MLB Player News

The Orioles placed Helsley on the 15-day injured list Friday with right elbow inflammation, retroactive to Wednesday.

Helsley threw a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to lock down his seventh save of the season, but he appears to have come away from his latest outing with an elbow issue that will force him to spend at least two weeks on the shelf. Albert Suarez will come up from Triple-A Norfolk to fill the open spot in Baltimore's bullpen; meanwhile, Rico Garcia (0.66 ERA) and Yennier Cano (1.69 ERA) could see an increase in save opportunities while Helsley is on the shelf.

Scholtens is expected to operate in a bulk-relief role in Saturday's game against the Giants, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

As was the case this past Sunday against the Twins, Griffin Jax is slated to serve as the Rays' opener Saturday and work the first inning or two before turning the keys over to Scholtens. The move somewhat worked against Minnesota, with Scholtens picking up the win after allowing two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out one batter across 4.1 innings. The 32-year-old right-hander has a 3.20 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 14:6 K:BB across 19.2 innings this season.

Jax is expected to serve as the Rays' opening pitcher for Saturday's game against the Giants, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

The Rays opted to use Jax as an opener for their game against the Twins this past Sunday, when he tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in front of primary pitcher Jesse Scholtens. Tampa Bay could take a similar approach Saturday, though Jax also noted Friday that he's hoping to gradually increase his workload with the hope of eventually moving into the Rays rotation on a full-time basis. Jax has posted a 6.35 ERA, 1.68 WHIP and 12:8 K:BB across 11.1 innings this season.

Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Friday that Martin (biceps) "took the next step" in his recovery and will throw a bullpen soon, Shawn McFarland of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Martin landed on the 15-day injured list April 15 due to a right biceps injury. He appears to be ready to take the next step in his recovery program, though he'll likely need a few rehab outings in the minors before being cleared to return to the Rangers. In his eight outings prior to his injury, Martin allowed six runs (five earned) on 11 hits while striking out seven batters across 6.1 innings.

Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said Friday that Vest is "not at 100 percent" physically, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Hinch declined to divulge any additional details, but Vest hasn't pitched since Sunday, and it's unclear if he's available out of the bullpen for Friday's game against the Rangers. Vest has made 13 appearances for Detroit in 2026, collecting a 6.17 ERA and 13:6 K:BB over 11.2 innings.

Crochet underwent an MRI on his left shoulder that came back clean Friday, and he'll be shut down from throwing for a few days while he focuses on rebuilding strength, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The left-hander landed on the injured Wednesday with left shoulder inflammation, and the MRI indicates that is indeed the full extent of the injury. After being placed on the shelf, Crochet indicated Wednesday he should be able to be activated after the 15-day minimum. A quick return like that should remain plausible as long as he's not shut down from throwing for more than a few days.

Slaten (oblique) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Sunday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Slaten has been sidelined since early April with a right oblique strain but has been cleared to test things out in a game setting. The righty reliever will likely need multiple rehab appearances before rejoining the Boston bullpen.

Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

The right-hander landed on the injured list with hip inflammation late in spring training and was transferred to the 60-day injured list in mid-April after suffering a setback. Pepiot received an injection following the setback, but his hip felt "unstable" when playing catch a few days later, and he'll now end up missing the entirety of the 2026 campaign. According to Bass, manager Kevin Cash expects Pepiot to be ready for spring training next year.

Barlow allowed no hits and a walk with no strikeouts over a scoreless inning in Thursday's win against the Royals.

The right-hander recorded the final out of the sixth inning and picked up two outs in the seventh before being lifted for Brady Basso. Barlow earned his sixth hold, as the Athletics bullpen combined for six innings of one-run ball in the victory following an early exit for Jeffrey Springs (hip). Barlow hasn't allowed a run across his past five appearances and has given up an earned run in just two of his 14 outings in 2026. Overall, the 33-year-old owns a 3.14 ERA and 1.05 WHIP with a 12:8 K:BB across 14.1 innings.

Lambert (1-2) took the loss in the opening game of Thursday's doubleheader against the Orioles, allowing two runs on two hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out three.

It was a decent effort overall from Lambert, who held Baltimore scoreless for three frames before giving up a run in each of the fourth and fifth innings. Since sliding into the Astros rotation, Lambert has posted a solid 3.52 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP and 19:7 K:BB in three starts (15.1 innings). The right-hander is currently scheduled for a tough home matchup with the Dodgers in his next outing.