MLB Player News

Swanson (forearm) will begin a rehab assignment at Single-A Dunedin on Sunday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Swanson has been sidelined due to forearm tightness since mid-March. He will enter Sunday's game for Dunedin to relieve Alek Manoah (shoulder), who will also be making his first rehab appearance Sunday. It's unclear how many games the Jays want Swanson to pitch in the minor leagues, but he will be eligible to return starting Tuesday.

Middleton received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right forearm Saturday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Middleton had to be pulled off his recovery program after suffering a setback earlier in the week, and he will now be shut down from all activity for another three days. The Cardinals will re-evaluate his progress in a week, at which point a decision will be made on whether or not to resume his throwing program. As a reliever, Middleton's ramp-up process will likely be relatively short, but a late-April return seems to be the best possible outcome for the 30-year-old righty.

The White Sox traded Speas to the Athletics on Saturday for cash considerations.

Speas was DFA'd by the White Sox on Friday after being optioned to Triple-A Charlotte in spring training. He's had a rough start in the minors, allowing four runs on two hits and two walks while striking out two over 2.1 innings in Triple-A. Speas will look to get a handle on his control issues with the Athletics after walking 41 over 57.2 innings last season across three levels.

The Brewers placed Junis on the 15-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to Wednesday, with a right shoulder impingement.

Junis first reported a problem with his shoulder shortly after his start Tuesday against the Twins. The 31-year-old righty underwent imaging Friday, and although the results came back clean, the Brewers won't risk pushing it. The plan is for him to rest for a couple days before ramping back up, so an extended stay on the IL doesn't seem likely. Aaron Ashby was recalled from Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move and will presumably take Junis' spot in Milwaukee's rotation.

Topa played catch from 75 feet Saturday and has been pain-free in his left knee, MLB.com reports.

Topa was placed on the 15-day injured list at the end of spring training with left patellar tendinitis. He'll start throwing more over the next week and then will get a timetable to begin a rehab stint in the minors.

Loaisiga said Saturday that he has a torn UCL in his right elbow and will need season-ending surgery, Jorge Castillo of ESPN.com reports.

Loaisiga's comments don't come as a major surprise after he was placed on the 60-day injured list Friday with what manager Aaron Boone said was a "significant" flexor strain. While Loaisiga will have to treat the injury with surgery, he said that he won't require Tommy John surgery and instead set to undergo a procedure that will carry a recovery timeline of 10-to-12 months. The loss of Loaisiga for the season is another blow to a Yankees bullpen that's already without Tommy Kahnle (shoulder), Lou Trivino (elbow) and Scott Effross (back) to begin the season.

The Phillies traded Brogdon to the Dodgers on Saturday in exchange for Benony Robles, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Brogdon was designated for assignment Tuesday, but he will remain on a 40-man roster as he moves to the Dodgers organization. The 29-year-old righty turned in a 4.03 ERA across 29 innings last season but has struggled to begin 2024, allowing six earned runs across two innings over three appearances. Dinelson Lamet was designated for assignment to clear space on the Dodgers' 40-man, and Brogdon will join the big-league bullpen as he does not have any minor-league options remaining.

The Dodgers recalled Varland from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports.

Varland will come up from the minors to provide a fresh arm to the Dodgers' bullpen. He owns a 6.53 ERA and 2.08 WHIP across 20.2 career big-league innings and will likely be limited to low-leverage situations. Dinelson Lamet was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.

Emanuel cleared waivers Saturday and was sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Emanuel was DFA'd by the Marlins on Thursday after giving up four runs across three innings Wednesday. He will remain in the Marlins organization, but he no longer holds a spot on the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old lefty turned in a 6.19 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 84.1 frames with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate last season, and he will have to turn things around at Jacksonville in order to have a shot at pitching in the majors again this year.

Duran (oblique) threw on flat ground from 105 feet Saturday and said afterward that he no longer has pain in his oblique, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

Duran said that it's been "a lot of days" since he's felt pain in his oblique, but he's still unsure of what his return timeline will look like. A better picture likely won't come into focus until he's further along in his throwing progression. Griffin Jax has the Twins' lone save so far this season in Duran's absence.