MLB Player News

Braun made the announcement via the Brewers’ social media accounts. The 37-year-old didn’t play this season and was said in March to be “strongly leaning” toward retirement, but this makes it official. Braun, a six-time All-Star, finishes his 14-year career with a .296 career batting average to go along with 1,963 hits, 352 home runs, and 1,154 RBI. He won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2007 before securing the NL MVP Award in 2011. His legacy is a bit clouded by PED usage and injuries hampered the later part of his career, but there’s no doubt that he’s one of the best players to ever appear in a Brewers uniform. He’ll walk away as the franchise’s all-time leader in home runs and runs scored.

It’s unclear if the Jays will add any fresh arms beforehand. They had to give 5 1/3 innings with the pen in today’s 10-inning loss. They did recently recall Lazaro Estrada, who could probably pitch up three innings if he’s not knocked around.

Anthony Kay will work behind him. When White Sox GM Chris Getz said in December that Taylor would remain in the pen, he said it’d be as a multi-inning reliever. In February, Taylor himself said he saw himself throwing 100 innings this year. However, since the games started six weeks ago, it’s been clear none of that is happening. Taylor has gotten more than three outs just once in 11 appearances, pitching 1 2/3 innings on March 10. He’s gone one inning in three straight outings to start the regular season and presumably will do that again on Saturday. If he continues to open regularly, he’ll be particularly useless in fantasy leagues, since both wins and saves will be off the board.

Even though the fracture wasn’t big enough to show up on X-rays, Lawlar is out 6-8 weeks as a result of Thursday’s HBP. The Diamondbacks have Tim Tawa starting in left field tonight. Jorge Barrosa will also see time there until Lourdes Gurriel Jr. is deemed ready to play the field as he makes his way back from a torn ACL.

Del Castillo, who missed the entire spring with a strained calf, is back with the Diamondbacks after going 0-for-8 in two minor league games. The team surely would have preferred to get him more at-bats before needing to use him here, but after already calling on Jose Fernandez, they don’t have any minor league position players on their 40-man roster. Del Castillo will probably do some DHing against lefties and then get sent down when either Pavin Smith or Lourdes Gurriel Jr. returns.

Before being non-tendered and re-signed to a minor league deal over the winter, Rashi pitched 16 1/3 innings for the Diamondbacks last year as a 29-year-old rookie, amassing a 4.41 ERA. He’ll rejoin the bullpen.

Ross quickly loses his spot after giving up eight runs in 3 2/3 innings to begin the year. His velocity has been better than usual and he’s not making much more than minimum, so perhaps someone else will give him a look in middle relief.

Chad Patrick and Luinder Avila, filling in for an ill Michael Wacha, were supposed to start tonight’s game. They’ll now pitch the first game on Saturday, with previously scheduled starters Brandon Sproat and Seth Lugo to work in game two.

Trailing 4-3, the White Sox were down to their last out when Hill attempted the surprise bunt with automatic runner Miguel Vargas on third in the 10th. Tyler Heineman pounced on it when it might have gone foul down the third base line and then threw the ball into right field, allowing Vargas to score and putting Hill on second. Hill didn’t get an RBI on the play, since Vargas couldn’t initially try to score because of where the bunt was placed. Tristan Peters then singled in Hill to win the game. Hill had previously entered the game as a pinch-runner and was getting his first at-bat in the 10th. He’s yet to start a game this season and is 1-for-3 off the bench.

Burke began the second after Grant Taylor’s perfect first and eventually departed with the White Sox up 3-1 after seven. Alas, he was denied a win after Jordan Leasure gave up a two-run homer to Andrés Giménez in the eighth. If the White Sox want to keep using openers in front of Burke, it would make him a more attractive AL-only option. He’s due to face the Orioles next on Wednesday.

Domínguez entered a tie game with two outs and Daulton Varsho on second in the ninth and struck out Kazuma Okamoto to end the threat. He would have stranded the automatic runner in the 10th, but on a two-out grounder to third, Miguel Vargas was a little off on his throw to first and Munetaka Murakami came off the bag on his stretch, resulting on an error on Vargas (though Murakami was at least a much at fault). That led to a doubly unearned run, since the automatic runner can’t be an earned run anyway. Domínguez then retired Jesús Sánchez and got the win after the White Sox scored twice in the bottom of the inning.