Erick

Leal

As is often the case this early in camp, there’s no real surprises among this batch of cuts. Rodriguez, 22, was added to the team’s 40-man roster over the winter to protect him from the Rule-5 draft after he slashed .302/.375/.481 with 10 homers, 47 RBI and nine stolen bases over 333 plate appearances between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset in 2024. He’ll open the 2025 season at the Double-A level.

The only baserunner he allowed was a walk in the fifth inning. Leal settled for a no-decision as South Bend fell to Kane County 1-0 in extra innings. The 20-year-old is 1-1 with a 1.29 ERA over his last three starts with 17 strikeouts and only three walks. The nine-inning effort was Leal’s longest of the season.