MLB Player News

Don’t get me wrong, Skubal was great here. Any time a pitcher allows one run they can head back to the locker room and feel like they did their job. At the same time, he was not sharp in this one. The Diamondbacks scorched 11 hard-hit balls and Skubal had to work around all that hard contact to keep that lone run on the board. On top of that, the lowly seven swings-and-misses he forced tied his fewest in a single game going back to the start of the 2024 season. His pitch movements were mostly normal and velocity was fine, again he just wasn’t his usual sharp self. That’s what an ace does though: work a great start without their best stuff. Skubal is scheduled to face the Twins next time out.

McFarlane’s stint with the Phillies lasted roughly 24 hours and didn’t include his big-league debut. The 24-year-old will head back to the Double-A where he’s compiled a sparkling 1.42 ERA with a 10/4 K/BB ratio over 6 1/3 innings this season. He’ll be back at some point later this year.

Bleday figures to get some opportunities at DH while veteran Eugenio Suárez is on the shelf with a mild oblique strain. The 28-year-old has little to prove at the Triple-A level where he’s .341/.462/.659 with six homers in 24 games this season. It would be a little unfair to label him a Quad-A player but he’s slashed just .215/.306/.394 with 49 round-trippers in 404 games at the highest level between two different stops since 2022.

It’s officially a mild oblique strain, according to a team statement, which gives Suárez a real shot at returning to Cincinnati’s lineup when first eligible in early May. However, oblique issues can be tricky, and tend to be recurring problems, if not handled carefully. The 34-year-old power-hitting corner infielder has gotten off to a slow start by his lofty standards, hitting .231/.300/.363 with three homers and 11 RBI through 25 games this season.

Franco returns for his second stint with the Reds after posting a respectable 3.18 ERA across 5 2/3 innings over three appearances earlier this season. The 25-year-old rookie figures to pitch in middle relief.

Nicolas heads back from the minors after allowing seven runs on eight hits with a 7/13 K/BB ratio across 7 1/3 innings over seven appearances. The 27-year-old righty, who came over from the Pirates in a trade back in early March, will attempt to iron out his control issues back at Triple-A.

Vargas makes his fifth consecutive start at first base for Arizona as his surreal opening month continues. The 34-year-old utility specialist recorded a two-homer performance on Wednesday against the White Sox and has gone deep five times in 18 games. He’ll have a strong chance to add to that total with this game being played at Estadio Alfredo Harp Helú, where the park’s extreme elevation has helped the ball carry in recent years.

It’s a bizarre-looking lineup from manager Skip Schumaker with Ramírez entering the leadoff spot while Jakob Marsee draws out of the lineup for the first time this season. Esteury Ruiz is making his first start of the year in center field. The 24-year-old power/speed combo backstop is off to a frosty start at the dish, hitting .226/.298/.366 with two homers, 12 RBI and one steal through 25 games.

Angel Martínez takes over in center field and will hit leadoff on Saturday afternoon in his place. It sounds like a precautionary move since Kwan also sat out Friday’s series opener, but was in Saturday’s initial lineup. The 28-year-old outfielder is hitting .227/.315/.289 with one homer, eight RBI and two steals in 25 games. There should be some additional clarity on his status at some point this weekend. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now.

Phillips technically has been unofficially retired for a couple years but he’s signed a ceremonial one-day contract to retire with Cincinnati where he spent 11 seasons from 2006-2016. He last appeared in the big leagues for the Red Sox back in 2018 before spending a couple years kicking around the independent leagues. The 44-year-old second baseman finishes a nearly two-decade run with a .275/.320/.420 slash line with 211 homers and 209 steals in 1,902 games from 2002-2018.

Fraley is back in right field and hitting fifth following a brief two-game absence due to a right leg contusion. The 30-year-old will continue serving in a righty-mashing platoon role.