MLB Player News

Diaz (hamstring) threw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

Diaz continues to work on his mechanics after they were thrown off following a hamstring injury. The reliever is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list April 8, but there has not been an established timetable for his return yet. Reds manager Terry Francona has indicated he would like Diaz to get his closer job back when he's healthy and his mechanics are in order. Emilio Pagan has recorded the Reds' lone save so far, while Ian Gibaut has a blown save.

Atlanta designated Chavez for assignment Tuesday.

The veteran right-hander inked a minor-league deal with Atlanta last week and had his contract selected from Triple-A Gwinnett on Monday, and he pitched later in the day versus the Dodgers, giving up a run on two hits and two walks over two innings. Chavez had a 3.13 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and 55:19 K:BB across 46 appearances for Atlanta last season, but his stay on the big-league roster early this year was brief.

Mears (illness) was sent to Triple-A Nashville to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday.

Mears got a late start to the season due to an illness he caught during spring training that resulted in some weight loss. He's got his strength back now and should have a good shot to be activated from the 15-day injured list April 8 when first eligible.

Walker walked one and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning during Monday's 7-2 win over the Astros.

It wasn't a save situation, but it was still reassuring to see Walker on the mound after back tightness had him shut down over the weekend. Camilo Doval picked up a save Sunday in his absence, but Walker should get the bulk of the ninth-inning work for the Giants after a breakout 2024 campaign that saw him post a 1.91 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 99:18 K:BB over 80 innings.

Romano allowed one hit during a scoreless ninth inning in Monday's 6-1 win over the Rockies. He struck out two.

Although it was not a save situation, it's worth noting Romano was warming up when it was a 4-1 game in the eighth inning before Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos both homered to add some insurance runs. Monday was a strong bounce-back performance for Romano, who gave up two runs while blowing a save on Opening Day against the Nationals. The hard-throwing right-hander's usage also suggests he remains first in line in Philadelphia's bullpen at the moment when it comes to save opportunities.

Mlodzinski (0-1) took the loss after giving up three runs on seven hits and two walks in 3.2 innings Monday against the Rays. He struck out four.

Mlodzinski got through three innings without allowing a run, but the Rays tagged him for four runs in the fourth inning. Before he got a chance to record the final out of the frame, the right-hander was lifted after throwing 66 pitches. Mlodzinski is filling in for the injured Jared Jones (lat) in Pittsburgh's rotation, so he could have some streaming appeal in deep leagues in favorable matchups as long as he hangs onto a starting role.

Rodriguez (0-1) allowed four runs on six hits and one walk over four innings Monday, striking out three and taking the loss against the Royals.

Rodriguez got roughed up right out of the gate with three first-inning runs, and he gave up a fourth in the second frame when he gave up a solo home run to Maikel Garcia. Rodriguez was able to retire eight of the next 10 batters faced, but he wasn't able to get enough run support from the Brewers hitters to avoid the loss. He'll look to get off to a better start in his next outing, which is slated for this upcoming weekend against the Reds at home.

McGowan will miss the remainder of the season following Tommy John surgery, Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com reports.

It's the second Tommy John operation in McGowan's career, which means his absence will probably extend well beyond a year. Despite being used mostly as a starting pitcher, McGowan has not thrown more than 40.1 innings in a season since being taken in the seventh round of the 2021 First-Year Player Draft.

Nardi (back) began a throwing program Monday, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.

He'll likely gradually increase his throwing distance off flat ground over the next week or two before moving on to mound work. Nardi was shut down in early March due to lower back inflammation and was placed on the 60-day injured list, so he won't be eligible to make his 2025 debut with the Marlins until at least late May.

The Marlins announced Monday that Cronin (hip) has resumed throwing, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.

Cronin sustained a left hip strain late in spring training, resulting in him opening the season on the injured list. While the fact that he's no longer shut down from activity is encouraging, he'll likely need at least a few more weeks to complete his throwing progression, which will eventually include some minor-league rehab appearances.