MLB Player News

Vargas (lat) has suffered a setback in his recovery, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

Vargas has been on the injured list since the beginning of the regular season due to a strained right lat, and his latest setback will require him to restart his throwing progression completely. He won't be eligible to return from the IL until May 23, though it remains to be seen whether he'll be able to return by then.

Mariners manager Justin Hollander told reporters Friday that an MRI on Brash revealed "trace inflammation" in his right lat and no signs of structural damage, Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports.

Brash sustained the injury during Wednesday's game against the Twins after tossing just two pitches in the eighth inning. The fact there was no structural damage is good news for the 27-year-old right-hander, but the inflammation in his lat could result in a stint on the 15-day IL. It would be a big blow to the Mariners' bullpen, as Brash has yet to give up an earned run across 11.1 innings this season, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out eight and accumulating four holds.

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' opener for Saturday's game against the Giants, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.

The Rays opted to use Jax as the opener for their game against the Twins this past Sunday, when he tossed 2.1 scoreless innings to set up Jesse Scholtens. It looks like it'll be much of the same Saturday, though Jax also noted to reporters Friday that he is working toward earning a role in the Rays' rotation. "This is an organization that's had some success doing this in the past...We're going to see how I respond to increasing workload, but I think, all in all, it's going to be the right decision." Jax has 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.