Astros activate Brantley, Yankees released Donaldson

A pair of moves involving a couple of veteran bats in the American League have come across the transaction wire this afternoon.

First, outfielder Michael Brantley has been activated from the injured list by the Houston Astros. The 36 year old has missed all of 2023 after playing in just 64 games in 2022 due to shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. He started a rehab assignment at AAA in late April of this year before being pulled off of it in early May. Brantley went back on a rehab assignment on August 15, and in seven games slashed .348/.444/.565 for Sugar Land.

Brantley will be a free agent after the season.

While Brantley is returning to action, veteran third baseman Josh Donaldson has been released by the New York Yankees. Donaldson, 37, has slashed .142/.225/.434 in 120 plate appearances over 33 games for New York in this, the final year of his four year deal. The Yankees paid him $43.5 million for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, and will be paying his $8 million buyout of his $16 million team option for 2024.

Oh, and since we are talking random transactions, for Ranger great Jurickson Profar was released by the Colorado Rockies over the weekend. The 30 year old Profar opted out of his deal with the San Diego Padres after the 2022 season, and ended up being one of the last free agents to sign, inking his one year, $7.75 million deal with the Rockies on March 21, 2023. Profar put up a -1.7 bWAR in 472 plate appearances for the Rockies this year, playing left field and slashing .236/.316/.364.

Finally, I just saw a few minutes ago that the Royals optioned former Texas Ranger Taylor Hearn to AAA today. You may recall that the Atlanta Braves purchased Hearn from the Rangers after Hearn had been designated for assignment in July of this year, and then traded him to the Kansas City Royals less than a week later for utilityman Nicky Lopez.

In eight appearances for the Royals, Hearn has allowed seven runs in 7.2 IP over eight games.