MLB Player News

Vizcaino underwent right shoulder surgery Wednesday and will miss the remainder of the regular season.

This is a tough blow for the Braves and Vizcaino, who landed on the injured list over the weekend with right shoulder inflammation. The procedure, which was performed by Dr. David Altcheek in New York, cleaned up Vizcaino's labrum while also removing scar tissue from his right shoulder joint. A.J. Minter should step in as the team's primary closer with Vizcaino out of the picture.

Helsley made his MLB debut Tuesday in the Cardinals' 8-4 loss to the Brewers, working 2.1 innings in relief and giving up one run on one hit while striking out four.

The 24-year-old was thrown into the fire right away upon joining the Cardinals, as he entered the game with two outs and two runners on in the bottom of the fifth inning. On his sixth pitch, Helsley served up a three-run home run to Christian Yelich that effectively ended any hopes of a St. Louis comeback, but the right-hander recovered nicely, retiring the final seven batters he faced while racking up 10 swinging strikes. It's possible that Helsley's strong finish to the evening allows him to gain some traction as a multi-inning man out of the bullpen.

Erceg has gone 9-for-23 (.391) with three home runs, eight RBI, and an 8:7 BB:K over his last eight games with Triple-A San Antonio.

Erceg started the minor-league season just 1-for-11, but he has been on fire since, both getting on base and hitting for power at a stellar clip. This is Erceg's first full campaign at the Triple-A level, and it could not have started much better for him. It's a bit of a long shot he will make his big-league debut this year given he is not on the Brewers' 40-man roster, plus his fellow San Antonio infielders are much more experienced, but a big season would still go a long way toward increasing his long-term value.

The Phillies optioned Pivetta to Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Wednesday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Few players have seen their fantasy stock plummet in the past month as much as Pivetta, one of the trendier wide-awake sleepers heading into draft season. Though he scooped up his second win in Tuesday's 14-3 decimation of the Mets, Pivetta recorded more walks (three) than strikeouts (two) and fell short of a quality start for the fourth time in as many turns. Philadelphia will turn to the recently recalled Jerad Eickhoff as its fifth starter while Pivetta looks to right the ship in the minors after submitting a 8.35 ERA and 2.13 WHIP in 18.1 innings with the big club.

Minter (0-2) took the loss Tuesday, giving up three runs on two hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning while striking out one as Atlanta fell 9-6 to Arizona.

The left-hander entered the game to begin the ninth inning with the score tied 6-6 and promptly served up a solo shot to Christian Walker before putting two more runners aboard with two outs. Both runners came around to score after he got the hook. Minter's 9.64 ERA through 4.2 innings is discouraging, but he remains the team's top option for saves while Arodys Vizcaino (shoulder) in on the IL.

Rodriguez (2-2) earned the win against the Nationals on Tuesday by allowing one run on five hits across five innings. He struck out six and walked three.

Rodriguez certainly didn't have his best stuff Tuesday as he issued three walks after walking only a single batter over his first three starts, but he still battled his way through five solid innings to grab the win. The 26-year-old has a 3.63 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 18:4 K:BB over 22.1 innings and lines up to take the mound Sunday at Pittsburgh.

Pivetta (2-1) picked up the win in Tuesday's 14-3 rout of the Mets, allowing three runs on seven hits and three walks over five innings while striking out two.

The right-hander was far from sharp, throwing only 59 of 100 pitches for strikes and serving up two homers, but a 10-run first inning by the Phillies gave Pivetta all the cushion he could have wanted. Despite the winning record, he sports a rough 8.35 ERA through four starts and 18.1 innings, and Pivetta's numbers may not improve any time soon -- his next start comes Sunday in Coors Field.

Strop pitched a scoreless ninth inning in Tuesday's 4-0 win over the Marlins.

It wasn't a save situation for Strop, but he was able to log his fourth straight scoreless inning to lower his ERA to 3.60. The righty has just one save so far, as the 7-9 Cubs haven't worked with a ton of leads to protect. Strop should remain installed as the closer at least until Brandon Morrow (elbow) returns, likely sometime in May.

Robertson was diagnosed with a Grade 1 flexor strain in his right elbow Tuesday, Matt Breen of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

Robertson landed on the 10-day injured list Monday with what was originally described as elbow soreness, but the injury was clarified via an MRI. The 34-year-old will be shut down from throwing for a few days before being re-evaluated by the Phillies.

Gott enters Tuesday's game against the Nationals with a 1.86 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 11:2 K:BB across 9.2 innings spanning seven relief appearances.

Acquired from the Nationals after being designated for assignment in February, Gott has proven to be a shrewd pickup for the Giants. Heading into 2019, Gott owned a mediocre 6.1 K/9 over 75.2 career big-league innings, but he's upped his strikeout rate in a big way thanks to an increased reliance on his four-seam fastball rather than any major velocity gains. Gott's 14.7 percent swinging-strike rate suggests the improvement he's shown thus far could be relatively sustainable.