The Los Angeles Angels designated first baseman/designated hitter Willie Calhoun for assignment on Thursday. The Angels took a flier on the former Texas Rangers top prospect, but Calhoun, like many other Angels hitters this year, made a minimal impact at the plate this year, hitting .245/.315/.380 with a below-average .695 OPS, only five home runs, 20 RBI and 26 runs scored in 68 games. The 29-year-old left-handed hitter was serving as the Halos' primary designated hitter against right-handed pitching before getting the boot off the 40-man roster. Moving on from Calhoun will most likely benefit the left-handed-hitting Matt Thaiss and potentially Kevin Pillar, who could pick up more DH at-bats. If Calhoun clears waivers, which is likely, he could stick in the Angels' organization and take a demotion to the minors.
Los Angeles Angels designated hitter Willie Calhoun hit one of the team's three home runs in their 5-0 shutout win over the visiting Detroit Tigers on Thursday. The solo home run was Calhoun's second of the season and was his only hit of the night in four at-bats. He also struck out twice. Injuries have forced the former Texas Rangers prospect into action for the Halos this year, and although he has just two home runs, 11 RBI and 19 runs scored in 150 at-bats in his first year in Anaheim, he's hitting a solid .280 with 12 doubles. The 29-year-old former fourth-round pick by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2015 out of Yavapai College is making a lot of contact but isn't going to be much of an asset in the power department or for counting stats in fantasy. At best, Calhoun is an AL-only asset.
The Los Angeles Angels signed outfielder Willie Calhoun and right-hander Travis MacGregor to minor-league deals with spring training invites on Wednesday. Calhoun had a .712 OPS with the New York Yankees in 2023 and has played parts of seven years in the majors with the Yankees, Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants. MacGregor has never pitched in the majors and had a 3.82 ERA at Double-A and Triple-A with the Pittsburgh Pirates this past season as a swing man. The 29-year-old left-handed-hitting Calhoun was a high-end prospect when he initially came up with the Rangers, but he never panned out, with his best season coming with Texas in 2019 when he hit .269 with 21 home runs and 48 RBI in 83 games.
Willie Calhoun Designated For Assignment By Yankees
The New York Yankees reinstated outfielder Willie Calhoun (quadriceps) from the 10-day injured list on Friday and designated him for assignment. If Calhoun clears waivers, he'll be free to sign with any major-league team. The 28-year-old only managed to play in 44 games for the Yankees this year, and he was slashing .239/.309/.403 with five home runs, seven doubles, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored in 149 plate appearances. With Aaron Judge (toe) returning from the injured list on Friday, the Yankees don't have any room for Calhoun on their 40-man roster. In six rehab games with Double-A Somerset, Calhoun went 5-for-22 (.227) with a homer and two RBI.
New York Yankees outfielder Willie Calhoun (quad) is getting close to beginning a rehab assignment. Calhoun will head to Double-A Somerset to work out with the squad before he officially starts his rehab assignment. Calhoun has been sidelined since late June with a left quad strain. The veteran could be back in the big leagues in the next few weeks, provided everything goes smoothly on his rehab stint. Calhoun is hitting .239 with five homers, 16 runs, and 16 RBI across 134 at-bats in 2023.
Yankees Place Willie Calhoun On 10-Day Injured List
The New York Yankees officially placed outfielder Willie Calhoun (quadriceps) on the 10-day injured list on Thursday with a left-quadriceps strain and recalled infielder/outfielder Oswaldo Cabrera from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in a corresponding move. Calhoun heard a popping noise in his quad on Wednesday, and he's likely to miss more than 10 days to recover from the injury. The 28-year-old was hitting .239 (32-for-134) with five homers, seven doubles, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored in 44 games for the Yankees this year as a bench bat. Gleyber Torres is serving as the designated hitter on Thursday and batting second, while Giancarlo Stanton is starting in right field and hitting cleanup against Seattle Mariners right-hander Bryan Woo.
New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Willie Calhoun (quad) tweaked his left quadriceps while running the bases during Wednesday's 4-2 victory over the Seattle Mariners. He stayed in the game but is set to undergo an MRI and expects to hit the injured list. Calhoun's having his best campaign since 2019 with the bat, slashing .239/.309/.403 with five long balls, 16 runs, and 16 RBI across 44 games. Still, it isn't great production and fantasy managers can replace the former prospect pretty easily on the waiver wire.
New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Willie Calhoun has been moved up to the leadoff spot for Game 1 of Thursday's doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox and right-hander Lance Lynn. It's the first start of the season out of the leadoff spot for Calhoun who is being moved up in an effort to stretch out the lineup in the absence of superstar Aaron Judge who is on the IL with a big toe sprain. Following a slow start. Calhoun posted an .805 OPS, .346 wOBA, and a 122 wRC+ in the month of May, mostly as the DH with Giancarlo Stanton sidelined for much of the month. He makes for a nice streaming option Thursday as Lynn has scuffled to a 6.55 ERA and 2.00 HR/9 in 12 starts this season.
New York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter Willie Calhoun will hit out of the three-hole for the first time this season when the club openers up a series with the Seattle Mariners on the west coast. It was a slow start to the season for the former top prospect but Calhoun has picked it up of late. Most recently, he has five hits -- including a pair of doubles -- over his last 12 trips to the plate while also driving in a pair of runs in that time. Overall, the 28-year-old is hitting .242 with three homers and a .705 OPS across 30 appearances on the season. His 0.79 BB/K is impressive while all but five of his appearances on the season have come as the Yankees' DH.
Willie Calhoun Reassigned To Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre
New York Yankees outfielder Willie Calhoun was informed Tuesday that he would not start the season with the big-league team. The 28-year-old signed with the Yankees this off-season and had a productive spring, batting .294 with one home run and four RBI in 51 at-bats. However, he will instead be starting the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. The former Texas Rangers prospect has never panned out and slashed just .135/.274/.250 in 62 plate appearances in 2022 with the Rangers and Giants. There may still be hope for him yet to find a big-league role, but fantasy managers can ignore him for now.
