Canadian baseball notes: Bo Naylor, Denzel Clarke, Cal Quantrill

September 2, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Some Canadian baseball notes from the past couple of days:

Bo Naylor called up by Brewers

Catcher Bo Naylor has been promoted by the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Mississauga, Ont., native is one of the club’s September call-ups as MLB rosters expand to 28 players.

The Ontario Blue Jays and Junior National Team alum had been toiling with the triple-A Nashville Sounds since being acquired by the Brewers from the Cleveland Guardians on Aug. 1.

In 14 games with the Sounds, Naylor put together a .283/.353/.550 slash line and had four home runs and 17 RBIs.

Before landing in the Brewers’ organization, Naylor batted .225 with a .781 OPS with seven home runs and 24 RBIs in 45 games with the Guardians’ triple-A Columbus Clippers. He started the season with the Guardians, batting .143 with two home runs and seven RBIs in 28 games before being sent down.

In total, in 346 MLB games, Naylor has 40 home runs and 125 RBIs.

Clarke activated by A’s

Outfielder Denzel Clarke (Pickering, Ont.) was activated by the Athletics on Tuesday.

He then started in centre field for the A’s and went 0-for-2 in the A’s 8-5 loss to the Texas Rangers.

The Toronto Mets alum had gone 11-for-32 (.344 batting average) in 10 games in a rehab stint with the triple-A Las Vegas Aviators prior to being activated.

Clarke had been on the injured list since April 22, first with a bone bruise in his right foot and then with a severe left hamstring strain.

Prior to his injury woes, Clarke was 9-for-53 (.170 batting average) with six RBIs in 22 games with the A’s in his second MLB season.

Quantrill selected Rangers Pitcher of the Month

Right-hander Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) was selected the Texas Rangers’ Pitcher of the Month for August after he went 2-2 with a 1.45 ERA in six appearances (five starts) for the club.

The award is voted on by media members who cover the Rangers.

The Rangers noted in a release that Quantrill topped all qualified American League pitchers in ERA and opponents on-base percentage (.218), while ranking third in WHIP in August.

Quantrill’s 1.45 ERA and 0.839 WHIP were each the second-lowest single-month stats of his eight-season MLB career (minimum five starts).

The Terriers and Junior National Team grad, who started the season in triple-A, became the first player to be named Rangers’ Player of the Month during a year in which they didn’t open the regular season on the team’s 40-man roster since RHP Joe Barlow (Sept/Oct 2021).

In total, Quantrill has appeared in 28 games (11 starts) for the Rangers this season. He is 6-5 with a 3.01 ERA and has 68 strikeouts in 89 2/3 innings.

Pompey made MLB debut 12 years ago today

It was 12 years ago today that Dalton Pompey (Mississauga, Ont.) made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays.

He pinch-ran for Edwin Encarnacion in the top of the ninth after Encarnacion had walked. Pompey was eventually stranded on third base.

The Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 8-2 at Tropicana Field.

Anniversary of LaForest’s MLB debut

Twenty-three years ago today, Pierre-Luc LaForest (Hull, Que.) made his MLB debut with the Rays.

Batting ninth and DHing for the Rays, he went 2-for-6 with an RBI in the Rays’ 10-8 loss to the Mariners at The Trop.

His first MLB hit was a single off Joel Pineiro in the fourth inning.