MLB Player News

The 25-year-old right-hander struck out one batter on the afternoon. The Dodgers opened the top half of the first against him with a pair of singles, then used a ground ball and a sacrifice fly to move the runners around. Franco got three swings and misses on 49 pitches on the afternoon, registering an underwhelming CSW of only 18 percent. He’s expected to open the season in the rotation at Triple-A Louisville, but could be an option out of the bullpen at some point for the Reds.

Rice suffered the injury while fielding a pickoff throw from Max Fried in the third inning. Fortunately, preliminary X-rays came back negative for any fractures. He’s considered day-to-day. Prior to exiting, Rice had been 2-for-2 with a homer, double and two runs scored.

With Sonny Gray and Garrett Crochet already shelved, the last thing that the Red Sox needed was another injury in their starting rotation. Suarez had been cruising too, allowing just three hits and a walk over four scoreless frames to start the game. Expect the Red Sox to provide an update on his status shortly.

A miserable season for Smith goes from bad to worse as he’ll now hit the injured list at Triple-A Charlotte. At this rate, there’s no guarantee that we see him back with the White Sox in 2026.

It’s an unfortunate break for the Mets who are already without Francisco Lindor (calf). By the time Mauricio is ready to return, Lindor should already be back and his shot at an everyday role will be gone. Bo Bichette is starting at shortstop on Sunday and is expected to see the bulk of the action there until Lindor is able to return.

The expectation has been that Barger would need to play in two or three games on his rehab assignment before being reevaluated to see if he’s ready to return. It sounds like fantasy managers may get him back for the second half of next week barring any setbacks.

Kent had been designated for assignment earlier in the week to clear a roster spot for Luis García. He’ll add bullpen depth at Triple-A Rochester for the Nationals.

The Mariners are taking every possible precaution here with their prized backstop. Raleigh was held out of the team’s lineup on Saturday and Sunday due to what had been termed general soreness, but it sounds like it’s a dreaded oblique issue instead. They won’t want to play short-handed for very long, so expect the team to make a determination on his status within the next day or two. Fantasy managers should be sure to have an alternative option available for next week in the event that Raleigh lands on the IL.

The Angels are still reviewing the results of Kikuchi’s recent MRI exam, so there’s no word yet or how long the 34-year-old left-hander is expected to be sidelined for. The fact that he has already been placed on the injured list doesn’t bode well though. Tayler Saucedo was promoted from Triple-A Salt Lake in a corresponding move on Sunday.

The 32-year-old southpaw will add a fresh arm to the Halos’ bullpen for at least a few days while the team decides how they want to handle the vacancy in their starting rotation due to the injury to Yusei Kikuchi (shoulder). Saucedo had posted a 4.30 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and a 15/11 K/BB ratio over 14 2/3 innings in his 12 appearances at the Triple-A level. He’ll work in middle relief for the Angels.

All things considered, that’s the best possible news that the Braves and fantasy managers could hear right now. He was going to miss more than a few days with the injury, which is why the Braves opted to place him on the injured list on Sunday, but it doesn’t sound like he should be looking at an extended absence.