NEW YORK — The Major League Baseball Players Association asked management Tuesday to voluntarily accept the union as the bargaining agent for minor leaguers.
Bruce Meyer, the union’s deputy executive director, sent a letter to MLB Deputy Commissioner Dan Halem that claimed a majority of minor leaguers had signed authorization cards.
The MLBPA, which reached its first collective bargaining agreement for major leaguers in 1968, launched the minor league unionization drive on Aug. 28.
Players with minor league contracts, who earn as little as $400 weekly during the six-month season, would become their own bargaining unit within the MLBPA.
If MLB does not voluntarily accept the union, signed cards from 30% of the 5,000 to 6,5000 minor leaguers in the bargaining unit would allow the union to file a petition to the National Labor Relations Board asking for a union authorization election. A majority vote in an election would authorize union representation.
“Minor league players have made it unmistakably clear they want the MLBPA to represent them and are ready to begin collective bargaining in order to positively affect the upcoming season,” MLBPA executive director Tony Clark said in a statement.
The union did not say what percentage of minor leaguers had signed authorization cards.
MLB did not immediately comment on the letter.
Players with major league contracts average more than $4 million and have a $700,000 minimum salary while in the big leagues. Their minimum is $57,200 while on option to the minor leagues, with a first major league contract and $114,100 if a second or later big league contract.
MLB raised weekly minimum salaries for minor leaguers in 2021 to $400 at rookie and short-season levels, $500 at Class A, $600 at Double-A and $700 at Triple-A. For players on option, the minimum is $57,200 per season for a first big league contract and $114,100 for later big league contracts.
In addition, MLB this year began requiring teams to provide housing for most minor leaguers.
Major League Baseball and lawyers for minor leaguers agreed this year to a $185 million settlement of an eight-year-old federal lawsuit alleging violations of minimum wage laws, a deal that may be finalized next year. An early estimate is that perhaps 23,000 players could share roughly $120 million with an average payment of $5,000 to $5,500, and their lawyers will split $55.5 million.
RAYS: Shortstop Wander Franco took batting practice Tuesday for Triple-A Durham and is ready to play again in his minor league rehabilitation, according to Rays Manager Kevin Cash.
Franco went on the injured list July 10 with a right hamate bone injury that required surgery. He was lifted after two at-bats Monday in his second game after resuming his rehabilitation assignment.
Cash said Franco will be in Durham’s lineup on Wednesday. Right-hander Tyler Glasnow is scheduled to throw one inning for Durham Wednesday night in his first game since Tommy John surgery.
PADRES: Suspended shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. had surgery to repair the torn labrum in his left shoulder, the San Diego Padres said.
The surgery was performed in Los Angeles by Dr. Neal ElAttache, the team physician for the Dodgers and the NFL’s Rams. The surgery originally had been scheduled for last week but was postponed because Tatis had strep throat.
Recovery from the shoulder surgery is estimated at 4 to 6 months. His spring training could be delayed, but if all goes well, he should be full strength by the time he’s done serving an 80-game suspension for testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
YANKEES: First baseman Anthony Rizzo is headed to the 10-day injured list, the latest health-related setback for a banged-up team trying to hang onto first place in the AL East.
Rizzo is hampered by headaches the Yankees think are related to an epidural injection he received to alleviate lower back pain. He was expected to resume baseball activities Monday, then Wednesday, before the club decided Tuesday to place him on the IL. The roster move will be made Wednesday.
Ronald Guzman will be called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to help fill in at first base for Rizzo, who is batting .225 with 30 home runs, 71 RBI and an .832 OPS.
The 27-year-old Guzman is a .227 career hitter with 31 homers in 243 major league games with Texas from 2018-21. He smashed three home runs in a game at Yankee Stadium on Aug. 10, 2018.
The left-handed-hitting Guzman was batting .260 at Triple-A with 12 homers, 39 RBs and an .823 OPS.
Manager Aaron Boone said slugger Giancarlo Stanton (left foot) and infielder DJ LeMahieu (toe) were not going to play Tuesday if the game hadn’t been rained out.
Stanton fouled a ball off his foot in Monday’s 5-2 win over the Twins and later left the game. He was feeling better Tuesday, according to Boone, but the manager said neither Stanton nor LeMahieu is sure to play Wednesday.
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