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Associated Press
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Smith and Vasil look like two Rule 5 hits for the rebuilding Chicago White Sox
CHICAGO (AP) — Shane Smith pitched a total of 10 1/3 innings during his college career at Wake Forest. He had a shoulder operation as a freshman, and his sophomore year was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Then he had elbow surgery. At that point, even Smith began to wonder if baseball was going to work out for him. 'My dream of playing professional baseball, to say it didn't waver would probably be lying,' he said. 'But I knew there was an avenue somehow.' There sure was. Smith has turned into a pleasant surprise for the last-place Chicago White Sox after he was selected by the team in the Rule 5 draft. The White Sox also have Mike Vasil, another 25-year-old Rule 5 right-hander who was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay in March. The Rule 5 draft provides an opportunity for players left off big league team's 40-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Teams pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the active 26-man major league roster all season or else clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Between 10 and 20 players are selected in the big league Rule 5 draft most seasons, but most don't actually stick with their new clubs. Even fewer develop into All-Star-worthy contributors. Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente and two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana are two of the most famous Rule 5 success stories. So far, it looks as if Smith and Vasil are going to stick with the rebuilding White Sox — quite an accomplishment for an organization from one Rule 5 draft. Smith has a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings over 13 starts, and Vasil has a 1.99 ERA in 45 1/3 innings over 20 appearances, all but two in relief. 'Obviously Mike and I are, I think, putting our best foot forward as of now,' Smith said. 'The biggest thing we can do is just keep it going, keep doing the same stuff.' Smith or Vasil very well could represent the last-place White Sox at next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta. Dan Uggla with the Florida Marlins in 2006 is the only player to be named an All-Star in the season after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft, according to Sportradar. Being a Rule 5 player is a unique situation in that first year, but Vasil said he doesn't think about it very often. 'I've spent my whole life trying to get here,' he said. 'So I think it's already hard enough, don't put more pressure on yourself.' The 6-foot-5 Vasil was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of the University of Virginia. He was picked by Philadelphia in the Rule 5 draft in December and then traded that same day to the Rays for cash. The White Sox are Vasil's fourth organization since the end of last season. 'It's a lot,' he said. 'But I think for me, at the same time, I guess you could say you feel wanted by a lot of different teams.' Vasil began the season in Chicago's bullpen, recording a 1.89 ERA in his first 18 appearances. He got his first career win when he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings against Houston on May 4 and his first save when he got three outs at Cincinnati on May 14. But Vasil's six-pitch arsenal — highlighted by an effective sinker and sweeper — makes him a strong candidate for the rotation. He pitched four shutout innings in his second start at Texas on Saturday. 'Not something that's unfamiliar for me,' he said of starting. 'I started all my minor league career, so in terms of routine I probably know this one a little bit better than my relief one right now.' Smith went right into Chicago's rotation during spring training — an unusual spot for a Rule 5 player. Since 2016, Luis Perdomo, Brad Keller and Mitch Spence are the only pitchers who made at least 20 starts in the majors in the season after they were selected in the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Keller began the 2018 season in Kansas City's bullpen before moving into the rotation in late May. He finished his rookie year with a 9-6 record and a 3.08 ERA in 20 starts and 21 relief appearances. 'I think you definitely pull for all the Rule 5 guys because I feel like, not to say this in a bad way, but Rule 5 guys kind of get a bad rap, right?' said Keller, a key reliever for the Chicago Cubs. 'It's like they're like nobody's got a chance. That's not true. Some organizations are in different situations where they can't protect guys that they want to.' Smith had been in Milwaukee's organization since he signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2021, just weeks after he had Tommy John surgery. He had a 3.05 ERA in 32 appearances over two minor league stops last season, finishing the year with Triple-A Nashville. Smith has a big four-seam fastball that gets into the high 90s, to go along with a good slider and curveball. But the biggest key to his success this year has been the development of a nasty changeup that really came together in the offseason after years of work. Fortunate timing for Smith and the White Sox. 'For a guy that hasn't really pitched above Double-A, he had some innings in Triple-A, but to come here and pitch the way that he does, it just speaks to his ability and his confidence and also speaks to the group of players and staff here to support him,' general manager Chris Getz said. 'Shane is doing really well and we expect him to have a really productive, healthy season for us.' ___ More AP baseball:
Al Arabiya
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Smith and Vasil Look Like Two Rule 5 Hits for the Rebuilding Chicago White Sox
Shane Smith pitched a total of 10 1/3 innings during his college career at Wake Forest. He had a shoulder operation as a freshman, and his sophomore year was shut down by the COVID-19 pandemic. Then he had elbow surgery. At that point, even Smith began to wonder if baseball was going to work out for him. 'My dream of playing professional baseball–to say it didn't waver would probably be lying,' he said. 'But I knew there was an avenue somehow.' There sure was. Smith has turned into a pleasant surprise for the last-place Chicago White Sox after he was selected by the team in the Rule 5 draft. The White Sox also have Mike Vasil, another twenty-five-year-old Rule 5 right-hander who was claimed off waivers from Tampa Bay in March. The Rule 5 draft provides an opportunity for players left off big league teams' forty-man rosters after several minor league seasons. Teams pay $100,000 to select a player in the major league portion. The players must stay on the active twenty-six-man major league roster all season or else clear waivers and be offered back to their original organization for $50,000. Between ten and twenty players are selected in the big league Rule 5 draft most seasons, but most don't actually stick with their new clubs. Even fewer develop into All-Star-worthy contributors. Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente and two-time Cy Young Award winner Johan Santana are two of the most famous Rule 5 success stories. So far, it looks as if Smith and Vasil are going to stick with the rebuilding White Sox–quite an accomplishment for an organization from one Rule 5 draft. Smith has a 2.37 ERA in 68 1/3 innings over thirteen starts, and Vasil has a 1.99 ERA in 45 1/3 innings over twenty appearances, all but two in relief. 'Obviously, Mike and I are, I think, putting our best foot forward as of now,' Smith said. 'The biggest thing we can do is just keep it going, keep doing the same stuff.' Smith or Vasil very well could represent the last-place White Sox at next month's All-Star Game in Atlanta. Dan Uggla, with the Florida Marlins in 2006, is the only player to be named an All-Star in the season after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft, according to Sportradar. Being a Rule 5 player is a unique situation in that first year, but Vasil said he doesn't think about it very often. 'I've spent my whole life trying to get here,' he said. 'So I think it's already hard enough; don't put more pressure on yourself.' The six-foot-five Vasil was selected by the New York Mets in the eighth round of the 2021 amateur draft out of the University of Virginia. He was picked by Philadelphia in the Rule 5 draft in December and then traded that same day to the Rays for cash. The White Sox are Vasil's fourth organization since the end of last season. 'It's a lot,' he said. 'But I think for me at the same time, I guess you could say you feel wanted by a lot of different teams.' Vasil began the season in Chicago's bullpen, recording a 1.89 ERA in his first eighteen appearances. He got his first career win when he pitched 2 1/3 scoreless innings against Houston on May 4 and his first save when he got three outs at Cincinnati on May 14. But Vasil's six-pitch arsenal–highlighted by an effective sinker and sweeper–makes him a strong candidate for the rotation. He pitched four shutout innings in his second start at Texas on Saturday. 'Not something that's unfamiliar for me,' he said of starting. 'I started all my minor league career, so in terms of routine I probably know this one a little bit better than my relief one right now.' Smith went right into Chicago's rotation during spring training–an unusual spot for a Rule 5 player. Since 2016, Luis Perdomo, Brad Keller, and Mitch Spence are the only pitchers who made at least twenty starts in the majors in the season after they were selected in the big league phase of the Rule 5 draft. Keller began the 2018 season in Kansas City's bullpen before moving into the rotation in late May. He finished his rookie year with a 9–6 record and a 3.08 ERA in twenty starts and twenty-one relief appearances. 'I think you definitely pull for all the Rule 5 guys because I feel like, not to say this in a bad way, but Rule 5 guys kind of get a bad rap, right?' said Keller, a key reliever for the Chicago Cubs. 'It's like they're like, 'Nobody's got a chance.' That's not true. Some organizations are in different situations where they can't protect guys that they want to.' Smith had been in Milwaukee's organization since he signed with the Brewers as an undrafted free agent in 2021, just weeks after he had Tommy John surgery. He had a 3.05 ERA in thirty-two appearances over two minor league stops last season, finishing the year with Triple-A Nashville. Smith has a big four-seam fastball that gets into the high nineties to go along with a good slider and curveball. But the biggest key to his success this year has been the development of a nasty changeup that really came together in the offseason after years of work. Fortunate timing for Smith and the White Sox. 'For a guy that hasn't really pitched above Double-A–he had some innings in Triple-A–but to come here and pitch the way that he does, it just speaks to his ability and his confidence and also speaks to the group of players and staff here to support him,' general manager Chris Getz said. 'Shane is doing really well, and we expect him to have a really productive, healthy season for us.'
Reuters
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Guardians promote RHP Nic Enright less than 3 years after cancer diagnosis
May 25 - Less than three years after receiving a cancer diagnosis, Nic Enright is on his way to the major leagues. The Cleveland Guardians called up the 28-year-old right-handed pitcher from Triple-A Columbus in an effort to bolster their bullpen as Hunter Gaddis heads to the bereavement list following a death in the family. A 20th-round pick by the then-Cleveland Indians in 2019, Enright made nine appearances in 2025 for Columbus, where he held a 2.00 ERA with one save and seven strikeouts over nine innings. Last year, Enright went 2-1 for the Clippers with a 1.06 ERA, striking out 31 and collecting three saves in 17 innings. Enright has not logged a major-league appearance in his six-year career, setting the stage for a likely emotional debut should he get the call to the mound. In 2022, less than a month after the Miami Marlins plucked him from Cleveland in the Rule 5 Draft, Enright was diagnosed with Stage II nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. The righty persevered, however, believing that reaching the big leagues was a goal that would help him endure the treatments. On-field setbacks emerged, as well, including a shoulder impingement in 2024 and a lat strain that delayed his start to the 2025 season. Now, Enright is on the verge of realizing his MLB dream. --Field Level Media
New York Times
24-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Guardians promote pitcher Nic Enright less than 3 years after cancer diagnosis
DETROIT — For two and a half years, Nic Enright has stood on the doorstep of the major leagues. Now, after being a Rule 5 Draft selection, receiving a cancer diagnosis, returning to his original organization, undergoing debilitating treatments and wondering if he'd ever have the chance to dig his cleats into the big-league dirt, Enright is headed to Cleveland. Advertisement The Guardians are calling up Enright from Triple-A Columbus to join their bullpen, multiple team sources told The Athletic, in place of Hunter Gaddis, who is headed to the bereavement list following a death in the family. The Miami Marlins plucked Enright from Cleveland's roster during the Rule 5 Draft in December 2022. Later that month, despite exhibiting no symptoms other than a bulge in his neck, Enright was diagnosed with Stage II nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma. Initially, he wondered if his baseball career was over, especially once he was stuck in a hospital bed, pumped full of chemicals and feeling like a pale, lethargic shell of himself. But he felt the urgency to persevere. As a reliever, he figured he had a shorter window to cash in on potential big-league earnings, and being a Rule 5 pick placed him in the waiting room for the majors. So, he stuck with baseball, and he quickly realized he needed that goal to push through treatments. The Marlins ultimately sent Enright back to the Guardians in June 2023. Enright thrived on the mound in the minor leagues in 2024 (1.06 ERA, 31 strikeouts in 17 innings), but a shoulder impingement prevented him from earning a promotion. The Guardians added him to their 40-man roster after the season, signaling they had plans for him in 2025. A lat strain delayed the start of his season, but promising checkups at the hospital have given him peace of mind for the first time in three years. Enright won't need to undergo any treatments until after the season, and he's hopeful that will be the last round he'll ever need. Until then, he can focus on pitching, and now, at long last, pitching on a major-league mound. Since arriving at Triple-A Columbus in late April following his recovery from the lat injury, he allowed two earned runs in nine innings. Advertisement Enright's parents visited him and his wife, Erin, in Columbus this weekend, so the pitcher was able to share the news of his call-up with them in person Friday night. They'll all be in attendance for the Guardians' games against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park in Detroit as they await his debut. The Tigers, coincidentally, are hosting 'Strike Out Cancer Weekend' at the ballpark.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Overlooked Yankees prospect's velocity up after rigorous offseason plan
SYRACUSE – Zach Messinger knew this past offseason was going to be big for him. Just not for the reasons everyone assumed. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound right-hander had established himself as a perfect candidate for the Rule 5 Draft with a big year in Double-A Somerset, where he pitched to a 3.06 ERA in 27 appearances (25 starts) with a 7-8 record, a save and 136 strikeouts to just 52 walks over 150 innings. Advertisement It seemed like the perfect opportunity for the 25-year-old, who was not added to the Yankees 40-man roster this winter, to get a look from another organization in the annual Rule 5, which typically sees numerous Yankees farmhands claimed and fast-tracked to the big leagues. 'It came and went,' Messinger, now with the Triple-A Scranton, recalls. 'My wife and I, we sat around, and we listened. We took it in, it didn't happen.' But that was OK. 'The Rule 5, it's obviously part of what comes with the territory; it was going to be an exciting offseason for me regardless, I kind of had my head down and I was excited to get to work,' Messenger said. Advertisement 'We were very much head down, we knew what the offseason could potentially hold with a lot of things waiting in the balance. But at the end of the day, I still had my eyes on trying to impress the (Yankees) coaches enough to make that next jump to the Triple-A level. At the end of the day, I needed to pick up some velocity, pick up some stuff and be able to move everything around to both sides of the plate. 'I took it as everything I put into last season was going to be a deciding factor, so at the time in December whenever that stuff rolled around, there was nothing I was going to be able to do to change it.' Zach Messinger was not selected in the Rule 5 Draft last winter and began the 2025 season with Triple-A Scranton. The same could not be said for the work he was going to put into this offseason, however. Advertisement Messenger and his wife, Kinsey, made the decision to move to Charlotte, where Zach was able to work with Tread Athletics and pick the brains of numerous former pros there, including his coach, former big-leaguer Justin Nicolino. So, when he didn't hear his name called in the Rule 5, the next move was simple. 'I immediately called my coach at Tread, and said, 'This is how it's going to be, now we're on to the next step and we're on to a tryout with whatever spring training brings us,'' Messenger said. More: 'Staying with his plan' has top Yankees prospect knocking on door of Triple-A A tedious, yet rewarding, process resumed, one in which Messinger says he's seen his fastball velocity increase from 91-93 mph that popped radar guns last season to 95 mph in Scranton, as well as significant refinements in command that allow him to rely more on his secondary offerings as he continues to improve his ability to work on both sides of the plate. Advertisement A lot of that, according to Messinger, was simply being able to stay healthy this offseason, which allowed him to work on increasing his mobility as well more simple things like getting better sleep and improving his diet to better maintain a naturally big frame. But, as he dug deeper at Tread Athletics and paired that with the work the Yankees do with refining pitch shapes and mechanics, he studied exactly where the deficiencies were that seemed to be holding him back from taking the big jump he always believed he could. 'The biggest thing to be able to make that velo jump, is all those guys that throw 100 miles per hour, they're the most efficient throwers in the world and the most efficient movers that they can be,' he said. 'It's not always upper body stuff; it can be in the hip or in the lower back. So, finding a routine that keeps me mobile and fluid in my lower half and upper half and finding some deeper in-ranges, plus getting strong in those positions too. Mixing in heavy ball routines and finding something that we can do to help pattern more efficient movements and build up strength in those positions.' More: Slugger who put High School Home Run Derby on map in 2013 resurfaces in Yankees system Advertisement Taken in the 13th round by the Yankees from the University of Virginia in the 2021 MLB Draft, Messinger now finds himself on the precipice of reaching the big leagues. Although he's struggled at times this season in Triple-A, going 0-2 with a 6.48 ERA in his first six starts, he's taken the same approach that he used to find success with Somerset to keep his head down and focus on what's in front of him as he continues to make the adjustments to facing lineups full of former big leaguers who are constantly making adjustments. 'I had a good thing going with my pitching coach and our catchers in Somerset last year, and trying to keep that momentum and keep that rhythm going into this season was a big thing for me,' Messenger said. 'I like to try to keep my mindset relatively similar to what I've had my entire minor league career,' he said. Going into this season with goals, obviously, but knowing that the only way I'm going to reach those goals is keeping my head down and staying focused on the task at hand. … So, keeping my head down, staying focused, trying to not get caught up in the 'you're one step away,' it's more intentional work throughout the day to try to grow as a pitcher, figure out what my big-league self looks like, and whenever the opportunity comes, to make sure I'm ready for it.' This article originally appeared on Yankees prospect Zach Messinger sees velocity increase in 2025
