MLB Player News

Smith threw a scoreless ninth inning and struck out one batter to earn the save in Tuesday's 4-1 victory over the Orioles.

Smith surrendered four runs in one inning during his season debut Saturday, but he was able to shake it off and turn in a flawless outing Tuesday to pick up his first save of the new campaign. The 34-year-old seems to still be the Royals' preferred choice to handle the ninth inning, but John Schreiber, who threw a scoreless eighth inning Tuesday for his second hold of the year, and James McArthur remain in the conversation for save opportunities.

Marsh (1-0) earned the win Tuesday against Baltimore, surrendering one earned run on two hits and a walk while striking out five batters across seven innings.

Marsh has been known to struggle with command throughout his career, so allowing just one walk and three total baserunners against one of the better lineups in the AL is certainly noteworthy. Tuesday marks the first time the 25-year-old has earned a win as a starter in his MLB career, and he's lined up for a chance to repeat his performance over the weekend against the White Sox.

Brebbia allowed two walks over one-third of an inning in Tuesday's win over Atlanta.

Brebbia entered the game in the eighth inning and was tasked with protecting a one-run lead. He retired the first batter he faced before surrendering two free passes, after which he was pulled. Brebbia didn't help himself with the performance, but regardless of the results, his usage suggested he'll serve as the White Sox's primary setup man with Michael Kopech getting the chance to close.

Wood did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing three runs on six hits and two walks over five innings in a 5-4 loss to Boston. He struck out seven.

Wood dealt with a lot of traffic Tuesday, though he was able to limit the damage by striking out seven, matching last year's season high. Overall, it was a decent bounce-back outing from Wood after he was tagged for six runs in 3.1 innings in a loss to Cleveland on Opening Day. The left-hander's currently lined up for a tough road matchup with the Rangers in his next outing.

Alcala threw two scoreless innings with two walks and two strikeouts in Tuesday's loss to Milwaukee. He's thrown 2.2 scoreless innings in two games this season.

Alcala hurt his hand late in spring training (struck in the right hand by a line drive) but it has not been an issue during the regular season. After two injury-plagued seasons, Alcala could move into a higher-leverage role later this season. He features a plus fastball, but control as been a recent problem (5.2 BB/9 last season), so keep an eye on his walk rate.

Pinto allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits over four innings. He struck out four and picked up the save in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

Pinto was selected from Triple-A Lehigh Valley just a couple hours before Tuesday's game and hadn't pitched in the majors since 2019. He was called upon in the sixth inning to preserve a 2-1 lead in rainy conditions and went on to pitch a four-inning save. If he manages to stick around, Pinto should be expected to operate in a low-leverage relief role.

Little will serve as the Cubs' opening pitcher in Wednesday's game against the Rockies, Sahadev Sharma of The Athletic reports.

Little pitched the ninth inning of Tuesday's 12-2 win over Colorado, so it's unlikely his start lasts more than an inning. Once the 23-year-old lefty is pulled, Ben Brown is a likely candidate to work in bulk relief.

Hader (0-2) blew the save and took the loss Tuesday against the Blue Jays, allowing two runs on two hits in one inning.

Heading into the ninth with a 1-0 lead, Hader had Toronto down to its final out with the bases empty. However, Justin Turner drew a two-out walk before Davis Schneider launched a two-run homer, saddling Hader with a blown save en route to his second loss this season. The 29-year-old left-hander has allowed three runs on four hits and two walks through his first four innings this season, but while it's been a rough start to his tenure in Houston, Hader figures to have a firm grasp on the Astros' closing job after racking up 33 saves with a 1.28 ERA over 56.1 innings with the Padres last year.

The Pirates designated Selby for assignment Tuesday.

Selby will be squeezed off the Pirates' 40-man roster following the acquisition of Joey Bart from San Francisco. The 26-year-old right-hander made 21 appearances for the Pirates in 2023, accumulating a gaudy 9.00 ERA and 1.83 WHIP across 24 innings. His Triple-A numbers have been decent since reaching Indianapolis in 2022, but his poor performance during his first MLB stint may prevent teams from claiming him off waivers.

The Dodgers transferred Graterol (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

Graterol's move to the 60-day IL clears a spot on the Dodgers' 40-man roster for Nick Ramirez, who was acquired from the Yankees on Tuesday. Graterol was cleared to throw off a mound Tuesday -- the first time he's done so since landing on the IL with right shoulder inflammation. The 25-year-old right-hander is now eligible to return beginning May 18, but it remains to be seen whether or not he'll be ready by then.