MLB Player News

The Padres desperately need starting rotation help after losing Seth Lugo and Michael Wacha this winter, and all signs point to Blake Snell moving on as well. San Diego has also expressed interest in lower-tier free agents Michael Lorenzen, Eric Lauer, and Hyun Jin Ryu. Syndergaard threw a bullpen session in late January for interested teams and reportedly sat between 93-95 mph with his fastball. The right-hander is looking to have a bounce back season after posting a 6.50 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, and a 56/19 k/BB ratio over 88 2/3 innings with the Dodgers and Guardians.

The Rangers continue to monitor Seager’s workload as he ramps back up following a stint on the injured list, so expect to continue to see days off mixed in as necessary. Ezequiel Duran will start in his place at shortstop and will bat fifth for the Rangers on Friday evening against the Red Sox.

It appears to be nothing more than a routine night off for the 27-year-old outfielder. Tyler O’Neill will start in his place in right field and will bat eighth for the O’s against Griffin Canning and the Padres.

The 26-year-old backstop was pulled from Wednesday’s game due to left hip discomfort and sat out on Thursday as a precautionary measure. He’s back behind the dish and batting seventh for Friday evening’s battle against Sandy Alcantara and the Marlins.

The 30-year-old right-hander loses his spot on the Nationals’ 40-man roster after the club claimed Jhancarlos Lara off of waivers from the Braves on Friday. Fernández pitched well in three appearances for the Nationals this season, registering a 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 3/2 K/BB ratio over four innings. He could attract some interest on waivers.

The 38-year-old had requested his release. Pham was signed to a minor league deal on May 16 and hit .197/.286/.410 with four homers and 11 RBI in 70 plate appearances at Triple-A Norfolk. He’s now free to peddle his wares on the open market once again.

Ohtani was removed from Thursday’s game as a precautionary measure due to inflammation in his left knee. The Dodgers have opted to take a very cautious approach here with their two-way superstar and will give him at least an extra night off to rest. Santiago Espinal will fill in as the Dodgers’ designated hitter on Friday and will bat eighth against Anthony Kay and the White Sox.

The 23-year-old hurler was designated for assignment on Wednesday after posting an 8.22 ERA and 21/29 K/BB ratio over 15 1/3 innings at Double-A Mississippi. The Nationals see something they can work with though and will give him a 40-man roster spot for the time being.

The cycle continues. Carrasco has been designated for assignment three times by the Braves this season, and each time he has passed through waivers unclaimed and returned as extra depth in the minor leagues.

The 28-year-old backstop was claimed off of waivers from the Orioles back in May. He wound up playing in just five games at Triple-A Gwinnett, hitting .313 (5-for-16) with a pair of RBI. There’s always a need for catching depth around the league, so Handley shouldn’t be out of work for long.

Waldrep had been working with the Braves’ Rookie-level affiliate in the Florida Complex League. He’ll continue to work his way back at Triple-A with an eye toward returning to the Braves’ rotation before the All-Star break.