MLB Player News

The Rockies recalled Mejia from Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday.

Colorado optioned right-hander Bradley Blalock to Triple-A in a corresponding move to clear room on the active roster for Mejia, who will rejoin the Rockies for the second time in less than a week. He was called up from Albuquerque last Thursday to serve as the 27th man for a doubleheader with the Royals and made his MLB debut in the second game of the twin bill, allowing an unearned run over one inning of relief. He was returned to Triple-A immediately after the doubleheader but should be in line for a longer stay with the Rockies this time around.

The Rockies optioned Blalock to Triple-A Albuquerque on Monday.

After Ryan Feltner was pushed back a day in the pitching schedule due to a minor back issue, Blalock was called up from Triple-A to make a spot start in Sunday's game against the Reds. He took the loss while serving up six runs ons seven hits and two walks over four frames, but Blalock was at least able to eat some innings and spare a taxed bullpen from more overuse. The Rockies will swap him off the active roster ahead of Monday's game against Atlanta in favor of a fresh relief arm in right-hander Juan Mejia, who was recalled from Triple-A.

The Cardinals designated Loutos for assignment Monday.

The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder/outfielder Jose Barrero, who was called up from Triple-A Memphis. Loutos made three scoreless appearances for the Cardinals last season and has allowed three runs with a 6:2 K:BB over eight innings with Memphis in 2025. The 26-year-old could draw some interest via trade or waivers from a team seeking relief depth.

Atlanta designated Thompson for assignment Monday.

He'll cede his spot on the 40-man roster to outfielder Eddie Rosario, whom Atlanta signed to a one-year contract. The 31-year-old Thompson previously made two appearances out of the big-league bullpen earlier this month but had struggled since returning to Triple-A Gwinnett on April 16, giving up six runs (three earned) on seven hits and three walks over 4.1 innings.

Atlanta optioned Daniel to Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday.

Daniel's stay with the big club lasted just one day, with the right-hander tossing a scoreless inning out of the bullpen in Sunday's 6-4 loss to Arizona following his call-up from Triple-A. He'll likely slot back into the rotation with Gwinnett.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Sunday that the Dodgers are thinking about stretching out Casparius as a starter, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Roberts' comment came after Casparius improved his record to 3-0 by nabbing a win Sunday against Pittsburgh after taking over in the second inning for starter Tyler Glasnow, who was pulled due to a shoulder injury. Roberts said that Casparius "saved our tails" in regard to the righty's preservation of the bullpen and effective pitching -- he gave Los Angeles 3.2 scoreless frames, throwing 36 of 54 pitches for strikes and fanning five batters without issuing a walk. Casparius has been very effective as a whole this season, posting a 2.91 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB over 21.2 frames, and six of his 11 appearances have lasted two or more innings. Those numbers are all the remarkable given that the 26-year-old gave up six earned runs in a 1.2-inning outing against the Cubs on April 12; in Casparius' other 10 appearances combined, he's yielded just one run over 20 frames. The Dodgers' rotation depth is wearing thin due to shoulder injuries incurred by Glasnow and Blake Snell, though Tony Gonsolin (back) is expected to be activated from the IL ahead of a start Wednesday. Still, the team is likely to deploy a bullpen game Tuesday and is coming up on a stretch of 19 games in 20 days, so there may be an opening for Casparius to join the rotation at some point. He worked primarily as a starter in the minors, including in 2024, during which he started 19 of the 21 games in which he appeared between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City.

Birdsong threw three scoreless innings during Sunday's 3-2 win over the Rangers, allowing three hits while striking out five.

Birdsong entered the game in the sixth frame, surrendering a triple to the first batter he faced. However, he settled in and retired the next three hitters. The 23-year-old also allowed a double and a single over his three innings but racked up a season-high five strikeouts. Birdsong owns a 1.13 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and an 18:6 K:BB across 16.0 innings in seven games. The right-hander has been impressive to start the 2025 campaign and will likely continue to serve in a long-relief role.

Matz will be the Cardinals' starting pitcher for Wednesday's game in Cincinnati, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Matz will be pitching on three days' rest after he recorded two outs in a relief appearance Saturday versus the Brewers. The southpaw will be making his second start of the season after the Cardinals recently moved to a modified six-man rotation. He threw 71 pitches over five innings in his other start back on April 16 and should be able to handle a similar pitch count Wednesday.

Merryweather (0-1) gave up two runs (one earned) while retiring two batters to take the loss Sunday against the Phillies. He allowed one hit and three walks.

Merryweather's control eluded him as he took his first loss of the season in the 3-1, 10-inning defeat. Despite the hiccup, the righty has mostly pitched well for the Cubs, registering a 2.45 ERA and 10 strikeouts across 11 frames. Merryweather struggled with injuries last year as he posted a disappointing 6.60 ERA in 15 innings of work, but he looks healthier and more effective in 2025. His control remains a concern, however, as he now has a 4.9 BB/9, which could lead to some rough outings down the road.

Doval (2-1) got the win over the Rangers on Sunday after pitching a perfect ninth inning. He struck out two.

Doval made easy work of his opponents and retired the side in order on just 10 pitches. He wound up with the win after the Giants walked it off in the bottom of the inning. Doval is working on an eight-game scoreless streak and has allowed just one base hit in that span. Over his last five appearances, Doval has three saves, a hold and a win. He owns a 2.08 ERA ad 0.85 WHIP for the season but is still competing with Ryan Walker for saves despite his recent success.