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Speaking on the Giants Huddle podcast, TE Theo Johnson said he is healthy after undergoing foot surgery last season.
Johnson caught 29 passes for 331 yards and one touchdown last season, but saw his rookie campaign come to an end due to a foot injury. Now healthy and ready to get back to work, the second-year tight end is hopeful he can continue where he left off before his injury, when he went for 26-293-1 over an eight-game stretch. It’s far from elite production, but Johnson posted an impressive 9.93 RAS during the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine and averaged a solid 12.2 YPR during his four years at Penn State. He won’t be on the fantasy radar to start the season, but Johnson could have some upside if he emerges as a primary receiving threat this season.
Rays optioned LHP Mason Montgomery to Triple-A Durham.
Although he’s notched 41 strikeouts in 31 1/3 innings, Montgomery is sporting a 5.74 ERA, partly because of an elevated walk rate but also because of a seemingly unlucky .359 BABIP. He still seems like a top relief talent, and it’d be no surprise to see him come back in a few weeks and put together a nice second half.
Rays recalled RHP Mason Englert from Triple-A Durham.
Englert has a 4.84 ERA in 22 1/3 innings out of the Rays pen this season, though he did pitch 4 1/3 scoreless innings during his most recent stint last month. He’ll get another look now.
The Tigers will call up Keider Montero to start Monday’s game against the Rays.
Montero last pitched for the Tigers on June 19, throwing five innings of one-run ball against the Pirates. He’ll likely just be up for tonight’s game and then return to Triple-A.
The Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain says Ben Johnson “seemed confident” that Luther Burden (soft tissue) would be ready at the start of training camp.
Burden has been sidelined for most of the offseason while dealing with an undisclosed injury. The rookie second-rounder also remains unsigned. While it’s been a slow start to Burden’s pro career, a return by training camp should give him plenty of time to get up to speed before the start of the season. Even when Burden acclimates himself to the offense, he’ll likely slot in as the team’s No. 3 receiver with Rome Odunze and D.J. Moore expected to serve as the primary options in two receiver sets. Burden makes for an intriguing late-round pick in deeper leagues, but is unlikely to enter the season with much fantasy upside.
The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli reports that the Nationals offered the interim manager job to Miguel Cairo.
Cairo was hired before the 2024 season as Dave Martinez’s bench coach, so he has allegedly told the Nationals that he needs time to consider the offer after Martinez was fired yesterday. Cairo was 18-16 as an interim manager for the Chicago White Sox back in 2022 after Tony La Russa was fired. Perhaps that’s not a situation he wants to enter again. If Cairo does turn down the offer, Ghiroli reports that Nationals Triple-A manager Matt LeCroy “would appear to be the guy.”