MLB Player News

Cueto drew the starting assignment for the nightcap of Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Mets and wound up serving up a pair of solo homers to Francisco Lindor. He notched four strikeouts and only issued one walk. He closes out the regular season with a bloated 6.02 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 39/15 K/BB ratio across 52 1/3 innings (13 appearances, 10 starts).

Dobbins will spend a couple weeks down in the minors building up his pitch count and stamina as he works his way back from last year’s surgery to repair a torn ACL in his knee. The 26-year-old hurler figures to be ready to make his Cardinals debut at some point in late April or early May, assuming there’s an open rotation spot at the highest level.

Massey hit the injured list with a left calf strain at the end of spring training. He’ll likely need only a handful of rehab games to get back up to speed before he’s ready to make his season debut.

He’ll undergo further evaluation and imaging to determine the severity of the injury. It’s an ominous injury designation after Ponce was carted off during his Blue Jays debut following an awkward attempt to field a grounder up the first-base line in the third inning of his first major-league appearance since 2021. The 31-year-old journeyman spent the previous four seasons overhauling his arsenal in Korea and Japan before returning stateside on a three-year, $30 million deal with Toronto. An extended absence would be a significant blow to an already injury-ravaged rotation that’s without Trey Yesavage (shoulder), Shane Bieber (elbow) and José Berríos (elbow). An update on his status should arrive in the coming days, but he’s in clear jeopardy of missing his next scheduled start against the White Sox on Sunday.

It’s the first update on Volpe’s status from Yankees manager Aaron Boone since he hit the injured list at the conclusion of spring training. The 24-year-old shortstop continues working his way back from offseason shoulder surgery and figures to be ready to make his season debut at some point in late April or early May following a rehab assignment.

Cole looked extremely sharp in a handful of abbreviated late-spring starts and will continue ramping up his throwing program in the coming weeks. The 35-year-old former fantasy ace figures to be cleared for a minor league rehab assignment at some point in April and seems to be on track to make his season debut by the end of May.

Rodón remains on track to return to New York’s rotation mix at some point in April after undergoing offseason surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. The 33-year-old southpaw will require a couple minor league rehab outings to build up his pitch count and stamina but he’s getting closer.

It’s potentially a brutal development for Toronto’s already injury-depleted rotation if Ponce is facing an extended absence. This one didn’t look good. The 31-year-old righty pulled up while running to field a ground ball up the first-base line and ultimately had to be carted off the field. He exited his first major-league appearance since 2021 after allowing one run over 2 1/3 innings. He struck out three and issued one walk. There should be a definitive update on his status following the contest.

Bibee completed a 26-pitch bullpen session over the weekend without any issues and has been cleared to take the ball against the two-time defending World Series champions in Los Angeles. It’s such a daunting matchup that fantasy managers were likely strongly considering alternatives to begin with this week. The positive news is that Bibee won’t require a trip to the injured list after exiting his season-opening start against the Mariners last week with shoulder inflammation.

“We spotted a few things and we’ll be able to get him back on track here for his next outing,” Espada told reporters on Monday. He also confirmed that Abreu isn’t dealing with any physical issues, which is an encouraging development. The 28-year-old high-leverage specialist, who is filling in for injured Astros closer Josh Hader (biceps), averaged just 93.2 mph on his fastball during Sunday’s outing against the Angels in a save situation after averaging 97.3 mph last year. He was ultimately pulled in favor of lefty Bryan King after issuing a pair of walks and recording only one out. It doesn’t sound like the Astros are overly concerned. King would be the clear stash for fantasy managers in the event that Abreu doesn’t turn things around.

Thomson was served an automatic ejection for arguing a first-inning call that was overturned by replay review. The Phillies were trailing 4-0 already when he was booted from the contest. It’s worth noting here because the challenge extended Joey Wiemer’s remarkable on-base streak to nine consecutive plate appearances.