Ruf is serving as the Brewers' designated hitter and batting leadoff Tuesday night against the Blue Jays.
Ruf could be in for an uptick in playing time with Jesse Winker landing on the injured list Tuesday due to a cervical strain. The 36-year-old got a turn at leadoff last Friday versus the Giants and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
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Brewers' Darin Ruf: Signed to active roster
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Ruf signed a one-year contract with the Brewers on Monday.
Milwaukee opened up a spot for Ruf on the 26-man active roster by placing Luke Voit (neck) on the 10-day injured list. While Voit is on the shelf, Ruf should assume his duties as a short-side platoon option at first base or designated hitter. Ruf has a career .886 OPS versus left-handed pitching, although he hasn't been as effective against southpaws the last two seasons.
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Darin Ruf: Elects free agency
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Ruf cleared waivers and elected free agency Saturday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Ruf declined his assignment to Triple-A Sacramento and is now free to sign with another club. The 36-year-old hit .261 with two doubles, a run scored and three RBI with the Giants before being designated for assignment after coming off the injured list May 9. A team looking for a bench bat that can handle left-handed pitching could show interest in Ruf's services.
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Giants' Darin Ruf: Reinstated from IL, DFA'd Tuesday
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Ruf (wrist) was reinstated from the 10-day injured list and subsequently designated for assignment Tuesday.
Ruf went 4-for-20 with a double, an RBI and a run scored over his five-game rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento. Instead of returning to the big leagues, he'll either remain with Sacramento, be claimed by another team or released outright. The 36-year-old has produced a .261 average with two doubles, three RBI and a run scored over 23 at-bats with the Giants in 2023.
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Giants' Darin Ruf: Begins assignment Tuesday
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Ruf (wrist) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, Maria I. Guardado of MLB.com reports.
Ruf landed on the 10-day IL last week due to inflammation in his right wrist, and he appears to be in line for close to a minimum stay. The 36-year-old veteran is slashing .261/.370/.348 in 27 plate appearances since being selected to the major-league squad in the middle of April.
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Giants' Darin Ruf: Placed on IL with wrist injury
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Ruf was placed on the 10-day injured list with right wrist inflammation by the Giants on Monday.
Ruf will miss at least a week-plus while he recovers. Austin Slater (hamstring) is reinstated off the injured list in a corresponding transaction, and it's likely that Slater will see his reps against left-handed pitching while Ruf is out of action.
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Giants' Darin Ruf: Added to MLB roster
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The Giants purchased the contract of Ruf from Triple-A Sacramento on Wednesday.
He's also starting Wednesday's game against the Dodgers and hitting fifth, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports. Ruf signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Saturday, returning to the organization that traded him to the Mets last summer. The 36-year-old helps the San Francisco depth with Austin Slater (hamstring) and Mitch Haniger (back/oblique) on the injured list, and he should see some at-bats for the Giants against left-handed pitching in particular.
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Giants' Darin Ruf: Back with San Francisco
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Ruf signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Saturday, Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports.
The 36-year-old returns to the organization less than a year after the club traded him to the Mets. Ruf had a .413 OPS in 29 games for New York last season and then hit .167 during spring training, prompting the team not to include him on the Opening Day roster. The Giants currently have Mitch Haniger (back/oblique) and Austin Slater (hamstring) on the injured list, which could open the door for Ruf to make his way to the majors, depending how long the pair is sidelined.
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Darin Ruf: Reaches free agency
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The Mets released Ruf on Sunday.
Ruf becomes a free agent after he went unclaimed off waivers upon being designated for assignment last week. After slugging a career-high 16 home runs with the Giants in 2021, Ruf took a significant step back at the plate last season while serving largely as a short-side platoon option for San Francisco and then New York, who acquired him at the trade deadline. Ruf failed to show much improvement during spring training while he also nursed a wrist injury and was ultimately booted off the 40-man roster prior to Opening Day. As a 35-year-old coming off a poor season who is limited to first base and the corner outfield, Ruf might have to settle for a minor-league deal in free agency as he looks to keep his career going.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Loses spot on 40-man roster
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The Mets will designate Ruf for assignment Monday, a source tells Joel Sherman of The New York Post.
Ruf's removal from the 40-man roster comes after he mustered a lowly .413 OPS in 74 plate appearances for the Mets last season upon coming over in a deadline deal with the Giants. He then continued to struggle in Grapefruit League play this spring, batting just .167 in 35 plate appearances while also managing a wrist issue. Though Ruf has been an above-average contributor at the plate over parts of eight seasons in the majors (110 wRC+), his prolonged slump and lack of defensive flexibility may be enough to deter teams from putting in a waiver claim for the 36-year-old, who has $3.25 million remaining on his contract. With Ruf moving off the 40-man roster, the Mets are now likely to include outfielder Tim Locastro on their Opening Day squad.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: In Wednesday's lineup
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Ruf (wrist) is starting at first base and batting sixth in Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Astros.
Ruf has battled through wrist issues during spring training and is 3-for-23 in seven contests. A move to the injured list to begin the season has been mentioned for the 36-year-old, who also struggled after being acquired by the Mets at last year's trade deadline with a .413 OPS. Even if he sticks on the Opening Day roster, Ruf's opportunities are likely to be limited as a right-handed platoon and bench option.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Could begin season on IL
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Ruf's ongoing wrist issues and struggles at the plate this spring could lead to him beginning the season on the injured list, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
The veteran slugger was expected to fill a role as a right-handed platoon option at DH and bench bat, but he's gone 2-for-11 this spring with five strikeouts when he's been healthy enough to play at all. Giving the Mets extra incentive to place him on IL has been the performance of some prospects in camp, notably Mark Vientos, who is slashing .306/.324/.556 with two homers and three doubles in 37 plate appearances this spring, albeit with a 1:14 BB:K. Vientos would also offer a little more defensive versatility off the bench than Ruf if he winds up on the Opening Day roster.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Back in action this week
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Ruf (wrist) is starting at first base and batting cleanup for the Mets on Friday in their Grapefruit League contest versus the Cardinals, Michael Mayer of Metzmerized reports.
Ruf made his spring debut Tuesday after recovering from a right wrist issue which plagued him early on in camp. The 36-year-old will see action against left-handed pitching for the Mets this season, primarily at DH.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Limited to cage work
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Ruf (wrist) took batting practice in an indoor cage over the weekend and is expected to move up to live batting practice in the next couple days, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
The 36-year-old slugger got a cortisone shot in his right wrist last week after reporting some soreness as he was ramping up his activity level. Ruf is expected to be fully healthy by Opening Day, but he'll likely be limited to a platoon role this year, getting some starts at DH and being used as a pinch hitter against left-handed pitching.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Sidelined with sore wrist
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Mets manager Buck Showalter said Tuesday that Ruf (wrist) will be limited over the next 2-3 days, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.
Ruf has been fighting through some right wrist soreness in Mets camp and received an injection to hopefully aid the healing process. The expectation is that he will be able to resume hitting before the end of the week. It wouldn't seem that his readiness for Opening Day is at all in question at the moment.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Back for wild-card round
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Ruf (neck) was activated from the 10-day injured list Friday and is on the roster for the Mets' NL Wild Card Series against the Padres, Deesha Thosar of Fox Sports reports.
Ruf spent the final and a half of the season on the shelf with a neck strain, but he's back with the team for the start of the playoffs. The 36-year-old had a .152/.216/.197 slash line in 29 games for the Mets and will provide depth at first base and the corner outfield.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Could return this weekend
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Manager Buck Showalter said Wednesday that Ruf (neck) will be an option for this weekend's NL Wild Card Series against the Padres, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
Ruf has been sidelined for the last week due to a neck strain, but he's eligible to be reinstated from the injured list ahead of Friday's series opener against San Diego. Whether he's added to the Mets' postseason roster remains to be seen, but it's at least encouraging that the 36-year-old will be in the mix to return.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Lands on 10-day IL
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Ruf was placed on the 10-day injured list with a neck strain Friday, retroactive to Sept. 27.
Ruf has had limited playing time over the last few weeks, but he's apparently been dealing with a neck injury that has kept him off the field recently. Although the move was backdated, the 36-year-old will be forced to miss the rest of the regular season. It's not yet clear whether he'll be healthy in time for the postseason.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Draws start versus lefty
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Ruf will serve as the Mets' designated hitter and No. 5 batter in Wednesday's game against the Dodgers.
The Dodgers are bringing a lefty (Tyler Anderson) from the second straight day, so the righty-hitting Ruf will pick up another start at the expense of platoon mate Daniel Vogelbach. Since being acquired from the Giants on Aug. 2, Ruf has hit .206 with zero home runs, three doubles, six RBI and five runs in 15 games.
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Mets' Darin Ruf: Sent to Mets on Tuesday
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The Mets acquired Ruf from the Giants on Tuesday in exchange for designated hitter J.D. Davis and minor-league pitchers Thomas Szapucki, Carson Seymour and Nick Zwack, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports.
Ruf is expected to provide an upgrade over Davis as the right-handed-hitting option in a platoon at DH with the lefty-hitting Daniel Vogelbach or Dominic Smith (ankle). The 36-year-old Ruf owns an .886 OPS versus southpaws on the season.
