time. With Joe Mack starting the majority of the games at catcher, Liam Hicks has bounced between first base and designated hitter. And since the position hasn’t seen consistent offensive production (98 OPS+) as a group, Stowers provides it with a middle-of-the-order bat.

“That’s where we’re keeping that option open with Kyle,” McCullough said. “There’s several times within games where, ‘Hey, if we make this pinch-hit or we make this maneuver, Kyle could still go into games and play first base.’ How much he ends up starting down the road, we’ll see, but don’t feel like there’s any loss in Kyle going out there and continuing to get some reps in and be prepared if it’s a start or if it’s things within a game that just make the most sense for us to use everyone we have on the roster.”

So far, he has seven games at first base, so he’s qualified there in some leagues and almost there in others.

Mets

• Sean Manaea changed his motion to gain velocity.

Throughout the afternoon, Manaea said he featured increased “hip-shoulder” separation, which allows him to generate more torque and, ultimately, velocity on his pitches. His ERA over his last seven appearances is 3.04, after posting a 6.85 mark through his first eight outings.

“It feels really good,” Manaea said. “I’ve put in a lot of work with the coaches here, the staff. It feels good just to put in some hard work and have a game like tonight.”

Over his first seven games (all in the bullpen), his fastball velocity sat at 89.7 mph. Over his last eight games, it has been up to 91.0 mph.

Nationals

• DJ Herz has made three rehab games.

LHP DJ Herz
Injury: Left UCL sprain
IL date: Feb. 11 (60-day IL)
Expected return: 2026
Status: Scheduled to make rehab appearance on June 16 with Single-A Fredericksburg. He underwent Tommy John surgery in April 2025.

Before having Tommy John surgery in 2024, he had a 4.16 ERA (3.85 xFIP), 1.26 WHIP, and 10.8 K/9 (better than Strider) in 88 major league innings. Not great but usable.

Phillies

• The team plans on using two outfield platoons …

Interim manager Don Mattingly has a plan for how he’ll deploy his new-look outfield — and yes, it will depend on the opposing starting pitcher.

Here’s how Philadelphia’s outfield will likely look on most days for the time being:

Phillies outfield vs. RHP
LF: Brandon Marsh
CF: Justin Crawford
RF: Gabriel Rincones Jr.

Phillies outfield vs. LHP
LF: Edmundo Sosa
CF: Derek Hill
RF: Marsh

… because Gabriel Rincones Jr. can’t hit lefties.

Though Rincones will get the majority of reps against righties right now, he’s unlikely to face many lefties after hitting just .107 (6-for-56) with zero extra-base hits against them with Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season.

Reds

• Hunter Greene began his rehab assignment.

RHP Hunter Greene
Injury: Right elbow surgery
IL date: March 23 (60-day injured list)
Expected return: July
Status: Faced hitters again in a simulated game/live BP on June 13 at the spring complex in Goodyear, Ariz. Is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with the ACL club and pitch three innings on June 18.

In some leagues, Greene’s promotion will be the biggest add of the season. Start saving that FAAB and waiver priority now.