MLB Player News

Pepiot (hip) will throw a bullpen session Friday, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

Pepiot is working his way back from right hip inflammation. The right-hander is eligible for activation from the 15-day injured list Monday at home against the Cubs, and it seems he has a shot to skip a rehab assignment and return on that date.

Walker pitched the sixth inning and retired the only two batters he faced in Thursday's win over the Mets.

Walker entered in the sixth with one out, no one on base and the Giants sporting a four-run lead. According to Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area, Giants manager Tony Vitello said the staff discussed before the game using Walker directly after starting pitcher Robbie Ray because they offer essentially opposite looks for hitters. Blade Tidwell followed Walker after the Giants tacked on another run and wound up getting a three-inning save. Walker still looks like the favorite for saves in the San Francisco bullpen, but his usage Thursday indicates Vitello won't always hold Walker back for the ninth inning. If the Giants' closer situation turns into more of a committee, Keaton Winn and others could get into the mix.

Manaea allowed one run on four hits and two walks over 3.2 innings of relief in Thursday's loss to the Giants. He struck out two.

After taking over for David Peterson with one out in the fifth inning, Manaea saved the rest of the Mets' bullpen by lasting the rest of the game and throwing 74 pitches (44 strikes). Manaea's fastest pitch of the night was just 91.3 mph and he routinely sat below 90 mph with his two-seamer and four-seamer, but he's made it work with the reduced velocity so far, posting a 1.80 ERA and 4:4 K:BB over two long-relief appearances covering five innings. The 34-year-old lefty appears to be a long way from regaining a spot in the rotation, however, even if an injury were to open up a slot.

The Rays placed Cleavinger on the 15-day injured list Friday with right calf tightness.

Cleavinger has had a rough start to the season, posting a 7.71 ERA and 3:4 K:BB over 2.1 innings covering three appearances. If he is merely dealing with tightness and not a strain, he has a good chance to be activated when first eligible April 15.

The Red Sox placed Whitlock on the paternity leave list Friday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Whitlock will be away for the next 1-to-3 days while welcoming a new addition to the family. The setup man has made three scoreless appearances out of the Boston bullpen in the early going this season, recording one hold with a 4:2 K:BB.

The Red Sox recalled Kelly from Triple-A Worcester on Friday, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Kelly was a late cut in spring training but gets an early opportunity with the big club. The right-hander put up a 4.58 ERA and 35:12 K:BB over 35.1 frames for the Red Sox last season. He'll operate in middle relief.

Bradford (elbow) allowed two runs on three hits over two innings for Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday. He didn't record a walk or a strikeout.

Bradford pitched in a game for the first time since undergoing an internal brace procedure last June. He allowed a pair of home runs and threw 27 pitches (17 strikes) during the outing. The left-hander is expected to make several starts in the minors before the Rangers make a decision on whether there's a spot for him on the big-league staff.

Ragans (0-2) took the loss Thursday against the Twins, allowing one unearned run on four hits and one walk while striking out eight over six innings.

Ragans turned in a strong outing and bounced back nicely from his rough season debut, but the southpaw was tagged with the loss due to a defensive miscue and limited run support. His lone blemish came in the second inning when a pickoff attempt by Salvador Perez sailed high and deflected into center field, allowing a run to score. Ragans otherwise kept Minnesota in check, limiting hard contact while once again racking up strikeouts to bump his season total to 13 across 10 innings. After injuries sidelined the 28-year-old for much of last season, Thursday's performance was an encouraging one. Ragans will look to replicate that success in his next start, scheduled to come against Cleveland.

Lopez (1-0) earned the win over Arizona on Thursday, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three batters over five innings.

Lopez gave up Jordan Lawlar's first MLB homer -- a big 424-foot solo blast -- in the third inning, but that's the only run the veteran hurler allowed. Meanwhile, Atlanta had a big day on offense, with an eight-run fifth inning giving Lopez an enormous cushion ahead of his final frame. The right-hander has had a nice beginning to the campaign, allowing just two runs (both on solo homers) over 11 innings while posting a 6:3 K:BB across his first two starts. Lopez made only one appearance last season before injuring his shoulder and missing the remainder of the campaign, but he was an All-Star in 2024, so it's feasible that he could be a viable fantasy asset throughout 2026 if he can remain healthy.

The Marlins traded Acton to the Twins on Thursday in exchange for minor-league pitcher Logan Whitaker.

The 27-year-old righty was DFA'd by the Marlins on Sunday to make room on the 40-man roster for Leo Jimenez. Acton has pitched 2.1 scoreless innings in Triple-A to begin the season, and moving into a Twins organization that doesn't have much bullpen depth should help his chances of returning to the big leagues at some point.