MLB Player News

Sheehan’s velocity remained down -- he averaged just 93.8 mph with the fastball -- and C.J. Abrams took him deep in the first inning to stake the Nationals to an early 3-0 lead. Thankfully for Sheehan, Miles Mikolas also pitched in this game. Still, it’s hard to get excited about firing up Sheehan as more than a wins-focused streamer given how low the velocity has been this year.

No exact word on the results of the MRI on Moreno’s back, but Lovullo said it’s a muscular issue and that it probably won’t result in a lengthy absence. James McCann will be the starting catcher in his place, with Adrian Del Castillo perhaps serving as his backup. Alternatively, the D-backs could add another catcher, probably Aramis Garcia. They don’t have any minor league position players currently on the 40-man roster as callup possibilities.

Anthony didn’t play Friday because the Red Sox are insisting on getting Masataka Yoshida into the lineup a few times per week whether it makes sense or not. Yoshida is on the bench today.

The Red Sox tried just stacking lefties at the top of the lineup after removing Trevor Story from the second spot in the lineup on Monday, but this figures to work better, assuming that Durbin starts performing more like he did last year. He’s still just 4-for-39 on the season, though at least all four hits have come in his last seven games after an 0-for-18 start.

MLB.com’s Mark Bowman is guessing that Strider will begin a rehab assignment Thursday or Friday. Three rehab starts followed by an early May return to the Braves rotation might be the plan here.

Boyle’s MRI came back negative. “I think we caught this early enough,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “We’ll shut him down from throwing for a week...and hopefully we caught it early enough where we can start building back up.” The Rays could piece together Boyle’s scheduled start Wednesday with Jesse Scholtens leading a bullpen game. After that, Ryan Pepiot could return from the IL and fill the open spot.

Peraza sat in favor of Adam Frazier against a righty on Friday. Today, it’s Grissom getting the nod against a lefty. None of it bodes well for Peraza, who followed up a hot spring with a mediocre start to the season; he’s batting .216/.275/.351 in 41 plate appearances after starting 11 of the Angels’ first 13 games.

Jeimer Candelario started over Schanuel in the Angels’ previous two games versus lefties, but he was DFA’d today. Schanuel has been hitting third against righties, but Jo Adell is there today against Brandon Williamson, which is something the Angels also did the previous times they faced left-handers. It’s pretty important for Schanuel’s fantasy value that he keep playing versus lefties. He’s hit them pretty much the same as righties in his career, just with a little less power (.257/.352/.352 against lefties, .257/.349/.376 against righties).

It’s his first time on the bench since Opening Day, which was also against a lefty. He hit eighth on March 30, which was the only other time the Rays had faced a left-hander this season. Simpson is 6-for-15 with just one strikeout against lefties this season. Ryan Vilade is in left field in Simpson’s place, making this his first start since the aforementioned March 30 game.

Imai, who got just one out and walked four in his start against the Mariners on Friday, could become the third Astros starter to land on the IL since the beginning of the season. Ryan Weiss might be next in line to join the rotation.

The 24-year-old Rojas will likely spend most of the year in Triple-A, though might make his major league debut this summer. The Twins got him from the Rays in the Louis Varland deal last July.