MLB Player News

This is getting a little concerning. Taillon did fine against Panama while pitching for Team Canada last week, but he’s given up eight homers and 23 runs over 9 1/3 innings in his four official outings this spring. His velocity is down about one mph from last year, which isn’t unusual, but nothing in his arsenal is working quite the way it should be. That he’s historically a pretty good spring pitcher and that he had extra incentive to get ready for WBC makes it just a little more worrisome that he’s pitching this horribly.

Buxton crashed into the outfield wall to rob Carter Jensen of an extra-base hit. He was then checked out by trainers on the field and opted to stay in the game, though he was lifted for a pinch hitter when the Twins came to bat in the home half of the inning. Presumably, he’s heading for additional evaluation to determine exactly what’s going on there. Expect the Twins to provide an update on his status after the game.

Dubón drove in three of the Braves’ six runs on the night. The Braves shortstop blasted a 404-foot homer in the third inning to tie the game at 3-3, and later doubled home Michael Harris II in the fifth inning to give the Braves the lead. Dubón is on a bit of a power tear at the moment, homering in three-straight games while also going 5-for-11 at the dish over that span with seven RBI.

The 31-year-old backstop really struggled offensively during his time with the Yankees, slashing a woeful .177/.235/.258 with zero homers, seven RBI and a 15/5 K/BB ratio in 68 plate appearances. The expectation is that the Yankees will promote Ali Sanchez from Triple-A on Saturday to take Escarra’s spot on the active roster.

Braves manager Walt Weiss told reporters after the game that it was only a minor issue and that Harris is expected to return to the team’s lineup on Saturday. Before exiting, the 25-year-old outfielder had been 2-for-5 with a run scored and a pair of strikeouts.

Ozuna was responsible for two of the Pirates’ three hits on the night, and drove in Nick Gonzalez in the third inning to give the Pirates an early 3-1. lead. Ozuna has hit safely in four-straight games but is still struggling to find his power and is slashing just .196/.317/.275 in his last 15 games. There’s not much to get excited about here.

After missing nearly three weeks due to inflammation in his back, Seager showed no signs of rust on Friday. The Rangers were held off the board through the first five innings, but they broke through against Parker Messick in the sixth as Kyle Higashioka belted a solo homer. Wyatt Langford with a double before Seager crushed a first-pitch slider for a 399-foot (105.1-mph EV) two-run blast that put the Rangers ahead to stay. With his 1-for-3 night, Seager is now slashing .182/.286/.371 with eight long balls and 22 RBI on the season.

After working a perfect eighth inning, Latz made it interesting in the ninth by issuing a one-out walk to Stuart Fairchild and allowing a two-out single to Austin Hedges, but he rallied to retire Brayan Rocchio on strikes to end it. The 30-year-old hurler needed 35 pitches to get the job done in this one, so he may not be available if a save situation arises on Saturday. He holds a terrific 1.86 ERA on the season while converting nine saves.

Rocker struck out five batters on the evening while issuing only one base on balls. He served up a solo homer to Travis Bazzana in the opening inning then allowed a run-scoring single to Steven Kwan in the fourth. That was the extent of the damage done against him. Rocker got nine whiffs on 94 pitches on the night, posting a CSW of 21 percent. He’ll carry a solid 3.54 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and a 49/26 K/BB ratio (61 innings) into Thursday’s battle against the Royals in Kansas City.

Bazzanna wasted little time giving the Guardians a lead in this one, crushing the third pitch thrown by Kumar Rocker for a 385-foot (99.1-mph EV) leadoff home run. He also singled and tripled in the contest, finishing a double shy of the cycle. The 23-year-old has been awfully impressive since joining the Guardians, slashing .288/.371/.472 with four homers, 16 RBI and nine stolen bases in his first 143 plate appearances.

Messick struck out four batters in the ballgame while issuing one free pass. He kept the Rangers off the board through the first five frames but ran into a buzzsaw in the sixth when he surrendered a solo homer to Kyle Higashioka and a two-run blast to Corey Seager. Messick generated 12 swings and misses on 85 pitches on the night, registering a CSW of 29 percent. He’ll look to bounce back as he brings a brilliant 2.40 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and a 78/22 K/BB ratio (75 innings) into a tough matchup against the Yankees on Wednesday.