MLB Player News

Sandoval is working his way back from elbow surgery that cost him the entire 2025 season. His velocity has been good in spring workouts, but he has yet to get into a game. With Johan Oviedo struggling, there is a path for Sandoval to emerge as a long reliever for the Red Sox after a few rehab appearances.

Michael Massey was activated from the injured list before the game, so that’s a little pressure on India, though he could play other positions when the Royals want to start Massey. India is 6-for-18 with two homers and eight RBI in five games this month after going 1-for-10 in April.

The lone run came on a Steven Kwan homer. Rhys Hoskins also made a bid for one, but his fly to right in the second went just inches foul. Wacha settled for three strikeouts and six whiffs on the Guardians’ 41 swings, but only two of the Guardians balls in play in excess of 100 mph turned into hits. He’ll take a 0.69 ERA into a nice matchup against the White Sox on Monday.

Erceg threw 30 pitches while giving up two runs to the Brewers on Sunday, but the Royals used him again tonight anyway, and he was able to retire the Guardians on 14 pitches. Matt Strahm has also worked the last two days, so John Schneider is probably the favorite to close for the team on Tuesday.

Bibee retired the eight and nine hitters to open the fifth but then gave up a double to Maikel Garcia and an infield single to Bobby Witt Jr. while facing them for the third time. The Guardians lifted him, and Tim Herrin retired Vinnie Pasquantino to preserve a 1-1 tie. Bibee has a nice enough 3.29 ERA after three starts, but after leaving his first start with shoulder inflammation, he hasn’t had the chance to complete five innings in his last two outings. He’ll likely face the Braves on Sunday.

Jensen was dropped to seventh in the Royals’ order Saturday, in his first game back from his punishment for oversleeping, but he was back up to fifth tonight. That actually might have won the Royals the game. In the fourth, Jensen reached on a wild pitch/strikeout ahead of Jonathan India’s RBI single with two outs. He also singled ahead of India’s homer with two outs in the eighth. If it had been Jac Caglianone batting fifth tonight, both of those innings might have ended before India got to the plate.

Kwan’s homer left the bat at 100.8 mph for just his second hard-hit ball in 47 plate appearances this season. His previous one barely clearled the threshold at 95.8 mph. Of course, Kwan has never been known for his hard-hit rates, but he’s been losing athleticism since the day he entered the league and it’s actually quite odd that the Guardians have decided this was the time to turn to him as a center fielder (he debuted with 80th percentile sprint speed in 2022, but he was down to 45th percentile last year and is in the 32nd percentile so far this season). His fantasy value would also seem to be trending downwards.

Stephenson provided a key insurance run with an eighth-inning homer off Marlins starter Janson Junk. It was his second round-tripper of the season and was one of just two extra-base hits for the Reds in a low-scoring affair at loanDepot park.

There weren’t a ton of bright spots for the Marlins in this one as Brandon Williamson and a trio of Reds relievers combined on a three-hit shutout. Ramírez was responsible for Miami’s lone extra-base hit of the night and reached base safely in two of his four plate appearances.

Pagán got the call to guard a two-run lead in the final frame and needed just 13 pitches (eight strikes) to slam the door. He got Jakob Marsee to pop out and Otto Lopez to ground out before winning an eight-pitch battle against Heriberto Hernández to end it. The 34-year-old stopper isn’t one of the more dominant relief arms in the game but he’s been a reliable fantasy closer for the past two seasons, converting 36 of 43 save opportunities during that span.

Williamson wasn’t overpowering, but he limited Miami to nine hard-hit balls and needed just 93 pitches to reach the seventh inning in his second start of the year. It was a much-needed bounce-back after surrendering six runs on three homers against the Pirates in his season debut last week. He’s in line for another favorable matchup against the Angels on Sunday to finish off a two-start week.