MLB Player News

Smith-Njigba has been designated for assignment by the Pirates before and ultimately returned to the organization. He’s interesting enough where he could very well be on the move again.

The 31-year-old allowed one hit, one walk, and hit a batter while striking out one. It wasn’t a flawless outing, but Phillips has now thrown 2 2/3 scoreless innings at Triple-A while walking three, striking out three, and allowing two hits. He will need a couple more appearances as he continues to shake the rust off in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Fitzgerald burst onto the fantasy radar in 2024 when he hit 15 home runs and stole 17 bases while hitting .280/.334/.497 for the Giants. He has not been able to create that magic since and was hitting .237/.336/.465 with six HRs and 22 RBI in 24 games in Triple-A this season. He will try to land a minor league deal with another team.

Pintaro pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his two appearances with the Mets, striking out three. He was sent to the minors on May 26th but is now back up to give them a fresh arm in the bullpen.

Gerber has allowed just one run on five hits in five innings this season while striking out six and walking one. However, he just threw two innings on Tuesday, so the Mets will send him down to get a fresh arm up in the bullpen. We’ll see him again this summer.

Lara was in Double-A for the Braves, pitching to an 8.22 ERA in 15 1/3 innings. He did have 21 strikeouts but also 29 walks, which is a continuing of command issues that have plagued his career.

With Ronald Acuna Jr. (hamstring) landing on the IL, Tellez will come up to take his place on the active roster. The 31-year-old is slashing .259/.367/.483 in 49 games at Triple-A with eight home runs, 33 RBI, and three steals. Unless the Braves decide to play Dominic Smith in the field, it’s hard to see Tellez getting too many at-bats.

Yesterday, Braves manager Walt Weiss said Acuña Jr. was day-to-day and that they didn’t think the injury was as severe as the previous hamstring injury that kept him out for 17 days in May. However, an MRI today must have told a different story. Acuña Jr. will miss at least the next 10 days and potentially more, since the Braves have a comfortable lead in the NL East and will want to make sure their star player is healthy. Soft tissue injuries tend to recur, and Acuña Jr. has also had two knee surgeries, so even though he has 15 steals already this season, there is a chance that the collection of lower-body injuries may keep him from reaching the heights we saw in 2023. Eli White should see regular starts in the outfield while Acuña Jr. is sidelined.

Beck had a 7.88 ERA in eight innings across six appearances for the Giants this season. He will continue to provide relief depth during the season.

Sanmartin got hurt during spring training while covering first base. He posted a 2.67 ERA in 67 1/3 innings for Triple-A Louisville in the Reds’ organization last season and could be a solid addition to the Giants’ bullpen.

Brennan had been sent to Triple-A at the end of May but will now be subject to waivers. If no team claims him, he could sign a minor league deal to return to San Francisco.