MLB Player News

According to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, McClanahan will make $3.6 million once again. That’s what he earned each of the last two years as part of a $7.2 million contract signed when he was first eligible for arbitration as a Super Two player in 2024. Of course, he hasn’t pitch in the majors since, having undergone Tommy John prior to the deal and then going down with a nerve issue as he completed his TJ rehab last spring. McClanahan is expected to be fully back for spring training. He’ll have one more year of arbitration eligibility in 2027.

De los Santos heads back to the minors after allowing one run over two innings on Tuesday against the Angels in his season debut. The 28-year-old figures to be back at some point in the next couple weeks as middle relief depth.

Pereira was participating in his first game back since suffering an ankle sprain at the beginning of April, and he made an immediate impact with a three-run shot of Shane McClanahan. The former Yankees’ prospect is now slugging .600 with a pair of homers in his limited action, and it’s worth noting that it’s never been a question of raw power with Pereira. Everything else? Remains to be seen.

Maybe it’s time for the Nationals to move Abrams back up in the lineup? He was still fifth tonight, but he’s hitting an exceptional .356/.426/.695 with six homers and 19 RBI. Only Andy Pages, with 20, has more RBI this season.

Mikolas might have a shot at 20 losses this year, but it involves him pitching considerably better than this. He has an 11.49 ERA and an 11/9 K/BB over 15 2/3 innings after four outings. The Nationals aren’t expecting much other than innings from him, but since he’s not even providing many of those, he might find himself out of work before long. Mitchell Parker, who got the win tonight after striking out five in two scoreless innings, would be one possibility to replace him. Mikolas is scheduled to pitch again Sunday versus the Giants.

The Nationals brought in Clayton Beeter with one on and one out in the eighth tonight, and he got out of that to protect a one-run lead. Instead of keeping him in for the ninth after just eight pitches, the Nationals again went to Varland, who got his first career save Sunday with Beeter unavailable after working the previous two days. Varland gave up a Konnor Griffin double with one out and then walked Joey Bart, but he was able to strike out Oneil Cruz and get Nick Yorke, who hit for Brandon Lowe against a lefty in the seventh, to pop out to end the game. Varland has given up three runs in six innings to start the year, while Beeter, who also has two saves, is at three runs in 8 1/3 innings. The Nationals are going to need to commit to one of the two to make either useful in mixed leagues.

Keller walked James Wood and Luis García Jr. to start the first and then gave up three straight hits. It could have been a true disaster, but with three runs in, Keller picked Daylen Lile off second base and then got a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play to end the inning. Still, things only got so much better afterwards, and it took him 90 pitches to get just 12 outs. His ERA jumped from 1.00 to 2.86, and it figures to keep rising from there. He’ll face the Rays on Sunday.

Griffin got retired by Miles Mikolas twice, but he came through with two strong line drives later in the game, hitting a 104-mph single off Mitchell Parker and a 105-mph double off Gus Varland in the ninth. The double would have been a homer in four ballparks. It’s Griffin’s first two-hitnight. He’s at .189/.279/.243 through 11 games.

Williamson technically drove in four runs, but he was credited with only three RBI because his safety squeeze bunt in the first that scored two came with an error by Noah Schultz. His other run-scoring hits were both doubles, giving Williamson four on the season. The former Mariner provides defensive versatility and has gotten on at a respectable .341 clip to open the season, but there’s just too little power and speed to suggest he’s a fantasy-relevant player at this stage.

Yoendry Gomez was unable to get the job done in the ninth inning and gave up a two-run homer to Munetaka Murakami, so the Rays had to turn to Baker to get the final out. He did. That’s now three saves for him on the season, and his ERA is now at 4.26.