MLB Player News

Mortensen has pitched six innings or more in each of his five starts this season, putting up goose eggs in three of those. The 26-year-old isn’t striking out a ton of hitters (no punchouts in his last outing), but he’s also not allowing big hits. In 31 innings, the right-hander still hasn’t allowed a home run this year. Overall, opponents are hitting .191 against Mortensen in 120 plate appearances.

Young was solid in his start on Monday, throwing five shutout innings in a win over the White Sox. The Orioles may now insert Cade Povich into the rotation to take Zach Eflin’s place, but Brandon Young may actually be the better option of the two and should get another chance soon.

It’s a routine day off for Murakami, but it probably doesn’t hurt that the Orioles are pitching left-hander Trevor Rogers. Murakami has gone 1-for-6 with four strikeouts in eight plate appearances against lefties this season, so that could be something to watch as the season goes on. The 26-year-old has plenty of power, but is also hitting .206 with a 31 percent strikeout rate so far this season. Lenyn Sosa will start at first base and bat second with Miguel Vargas shifting to DH, and Tanner Murray entering the lineup at third base and batting sixth.

Baldwin was diagnosed with a sprained right elbow near the end of spring training after battling elbow inflammation. He then opted to undergo surgery on April 1st and is expected to make a full recovery for spring training in 2027. In the meantime, Luisangel Acuña and Tristan Peters will continue to get regular at-bats in the outfield, with Sam Antonacci waiting in the wings in the minors.

Brito was called up earlier in the morning with Gabriel Arias (hamstring) landing on the IL, and he will be right into the starting lineup. He flashed 20-home run power in the minors, but that doesn’t feel sustainable at the MLB level, so he can be avoided in fantasy leagues for now.

With Orion Kerkering (hamstring) set to come off the injured list today, the Phillies sent Backhus down to Triple-A to make room. The 28-year-old left-hander has allowed three runs on four hits in three innings with a 4/1 K/BB ratio.

With Austin Hays landing on the IL with a hamstring strain, the White Sox needed another outfielder. Many people may have been hoping for Sam Antonacci to get the call, but the White Sox are going to give him more time in the minors. That also likely indicates that the White Sox are not looking to fill a starting role with this call-up. Harris stole 33 bases in the minors for the Rangers last year, so he will likely be a pinch runner and part-time player while Hays is out, with Andrew Benintendi moving out to left field and Lenyn Sosa getting more of a chance for regular DH at-bats.

Hays exited Monday’s game when he was trying to chase down a bloop single in the outfield. He’ll now land on the IL for a few weeks. The 30-year-old was slashing .219/.242/.344 in nine games with a 12/1 K/BB ratio.

Raquet was designated for assignment on Sunday, but the Orioles swung a deal to add him to their 40-man roster. With Albert Suarez being added to the MLB bullpen and Brandon Young getting a shot in the rotation, the Orioles could use a bit more pitching depth. There’s a chance that Raquet could be called up to fill a long relief role, which would allow the Orioles to send Cade Povich back to Triple-A, where he can remain stretched out as a starting pitcher.

Smith was a 13th-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Oklahoma State. He hit .200/.343/.327 with three steals in 16 games last season in his professional debut. He has experience in the outfield as well.

There is still no set timeline on Eflin’s return from right elbow discomfort, and he’s getting a second opinion this week. This move means the earliest he could return is at the beginning of June.