MLB Player News

Shultz has seen just 4 2/3 innings of major league work this season. He has allowed two runs on six hits in that space. The 30-year-old right-hander will serve as bullpen depth, but likely won’t see any pressure situations during this cup of coffee.

The 33-year-old infielder plays nearly everyday for the Red Sox, so he has certainly earned a day off. He’s off to a very slow start offensively this season, slashing an underwhelming .206/.244/.302 with just two homers, 17 RBI and two stolen bases. Andruw Monasterio will start in his place at shortstop on Sunday and will bat fifth against Cody Bolton and the Astros.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine day off for the switch-hitting slugger. Bell hasn’t quite delivered the punch that the Twins were hoping for in the middle of their lineup this season, hitting a meager .226/.313/.348 with three homers and 17 RBI. Kody Clemens will start in his place at first base and will bat sixth against Jays’ right-hander Trey Yesavage.

Melton is working his way back from a right elbow strain that he suffered during the spring. They’ll continue to ramp him up cautiously with the expectation that he could be ready to go by the end of May. Depending on the Tigers’ needs at the time, he may be better suited in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen initially rather than working out of the rotation.

He suffered the injury when he jammed his thumb on first base while sliding headfirst. It’s a tough break for the Mets and for Mauricio, who finally had an opportunity to run with a full-time gig while Francisco Lindor (calf) is shelved. Bo Bichette slid over to cover shortstop after Mauricio was removed on Saturday with Brett Baty covering third base and that may be the Mets’ best path until Lindor is ready to return.

Randy Vasquez, who had been scheduled to start on Sunday, will get pushed back to Monday. That also means that Matt Waldron will get bumped from the Padres’ rotation entirely. Canning, 29, has been working his way back from last year’s Achilles injury. He posted a 3.60 ERA, 1.67 WHIP and an 18/12 K/BB ratio over 15 innings in five minor league rehab starts at Triple-A El Paso.

Lugo allowed seven hits, walked two and struck out six in the no-decision. The Royals went on to win in 10 after automatic runner Michael Massey stole third and scored on Maikel Garcia’s sac fly. Lugo’s ERA increased ever so slightly to 2.68, but it was his fifth quality start in seven tries. He’s slated to face the Guardians in the finale of a four-game series on Thursday.

Erceg was able to strand the automatic runner with a one-run lead and pick up his ninth save of the year. He hasn’t been quite as strong this season as he was in 2025 or 2024, but he’s still making a nice case to retain the closer’s role following Carlos Estévez’s return.

Just a bit of a step forward for Hancock. His previous career high for strikeouts was nine, and he’d never topped seven prior to this season. He didn’t overwhelm with his 31 percent CSW tonight, but the Royals couldn’t string hits together while combining for eight total bases in seven innings. Hancock’s 2.59 ERA is going to force the Mariners to make a tough decision when Bryce Miller is activated. It seems clear now that Hancock would be the better choice than Luis Castillo for the fifth spot in their rotation. Hancock is slated to face the White Sox next.

Muñoz entered with a one-run lead in the ninth and gave up a run after an odd misplay from Julio Rodríguez in center. Everything was fine aside from that, so there’s no cause for concern here. The Mariners, though, did lose in 10 after they failed to score the automatic runner.

That Jonathan India is out for the year has opened up the possibility that Massey could wind up with another lousy 500 plate appearances this season. Or the Royals could try something different, assuming that they’re not being blackmailed. Massey has 1,351 major league plate appearances under his belt with a .241/.281/.382 career line. We’re not entirely certain that Nick Loftin would be an upgrade, but giving him a real shot wouldn’t seem to be a bad idea.