Jake Rogers has already packed a lot into a very strange three-week stretch. The veteran catcher made his White Sox debut on Saturday, and the move to Chicago capped a run that saw him land with four teams in 21 days - a pace that easily sets the record, according to Codify on X. The old mark belonged to Frank Huelsman, who played for four teams in 42 days in 1904.
Elsewhere around the American League, Noah Cameron kept rolling for the Royals. The left-hander was in full command on Sunday, firing a complete-game shutout against the Angels.
He struck out nine, gave up just one hit, and finished the job by striking out Mike Trout to end it. Cameron also punched out the side in the eighth.
It was a sharp rebound after he stumbled against the Dodgers, and it followed a three-start stretch in which he allowed only six hits and one earned run over 23 innings.
The Rays are set to get Shane McClanahan back in the rotation on Monday against the Orioles, with Tampa Bay expected to activate the left-hander, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. McClanahan went on the injured list at the end of July because of back tightness, then worked three innings in his lone rehab start for Triple-A Durham, throwing 30 pitches.
Tampa Bay needs the help after dropping the first three games of the series, especially with the bullpen being leaned on heavily over the weekend. Joe Boyle, Jesse Scholtens, and Steven Matz have all been asked to soak up long relief innings, and McClanahan could give the club a much-needed lift even if he doesn’t go much beyond five innings in his first start back.
In Seattle, Andres Munoz turned the page after a rough Friday night. The Mariners closer was charged with five runs, four earned, in the bottom of the 10th in one of his worst outings of the season, a loss that dropped Seattle to 57-66.
The Mariners answered by winning on Saturday and then taking the series last night, with Munoz closing out the 3-2 victory with a clean ninth. That outing was also his 100th career save, putting him fourth on the Mariners’ all-time list.
Kazuhiro Sasaki’s 129 saves are within reach next season, and Seattle now sits 2 1/2 games behind the final AL Wild Card spot.
In Other News...
Mariners May Have Found A Needed Right-Handed Answer Against Houston
The Mariners have added another right-handed option to their organizational mix, signing Andy Ibez to a minor league contract and sending him to Triple-A Tacoma. Ibez brings the kind of flexibility clubs like to stash in the system, with the ability to move around the diamond and offer a different look at the plate after being released by the Mets and spending time with the Tigers and Athletics.
For Seattle, the appeal is less about splash and more about fit. The Mariners have been looking for more production against left-handed pitching, and Ibez gives them a veteran bat who could help in that department if he gets rolling in Tacoma. Whether that turns into a longer look with the big league club is still an open question, but it is the sort of low-cost depth move that can matter when the margins get thin later in the season. [Read more 🡒]
Colt Emerson Just Added To A Mariners Pattern Fans Hate
Colt Emersons season took another turn this week when the Mariners shortstop was sent to Triple-A Tacoma and then landed on the injured list with a left wrist injury. It was already a difficult year at the plate, with Emerson struggling through a .190/.246/.335 line and a high strikeout rate, and his offense dipped even further after mid-June. For a club that has spent too much time piecing together its lineup, the move only added to the sense that Seattle still has not found a clean way to get its young hitters on track.
The larger frustration for the Mariners is the familiar one: another player trying to keep going while hurt, only for the injury to surface after the fact. It is the kind of sequence that leaves Seattle looking both short-handed and a little stuck, because the organization keeps having to sort out whether a slump is just a slump or something more physical underneath it. Emersons situation fits squarely into that uneasy pattern, and for a team desperate for offensive stability, it is one more reminder that the margin for error keeps getting thinner. [Read more 🡒]
Mariners Prospects Are Pushing For Another Big Farm System Breakthrough
MLB Pipelines latest top 100 prospect update put a bright spotlight back on Seattles farm system, which continues to churn out talent at a pace that keeps the organization in the conversation every year. The Mariners have six players represented on the list, and the group featured in the update underscores just how deep the system remains, with Luke Stevenson, Ace Reese, Nick Becker, Mason Peters and Boston Smith all drawing attention for the way they are performing right now and the potential they still carry.
For a club that has already watched plenty of premium young talent move on in trades, the continued presence of so many names is a reminder that the pipeline is still producing real impact players. The next question is which of these prospects can make the kind of jump that turns a promising collection into another true breakthrough, and that is where the intrigue around Seattles system only grows. [Read more 🡒]