Astros Claim Rhylan Thomas

The Astros have claimed outfielder Rhylan Thomas off waivers from the Mariners, as announced by both teams.  Houston moved right-hander Hunter Brown from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL in order to clear space for Thomas on the 40-man roster.

The Mariners designated Thomas for assignment earlier this week, as the M’s made a waiver claim of their own in obtaining Jose Suarez from the Braves.  An 11th-round pick of the Mets in the 2022 draft, Thomas was dealt to Seattle for Ryne Stanek in advance of the 2024 trade deadline, and Thomas got his first taste of the big leagues over a three-game call-up just over a year ago.  Thomas got a hit and a walk over his 10 plate appearances in a Mariners uniform before being optioned back to Triple-A.

Thomas hit .325/.380/.411 over 617 PA for Triple-A Tacoma last season, but those numbers have fallen off considerably this year, down to .260/.313/.328 over 145 PA.  The drop from a .332 BABIP in 2025 to a .269 mark this season is certainly a factor, as since Thomas is a contact-and-speed type of hitter, some bad batted-ball luck can have a heavy impact on his production.

Houston was still intrigued enough to make a waiver claim, as the Astros were known to be looking for outfield help even before injuries started to whittle down what was already a thin depth chart.  Thomas is also a left-handed hitter, which is helpful since the Astros’ lineup is mostly right-handed bats.  Thomas has two minor league options remaining, allowing the Astros some flexibility in moving him back and forth from Triple-A as the situation may warrant.

A Grade 2 shoulder strain sent Brown to the 15-day IL on April 2, and the 60-day placement still adheres to that initial placement date.  It doesn’t materially change Brown’s return date, as the ace right-hander wasn’t expected back anyway until late May at the absolute earliest, so the 60-day IL move now firmly keeps Brown sidelined until early June.  Brown threw a bullpen session yesterday in the latest step in his throwing progression.