MLB Player News

Sosa, who filled in for an injured Trea Turner (back) in a pair of weekend contests against the Nationals, was one of the few bright spots in this one as Nationals starter Mitchell Parker and a quartet of relievers held the Phillies to just one run on eight hits. The 29-year-old utility infielder has posted four hits in eight at-bats to open the season and should continue to play regularly against lefties.

Steele continues to make gradual progress in his recovery from last season’s Tommy John surgery. He’s nearly a calendar year removed from the procedure at this juncture and should be ready for a minor league rehab assignment at some point later this month. He’s on track to return to Chicago’s rotation at some point in May or June, barring any setbacks.

There are some technical hurdles the Orioles will need to navigate in the coming days, but it seems logical that Povich will be an option to start Monday’s series opener against the White Sox in place of an injured Zach Eflin (elbow). The assumption was that Dean Kremer would get the call, but it sounds like Povich is going to get the first shot here.

Peralta will head to Triple-A as organizational relief depth for Colorado after being removed from Milwaukee’s 40-man roster earlier this week to make room for Luis Matos. The 27-year-old lefty has posted a serviceable 5.12 ERA across 45 2/3 innings in the big leagues since 2023.

Brown hit the shelf with shoulder inflammation at the end of spring training. The 25-year-old posted an underwhelming 7.36 ERA across seven starts for the Rockies last year. He’ll be out until at least late May.

Griffin went 1-for-4 with an 106-mph RBI double to left-center field on Friday during one of the most highly anticipated major-league debuts in years. The Pirates don’t want to put too much pressure on him as he acclimates to everyday life in the big leagues as a teenager, but it feels like only a matter of time before he’s hitting near the top of the lineup. There will be some ebbs and flows production-wise, but Griffin projects as an extremely impactful all-around fantasy contributor during his rookie campaign.

Basallo continues rotating between catcher and DH for the Orioles as he takes a seat following three consecutive starts between both spots. The 21-year-old prodigy hasn’t torn the cover off the ball yet at the highest level, but it tends to take longer for catchers to hit their stride at the highest level since they have so many additional responsibilities to focus on besides hitting.

It’s notable that O’Neill has started just half of Baltimore’s eight games on the young season and he’s been out of the lineup for three straight. It’ll be Dylan Beavers and Colton Cowser continuing to get opportunities to play regularly with reclamation project Leody Taveras getting some unexpected run in center field at the moment.

Smith draws his first off day after starting eight consecutive contests in right field. The 23-year-old former top prospect is hitting .222 (6-for-27) with one homer and two steals this season. The fact that he’s posted a near-elite 74.4 mph bat speed so far is an encouraging sign for his future, even if he’s not making a ton of loud contact right now. It’ll be Joey Loperfido taking over in right field in his place.

It’s undoubtedly a positive development that Casas has been cleared to resume swinging after being shut down earlier this week with rib soreness. The 26-year-old first baseman remains without a firm return timeline as he continues working his way back from last year’s serious knee injury.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Crawford will head out on a minor league rehab assignment after his next throwing session and figures to be an option for Boston’s pitching staff as either a traditional starter or long reliever by early May. The 30-year-old hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since the 2024 season after missing all of last year due to knee and wrist issues.