Latest news with #MinorLeagues
CBS News
22-07-2025
- Sport
- CBS News
Red Sox shut down Tanner Houck indefinitely, increasing need for another starter at trade deadline
Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck has hit another bump on his road to a return. The righty starter has been shut down indefinitely and will have to go back to "step one" of his recovery, according to Boston manager Alex Cora. Houck has been on the shelf for over two months with right flexor soreness. He started a rehab assignment on June 18 and made five starts in the Minor Leagues, where he went 1-3 with a 5.74 ERA over 15.2 innings. Cora said Houck felt the injury again in his last rehab outing with the Worcester Red Sox on July 9. The 29-year-old won't need surgery, but he won't be pitching anytime soon. "Just rest. Reset him now, get treatment and see where we're headed after that," Cora said before Boston's 3-2 loss in Philadelphia on Monday. "He saw the doctors and all that stuff. We've got to go to step one, I guess." With his rehab assignment up, the Red Sox had to make a decision on Houck on Monday. The move will likely end a disappointing season for Houck, who was 0-3 with an 8.04 ERA over his nine outings for Boston. Houck was an All-Star in 2024 but was getting hit hard this season, with opponents batting .318 against him and clubbing 57 hits (including 10 homers) over 43.2 innings. In his last start for Boston, Houck was rocked for 11 earned runs over just 2.1 innings against the Detroit Tigers back on May 12. While the Red Sox haven't been counting on a Houck return -- or at least a Houck return to form in 2025 -- his injury furthers the team's need for another starter at the July 31 trade deadline. With Hunter Dobbins also out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL, Boston will be relying heavily on Richard Fitts at the back end of the rotation the rest of the way. Garrett Crochet has been excellent as Boston's ace this season, but the rotation behind him has been spotty. Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Walker Buehler have pitched well as of late, but have all had their share of struggles -- especially Buehler, who has a 5.76 ERA on the season. Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been exploring starting pitching options on the trade market, and will continue to do so over the next week-and-a-half. The Red Sox are right in the AL Wild Card mix and are currently tied with the Seattle Mariners for one of the final two spots, two games behind the New York Yankees.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pirates Prospect Update: Pair in Bucs system named top performers
The Pittsburgh Pirates farm system continues to hit headlines as it remains one of the best in baseball. This week a pair of the team's prospects made waves as Konnor Griffin and Edward Florentino were named Players of The Week in their respective leagues. Griffin was called up to High-A Greensboro on June 10, and since his debut with the club against the Rome Emperors he has been dominating the South Atlantic League. Baseball's 34th-ranked prospect has been lights out at the plate, hitting .407/.469/.778 with the Grasshoppers. He's also added 2 homers and 6 stolen bags, bringing his season totals to 11 and 32. Advertisement Griffin has been one of the best players in the Minor Leagues all season and seems to be living up to his high draft position from a season ago. He has a big league ETA of 2028, but many think it's not out of the question to see Griffin in Pittsburgh before 2027, especially if he continues to dominate like this through his development. This past week saw Griffin gather 11 hits, score 10 runs, and add 8 RBIs to his season total to go along with the aforementioned homers and stolen bases. He also had an OPS of 1.247. Florentino is currently the organization's 23rd overall prospect and is quickly making a name for himself in the Florida Complex League. The 18-year old outfielder has started his season in the FCL strong, after spending last year in the Dominican Summer League following his signing with the Pirates. This season Florentino is batting .349/.430/1.093 with 30 hits and 6 RBIs so far. Florentino earned player of the week honors after gathering 8 hits, 1 home-run, 6 RBIs, while having a batting average of .471 showing off as one of the best with the FCL Pirates. At only 18-years of age, Florentino still has a long way to go before even sniffing Major League play, but considering he's shining this much early on and is ranked as one of the organization's top prospects, it brings a lot of hope to see what his future could be like in Pittsburgh. Advertisement The Pirates opened up the season as the 14th-ranked farm system in baseball, but with the way their prospects are playing, it's reasonable to think that they will move up a couple notches when the mid-season rankings are released. The team currently has five prospects ranked inside the top 100. More from
Yahoo
19-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Phillies Announce Trade With Rangers for Minor League Pitcher Nolan Hoffman
Phillies Announce Trade With Rangers for Minor League Pitcher Nolan Hoffman originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With a questionable bullpen, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to make some changes in the buildup to the MLB trade deadline. Whether the moves are big or small, the team will be shaking things up within their organization in the bullpen. Advertisement The Phillies announced on Twitter/X that on June 18th, they had completed a trade with the Texas Rangers. In the deal, they are acquiring right-hander Nolan Hoffman for cash considerations, and he is subsequently being optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Hoffman is the second Hoffman to join the team in the pat few yers, both being relievers. Though this Hoffman isn't as great as Jeff Hoffman was during his time in the city. But, Nolan Hoffman will provide depth on the roster in the bullpen. The 27-year-old right hander from the Rangers system has been pitching in the Minor Leagues since 2018. With the Phillies needing more depth in the bullpen, whether it's due to poor play, injuries, or suspension, Hoffman is a depth addition for the team at best. but, despite being depth, he's still a worthwhile addition to the team. Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson (59) celebrates a run scored in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Chenoy-Imagn Images Down in Triple-A for the Rangers, Hoffman had a 5.91 ERA through 22 games, three of which were as a starter, his first start since 2021 in the Minors. Across his 35 innings pitched, Hoffman struck out 46 batters and walked 21. Advertisement He also allowed batters to hit .245 off him in 2025, and his 1.46 WHIP is the third-highest in his Minor League career. He's also allowed four home runs this season, more than double any of his previous years in the Minors. While Hoffman hasn't had his best season on the mound, he does have a career 3.65 ERA across 185 appearances in the Minor Leagues. He had initially been an intriguing option for the Rangers in the Spring, but with his 5.91 ERA, he wasn't making any headway into the Majors. But, considering the Phillies have had a knack for helping pitchers turn things around, the team taking a chance on Hoffman is worth it. If the Phillies do get something out of Hoffman, it wouldn't be the first time that the Phillies helped a Hoffman turn his career around in the Majors. Related: Phillies' Matt Strahm Sends Three-Word Message Amid Orion Kerkerings First Save Related: Phillies' Nick Castellanos Sends Six-Word Message After Rob Thomson Benching This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Reuters
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Reds acquire RHP Brian Van Belle from Red Sox
June 14 - The Cincinnati Reds acquired right-hander Brian Van Belle from the Boston Red Sox on Saturday in exchange for cash considerations. The Reds optioned Van Belle to Triple-A Louisville. The Red Sox had designated him for assignment on Wednesday. Van Belle, 28, has yet to make his major league debut. He was 5-1 with a 2.29 ERA in 12 games (eight starts) this season at Triple-A Worcester. Since breaking into Boston's system in 2021 out of Miami (FL), Van Belle is 37-19 with a 4.41 ERA in 115 games (84 starts) in the minor leagues. He has struck out 479 batters and walked 120 in 502 1/3 innings. --Field Level Media
New York Times
10-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Brewers to promote hard-throwing starter Jacob Misiorowski: Reports
Fresh off a start in which he threw 14 pitches over 100 mph, hard-throwing Milwaukee Brewers pitching prospect Jacob Misiorowski will be making his major-league debut on Thursday, according to various reports. Misiorowski, who ranked No. 87 in The Athletic's Keith Law's preseason top-100 prospect list, has a 2.13 ERA in 63 1/3 innings for Triple-A Nashville this season. He is the Brewers' top pitching prospect. Advertisement Misiorowski, 23, was a Brewers' second-round pick (No. 63) in the 2022 MLB Draft out of Crowder Junior College in Missouri. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has been one of the hardest throwing starters in minor-league baseball since turning pro. In his last start for the Sounds, Misiorowski threw 68 pitches, topping out at 101.5 mph. His fastball averaged 99.7 mph in that start and the slowest four-seamer he threw was clocked at 97.7. His fastball has been measured as high as 103 mph at various points this season. Misiorowski also throws a curveball, a changeup and a slider. The stuff has always been premium and with a 3.04 ERA in 233 2/3 career minor-league innings, Misiorowski has gotten good results in the minor leagues. But, like many hard-throwers, he's struggled badly with command at times, which has limited his ceiling as a starter. Last season at Double A and Triple A, he walked 60 in 97 1/3 innings and this season he has 31 walks in 63 1/3 innings. He's mostly been a starter but does have some experience relieving. Law says Misiorowski's arsenal is special but there are significant concerns about his mechanics and ability to command his pitches. 'Misiorowski has some of the best pure stuff of any pitcher in the minors, with a fastball that frequently touches 100 and has some ride up top and two breaking balls with high spin rates, with the slower one — you can call it a curveball, but the velocity is almost unheard of for that pitch — the more effective of the two. 'His mechanics are violent and he's never had anything approaching average command; for him to get there, he'd need to tone down the delivery, and that might take away from what makes his pitches so special. He's posted a lower walk rate this year but he's not actually throwing the ball in the zone any more often than he did in 2024. There just aren't long-term starters in the big leagues who pitch like he does; either he's an extreme outlier or he's going to end up in the bullpen, where he could be the inheritor of the throne previously occupied by Josh Hader and Devin Williams.' Advertisement Though Misiorowski's future could lie in the bullpen, he will make his major-league debut in the rotation. He will get the start on Thursday against the Cardinals in a key game for Milwaukee, which currently sits 1 1/2 games behind St. Louis for second place in the National League Central. The Brewers are three games out of the third wild-card spot currently. The Brewers rotation is currently fifth in baseball with a 3.35 ERA. Overall, the Brewers staff ranks 16th with a 3.87 ERA. Injuries have impacted the staff, with Nestor Cortes, Robert Gasser, Connor Thomas and Brandon Woodruff all currently on the injured list.
