No matter what part of the calendar we're in, Major League Baseball never sleeps.
Just this weekend, the following things happened: the Blue Jays signed two pitchers to their major league roster, the Orioles recalled to prospect Coby Mayo to the big leagues, Mike Trout was placed on the IL (again), and the Tigers DFA'd Kenta Maeda.
And those aren't even the stories we'll be focusing on in this MLB News Round-up. Buckle in.
Dodgers call up Hyeseong Kim for highly anticipated MLB debut
Before the season began with the Tokyo Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent their "other" international free agent signing to Triple-A to get more seasoning.
Despite that, I said that Hyeseong Kim shouldn't be forgotten about in the National League Rookie of the Year race. Though he's a month behind some of his fellow contenders, including now-teammate Roki Sasaki, I stand by that assessment.
Kim is a lefty batter and a lithe, speedy contact hitter, who batted .326/.383/.458 last season (and .335/.396/.446 in 2023). His OBP has exceeded .370 in each of the last four seasons, and his strikeout and walk rates both surpassed KBO league averages.
He's now gotten the call to the big leagues, following the team's decision to place Tommy Edman on the 10-day IL with a right ankle issue. In 28 games (131 plate appearances) at Triple-A this year, Kim has slashed .252/.328/.470, good for a 105 wRC+. He's also stolen 13 bases without getting caught once.
Playing time may be scarce in the Dodgers' crowded infield to start, but Kim (who can play second, third, shorstop, and in the outfield) should find his way into the lineup regularly soon enough.
Red Sox first baseman Triston Casas suffers season-ending injury
Following a painful-looking injury against the Minnesota Twins on May 2, most figured Triston Casas would be out for a while.
Unfortunately, the Red Sox's worst fears have been realized: the first baseman, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with a ruptured left patellar tendon, will likely miss the rest of the 2025 season, according to CBO Craig Breslow.
Breslow says the Red Sox don’t expect Triston Casas back this season. He will have surgery. “All options are on the table” regarding 1B, and he didn’t rule out Devers at this time. Anthony or Mayer moving there is very unlikely.
— Chris Cotillo (@ChrisCotillo) May 3, 2025
Casas has been struggling through by far the worst season of his career thus far (59 wRC+), though he was looking more comfortable at the plate in recent games prior to the injury.
His injury puts the Red Sox in a tough position at first base. After a lot of whining and groaning, Rafael Devers has finally taken to being a full-time DH. Interrupting his new workflow is probably not the best idea.
The team could always trade for a replacement, such as fan-favorite Justin Turner (who has fallen out of favor in Chicago). If they choose to look in-house, perhaps giving Masataka Yoshida some extended run at the cold corner could help get his bat in the lineup.
Reds option former closer Alexis Diaz to Triple-A
Talk about rapid falls from grace.
Alexis Diaz, an All-Star in 2023 when he locked down 37 saves, didn't just lose the closer's job in the first month of the 2025 season — he's now lost his roster spot.
Diaz has been abysmal since returning from a hamstring strain that delayed his start to the season, pitching to a 12.00 ERA (14.22 FIP!) in six innings. He's allowed more home runs (four) than strikeouts (three). Hopefully, with some time to get his body right in the minors, he can return to form.
Luckily, the Reds can be patient with Diaz. Their four-headed monster of Taylor Rogers, Graham Ashcraft, Tony Santillan, and new closer Emilio Pagán has formed one of the fiercest bullpens in the game. Of that bunch, Pagán's ERA is the highest... at 2.35.