MLB Player News

Oliva and Smith-Njigba are the lone members of the Pirates’ 40-man roster included in their latest batch of spring training cuts. Oliva has appeared in 26 games at the major-league level over the last two seasons, hitting .179/.220/.214 with three stolen bases in 59 plate appearances during that span.

Strider tried to maintain arm strength by throwing from a knee while nursing a hamstring injury, but he hasn’t pitched in a game in over three weeks, so it’s unclear how confident Atlanta is that he can pitch deep into games immediately. Atlanta has “17 games in 17 days,” and then has “only one day off in the next 13 days,” so they will need to “be cognizant of their bullpen situation and not overwork relievers.” If Atlanta doesn’t feel like Strider can give them six innings right away, they may choose to build up his pitch count during a rehab stint to ensure their bullpen isn’t taxed during the upcoming stretch.

Clarke is now hitting .284/.442/.407 with seven stolen bases in 25 games at Triple-A. Clarke also plays good defense in center field, which makes him a little bit more likely to push for a call-up than fellow outfield prospect Colby Thomas, who is hitting .300/.361/.547 with eight home runs in 36 games. Thomas is more of a corner outfielder, so Clarke could be more likely to push JJ Bleday in center field if the veteran doesn’t get hot soon.

The 6-foot-8, 26-year-old is now up to 10 home runs on the season with a .333 average and 1.058 OPS. It’s probably about time the Twins see what he can do against MLB pitching, even if it’s just in a short-side platoon role.

Beavers was the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft and has gotten lost in the shuffle among the Orioles’ top prospects despite being a .271 hitter in the minor leagues. Beavers struggled a bit in 2024, but he is off to a tremendous start this season, slashing .281/.381/.391 with three home runs and 15 steals in 35 games while playing solid defense in center field. As we’ve come to learn from many prospects in Baltimore’s system, there isn’t much room at the inn for Beavers, so it’s unclear when the Orioles would call him up.

Tovar also played the entire game at shortstop, which is a positive step in his return from a hip injury. When Tovar does return, Kyle Farmer will likely go back to playing mostly second base, which means Adael Amador could be sent back to the minors.

Whitcomb is now up to nine home runs and three steals on the season while slashing .259/.341/.531 in 38 games. He’s striking out a little bit more this season as he sells out for power, but Whitcomb can play second base, third base, and the corner outfield spots, which makes him an intriguing call-up prospect if the Astros feel the need to reshuffle the end of their bench.

Since being demoted, Burger is 9-for-23 (.391) with two home runs and six RBI in six games. If the Rangers wanted to give him a brief reset, then it seems to have happened. The Burger is ready to eat, and we’d expect he gets called back up this week.

Burrows threw 86 pitches in his 4 2/3 innings on Sunday, but he only walked two, so a lot of that had to do with the pitches needed to generate so many strikeouts. Burrows has been great in Triple-A this season, pitching to a 2.63 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 36:10 K:BB ratio in 27 1/3 innings. The Pirates called him up earlier in the season to pitch out of the bullpen, so it remains unclear what the plan is for Burrows this season, with fellow prospect Bubba Chandler also on the verge of a call-up.

The Yankees currently don’t have a fifth starter after designating Carlos Carrasco for assignment last week. However, the placement of their off days means they won’t need one for this week. When they do need a fifth starter, Winans could be the favorite to be called up to take the spot.

Lowe has battled an oblique injury and back spasms, which have delayed his return to the field. He’s currently spending most of his rehab games as the designated hitter, so he will likely need to play a full game in the field before returning to the Rays’ lineup. If that happens this week, he could be back in an MLB lineup by next week.