MLB News

Bryson Stott went 3-for-5 with a double, three RBI and a walk Saturday against the Marlins.

Stott’s hot start has made him the Phillies’ leadoff man against righties, but Statcast thinks it’s a mirage; he came into today with a .270 average and a .397 slugging but also a .198 xBA and a .292 xSLG fueled by a paltry 19% hard-hit rate. He continued to defy his exit velocities today, collecting his three hits on balls that left his bat at 97.5, 86.7 and 81.9 mph. He definitely offers some extra fantasy value while he hits leadoff, but it might not be something that lasts.

Liam Hicks went 4-for-5 with a homer and four RBI against the Phillies on Saturday.

Hicks’ homer, the first of his big-league career, was a two-run shot off Jordan Romano in the ninth, but that still left the Phillies with an 11-10 lead that they’d finish the game with. It’s easily the best offensive game to date for the Marlins’ Rule 5 catcher, who entered the day with a .179/.283/.231 line. Alas, he was 0-for-5 throwing out basestealers, something the Marlins are having big problems with this season. It can’t be all about Hicks, but the Marlins are 2-10 when he starts this season and 6-2 the rest of the time.

Dane Myers went 2-for-3 with a three-run homer off the bench against the Phillies on Saturday.

Myers pinch-hit for Kyle Stowers in the sixth and singled then. He later hit a three-run homer off Jordan Romano in the ninth. Myers, batting .324/.342/.459 in 38 plate appearances, is still only playing against left-handers right now, even though Derek Hill went on the injured list Thursday. That should change if Griffin Conine joins Hill on the injured list after hurting his shoulder today.

Lance McCullers Jr. (elbow) was scratched from his rehab start Saturday for Double-A Corpus Christi due to illness.

The bad news is that McCullers wasn’t able to take the bump. The good news it’s not arm-related, so this shouldn’t be too much of a setback. Expect McCullers to get back on the mound in the coming days.

Taijuan Walker was lifted after four innings of one-run ball against the Marlins on Saturday.

We’re guessing some sort of ailment was involved here, but the Phillies didn’t say anything about it during the game. Walker had walked three batters, but he was at just 56 pitches when he was replaced by Matt Strahm.

Simeon Woods Richardson will work in relief during Saturday’s game against Atlanta.

Woods Richardson was scratched from the start Saturday, but he’ll still have a chance to work multiple innings and be the pitcher of record. The Atlanta lineup has scuffled, so those who are hunting wins could do worse than keeping Woods Richardson in their lineup.

Pirates recalled RHP David Bednar from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Tobias Myers (oblique) told reporters that he’s expecting to rejoin the Brewers for his next start.

It’ll likely take place against the Giants next week. The 26-year-old said he “recovered well” from his rehab start Friday for Triple-A Nashville, and assuming no setbacks, the right-hander should be back with the Milwaukee rotation. He’s worthy of roster consideration after having a solid rookie campaign in 2024.

Pirates optioned LHP Tim Mayza to Triple-A Indianapolis.

Pirates recalled RHP David Bednar from Triple-A Indianapolis.

Bednar returns to the majors following an early-season demotion after reeling off five scoreless innings with seven strikeouts over five appearances for Triple-A Indianapolis. The 30-year-old former closer figures to be in the mix for high-leverage work right away, but it’s unclear whether the club will immediately thrust him back into save situations. It’s been journeyman Dennis Santana handling the closing duties of late. Given his track record, Bednar is worthy of a speculative pickup for fantasy managers chasing saves.

Pirates placed LHP Tim Mayza on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain.

Mayza heads to the injured list with former closer David Bednar to return to the big leagues. He’s posted a solid 2.89 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 8/1 K/BB ratio across 9 1/3 innings (seven appearances). He should be back in a couple weeks.

Griffin Conine was removed from Saturday’s game against the Phillies with a left shoulder injury.

Conine was 1-for-3 with a double and a pair of RBI before leaving the contest in the sixth inning. The 27-year-old will presumably undergo further evaluation and severity to determine the extent of the damage. There should be an additional update on his status at some point this weekend.

Spencer Torkelson crushed a three-run homer on Saturday, leading the Tigers to a 3-1 victory over the Royals.

Torkelson’s fifth-inning bomb against Royals starter Seth Lugo — his seventh round-tripper of the season — supplied enough offense for Tigers starter Casey Mize and a pair of relievers in this one. The 25-year-old former top-overall pick from the 2020 MLB Draft is the first Tigers hitter to launch seven homers in the club’s first 21 games of the season since Miguel Cabrera back in 2012, according to the club. It’s easy to forget given last year’s abysmal campaign that he put together a 31-homer breakthrough campaign back in 2023. His plate skills and swing decisions have appeared vastly improved this season, which is helping fuel his early-season success. He’s an extremely challenging hitter to forecast, but Torkelson appears to be evolving into a legitimate middle-of-the-order force.

Will Vest tossed a scoreless ninth inning on Saturday against the Royals, preserving a two-run lead for his first save of the season.

Vest got the call with stopper Tommy Kahnle unavailable after throwing 28 pitches the previous two nights to record a pair of saves. He made things interesting by issuing a two-out walk to Drew Waters before giving up a single to Freddy Fermin, but managed to coax a game-ending pop up from Kyle Isbel to preserve the victory.

Casey Mize yielded one run over seven innings on Saturday in a win over the Royals.

Mize looked extremely impressive in this outing, completing seven frames for the first time since the 2021 season when he accomplished the feat on four occasions. The 27-year-old struck out three and only issued one walk. A seventh-inning solo blast from Royals backstop Freddy Fermin represented the only damage against him in this one. He’ll carry a sparkling 2.22 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 18/7 K/BB ratio across 24 1/3 innings (four starts) into another home outing on Friday against the Orioles at Comerica Park.

Christian Walker has been dropped to the fifth spot in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Padres.

Walker has been bumped from the cleanup spot for the first time this season after a brutal 19-game start where he’s batted .159 (11-for-69) with one homer and two RBI. He’s struck out a staggering 29 percent of the time in 79 plate appearances during that span. It’s too small of a sample size to draw any firm conclusions, but the Astros are going to make an effort to help him turn things around.

Simeon Woods Richardson has been scratched from Saturday’s start against the Braves.

No word yet on the reason for the change. It’ll be Justin Topa taking the ball for a bullpen game instead. It’s unclear whether Woods Richardson is dealing with an injury-related issue (or illness). It’s possible he’s fine physically and will make a bulk relief appearance. The 24-year-old righty has compiled a respectable 4.30 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 16/5 K/BB ratio across 14 2/3 innings (three starts) to open the season. There should be an update on his status shortly.

Justin Steele underwent successful left elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) revision surgery on Friday.

It’s a less invasive procedure than a full Tommy John reconstructive surgery, which would’ve resulted in a longer recovery timeline, but Steele will still miss the remainder of the 2025 campaign. The positive news for fantasy managers is that the 29-year-old fantasy stalwart has a chance to return in the early stages of next season.

Astros activated RHP Forrest Whitley from the 15-day injured list.

Whitley is a long ways removed from being one of the most exciting pitching prospects in baseball, but he’s still in a position to help Houston’s injury-depleted pitching mix. The 27-year-old missed the first three-plus weeks of the season recovering from a left knee issue. He’ll be available out of the bullpen for Saturday’s battle against the Padres out in San Diego.

Astros optioned RHP Nick Hernandez to Triple-A Sugar Land.

Hernandez heads back to the minors to clear space with former top prospect Forrest Whitley coming off the injured list. The 30-year-old righty didn’t make an appearance for the Astros after being called up earlier this week.

Dodgers activated RHP Evan Phillips from the 15-day injured list.

Phillips returns as a high-leverage option for the Dodgers ahead of Saturday’s game against the Rangers with Blake Treinen (forearm) heading to the injured list. The 30-year-old former closer opened the year on the shelf working his way back from a rotator cuff strain that he suffered last postseason.

Dodgers placed RHP Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list with right forearm tightness.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts made it official on Saturday afternoon, adding that Treinen will undergo an MRI this weekend to determine the severity of the issue. Roberts added that he’s not too concerned. There should be some clarity on his status in the coming days.

Blake Snell (shoulder) threw a bullpen session on Saturday.

Snell told reporters afterwards that he’ll require at least another bullpen session and simulated game before he’s potentially ready to return from the injured list. The 32-year-old southpaw is making steady progress in his recovery from shoulder inflammation and figures to rejoin the Dodgers’ rotation in early May.

The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports Blake Treinen is headed to the injured list with forearm tightness.

Treinen hasn’t pitched since April 13 with Tanner Scott handling three straight save opportunities during that span. The 36-year-old veteran high-leverage reliever has dealt with shoulder issues the past few years and it’s never encouraging to hear about forearm issues, which are often a precursor to serious elbow problems.

Luke Keaschall is at second base and batting second on Saturday against the Braves.

Keaschall will make his first appearance in the field after going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base at DH on Friday in his major-league debut. The 22-year-old second baseman was Rotoworld’s 32nd-ranked dynasty prospect entering the year and has done nothing but hit throughout every stop of his professional career. He hasn’t shown any signs of rust with the bat since returning from last August’s Tommy John procedure. The above-average hit tool and power/speed combo upside make him an appealing fantasy option, even in shallow mixed leagues.

Willi Castro (oblique) remains out of the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Braves.

There’s zero incentive for the Twins to rush Castro back too quickly and risk a setback. The versatile infielder will sit out his second consecutive contest on Saturday night due to a right oblique issue. It’ll be Jonah Bride making his first appearance at the hot corner.

Tommy Edman is leading off on Saturday against the Rangers.

Edman will continue leading off for the Dodgers over the remainder of the weekend while superstar Shohei Ohtani is away from the club on paternity leave. The versatile 29-year-old went 3-for-4 with his National League-leading seven home run of the season during Friday’s series opener as his early-season power surge continues.

Jazz Chisholm Jr. is in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Rays.

Chisholm remains in New York’s lineup for the second straight game while he awaits an appeal for the one-game suspension he was handed on Friday evening for violating the league’s social media policy. There figures to be a resolution on the matter at some point this weekend. We’ll have updates on the developing situation as it continues to unfold.

Austin Wells (illness) is back in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Rays.

Wells is back handling the catching duties and batting third for Saturday’s showdown against the Rays after missing two straight games due to food poisoning.

Rockies recalled INF Aaron Schunk from Triple-A Albuquerque.

Schunk gets the call back to the big leagues with Ezequiel Tovar landing on the injured list with a left hip bruise. The 27-year-old got into 39 games last year for the Rockies.