Rooker looked visibly uncomfortable after a first-inning swing. The Athletics later updated that Rooker is suffering from right flank discomfort. The Athletics replaced him with Lawrence Butler. We’ll see what comes of this, but Rooker could miss real time.

No next step for Rodón has been determined yet, but it’s good news that he made it through a bullpen session. Rodón’s hamstring injury is an additional deterrent to his return from bone spurs in his elbow, but it shouldn’t be long before he begins a rehab assignment.

It’s the rookie’s first day off of the season, and it’s just a routine off day. Javier Baez will play shortstop and bat seventh with Colt Keith at first base and Gleyber Torres at DH. McGonigle is off to a strong start to his MLB career, hitting .292/.370/.438 with a 7/6 K/BB ratio in 12 games.

The Miami native capped off another impressive showing in his hometown by taking Marlins starter Eury Pérez deep in the fifth inning for his third round-tripper of the young season. He also picked up his third theft of the year in this one. The talented 22-year-old rookie sensation is off to a phenomenal start, hitting .366 (15-for-41) with three homers, eight RBI and three steals through 12 games. He looks like a potential franchise cornerstone for Cincinnati to build around for years to come and is making a significant all-around fantasy impact already.

Wheeler’s fastball velocity was down for the second consecutive outing, averaging just 92.9 mph after sitting near 96 mph last year. The bigger concern is his inability to sustain velocity, as he dropped from nearly 94 mph in the opening frame to barely 92 mph by the fourth inning in his latest rehab start. He threw 61 pitches (44 strikes) in his third rehab tune-up. The 35-year-old former ace can still be an effective fantasy contributor at reduced velocity, but his chances of reclaiming ace status appear slim if that extra gear doesn’t return. All indications are that he’ll rejoin Philadelphia’s rotation for his season debut at some point in the near future.

There is absolutely no stopping Walker right now. He launched a hanging slider from Brad Lord over the center field fence to push his home run total up to six on the season. That’s tied for the league-lead as of Wednesday afternoon and is just one shy of the six he hit in 111 games all of last season. This is far and away the most sustained power he’s ever had. On top of that, his swing decisions have trended way up and there seems to be a meaningful adjustment to his bat path that’s finally allowed him to lift that ball. Remember, he’s still only just 23 years old. It’s wheels up for Walker.

The procedure, performed by Dr. Keith Meister, will sideline Eflin until at least the early stages of the 2027 season. The 32-year-old veteran suffered the injury during his season debut last week, and it marks the first reconstructive surgery of his career. His absence is a significant hit to Baltimore’s rotation depth and likely means that one of Dean Kremer, Cade Povich or Brandon Young will have to step into a more prominent role this season.

The five-game ban, which was reduced from seven originally, goes into effect immediately. The 32-year-old righty won’t be eligible to start again until next week’s series against the Marlins after being involved in a wild on-field brawl with former teammate Jorge Soler where the two traded punches before being separated during the fifth inning of Tuesday’s game in Los Angeles.

It sounds like the Marlins are going to give Stowers a look at first base during his upcoming minor league rehab assignment. It’s an interesting solution to Miami’s outfield glut since they have a hole at the cold corner with Christopher Morel (oblique) on the shelf for a couple weeks. Stowers has been out since the late stages of spring training recovering from a right hamstring strain. The 28-year-old put together a breakout campaign in his full-season Miami debut last year, slashing 288/.386/.544 with 25 homers in 117 games.

Ragans didn’t look right after taking a comebacker from José Ramírez off his pitching hand during the first inning of Wednesday’s start at Progressive Field. He was lifted after throwing just 18 pitches and facing five batters. The 28-year-old fantasy ace presumably underwent X-rays since the Royals announced that he left the contest with a contusion. There should be much-needed clarity on his status once he attempts to throw a bullpen session in a couple of days, though he told reporters afterward that he expects to make his next start. Despite that optimism, Ragans remains in clear jeopardy of missing his scheduled outing against the Tigers on Tuesday.