MLB Player News

Vines could be used for multiple innings on Monday after starter Grant Holmes or he could also help out in a bulk role after Tuesday’s starter, who is still undecided. Vines has struggled with a 5.14 ERA in 77 innings over 14 starts in Triple-A, so he remains off the fantasy radar. The Braves optioned LHP Jimmy Herget to the minors in a corresponding move.

Bender came in with two runners on and one out, and the inherited runners from an otherwise-brilliant Sandy Alcantara both scored; one on a sac fly, one on a wild pitch. Pete Fairbanks is expected back shortly from the paternity list, and will resume closing duties once that takes place.

Abbott allowed six hits, two walks and struck out two. It was far from a dominant effort from the 26-year-old with only six swing-and-misses generated, but a vast improvement from his scuffles against the Pirates on Wednesday (four runs, 5 2/3 innings). Abbott will look to continue to improve against the Angels over the weekend.

The box score doesn’t begin to tell the story, as once again, a vintage Alcantara outing. The 30-year-old wasn’t able to complete his second-consecutive shutout as he gave up a double and walk in the ninth, and two runs scored on a sac fly and a wild pitch in that frame after he exited. He struck out six, walked two, and wasn’t hit hard for the overwhelming majority of the game against a solid Cincinnati lineup. Alcantara will look to keep up this good run — good run seems like such an understatement — against the Tigers on Sunday. Fantasy managers who took a chance on Alcantara have to be thrilled.

Drohan will make his major-league debut against his former club after being shipped to Milwaukee as part of a six-player swap back in February. The 27-year-old lefty spent a half-decade in Boston’s system after being taken in the fifth round of the 2020 MLB Draft. It’ll likely be a one-and-done spot start for Drohan, who isn’t a viable streaming option outside of extremely deep formats.

Skenes took a no-hitter into the sixth, when Fernando Tatis Jr. singled with one out. Jake Cronenworth had already walked to lead off the inning, so the Padres had a threat going in a 2-0 game. Jackson Merrill, though, grounded into a double play to end it. Skenes lost the shutout when Xander Bogaerts homered with one out in the seventh and was removed immediately afterwards. Skenes has allowed precisely one run in both of his starts since his Oneil Cruz-fueled Opening Day disaster against the Mets. He’ll likely make his next start Monday versus the Nationals.

This would have been a Dennis Santana blurb, as he was certainly going to follow Soto and close tonight, but the Pirates busted out for five runs in the bottom of the eighth and then used Yohan Ramírez to finish a 7-1 win. Santana will now almost certainly be in line to close again tomorrow, since Soto has worked back-to-back days and Santana hasn’t worked since Saturday.

Pivetta has bounced back nicely from a poor Opening Day start, striking out eight in consecutive outings. He took the L tonight, leaving him 1-2 with a 5.54 ERA, but little has changed in his outlook. He gets the Rockies at home next time out on Sunday.

Morejon never had an outing quite this bad during his spectacular 2025, but he did allow four runs twice in May and had one in August in which he gave up three runs without retiring a batter. So, it can happen, even in a season in which the league hit .186 off him. Morejon’s velocity is as good as ever; he’s averaged 98.9 mph with his sinker this year, compared to 97.7 mph last year. This gives him a 10.80 ERA, but he’s still projects as one of the game’s best non-closing relievers.

Griffin’s first hit was pounded right into the ground, but that was his only ball in play that wasn’t hit hard tonight. He had a 98-mph flyout, a 106-mph double-play ball and then a 113-mph single to plate two against Adrian Morejon in the eighth. It was the hardest-hit ball Morejon has given up since 2023. Before tonight, Griffin’s only hard-hit ball was his double in his first at-bat Friday. He’d been 0-for-12 at the plate since.

The Padres decided at the end of the spring to go with Cronenworth as their leadoff man against righties, but that lasted just three games. He’s hit sixth, eighth, ninth and ninth in the Padres’ most recent games against right-handers, and he finished tonight with a .162/.262/.189 line and one RBI in 42 plate appearances. Still, there’s definitely no sitting him now, as Ty France is the closest thing the Padres have to a backup second baseman with the way the roster is currently constructed. Sung-Mun Song will eventually take over that role, but since he’s another lefty, he’s not someone who can platoon with Cronenworth.