MLB Player News

The Giants recalled McDonald from Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday.

He will be the team's 27th man for Thursday's doubleheader versus the Phillies. The Giants have not announced a starting pitcher for the nightcap, but McDonald is a candidate to draw that assignment or eat some innings in long relief. He holds a 5.40 ERA and 12:15 K:BB in 15 innings this season with Sacramento.

The Cardinals activated Dobbins (knee) from the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Dobbins will start Thursday's game in Pittsburgh as the Cardinals shift to a temporary six-man rotation amidst a 17-day stretch with no off days. He'll be making his team and 2026 big-league debut after posting a 4.37 ERA and 19:9 K:BB over 22.2 innings in five rehab starts with Triple-A Memphis. Dobbins -- who was acquired from the Red Sox over the offseason -- is coming back from ACL surgery, which he underwent last July. He got his pitch count up to as high as 91 on his rehab assignment, so Dobbins should be capable of handling a full workload Thursday.

The Reds placed Williamson on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to left shoulder fatigue.

Williamson was removed from his start in Wednesday's 13-2 loss to the Rockies with the issue. Manager Terry Francona said Thursday that Williamson doesn't have structural damage to his shoulder and will resume a throwing program after being given a cortisone shot, per Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati. It's unclear how long the left-hander will be sidelined, but with Nick Lodolo (finger) due back from the IL soon, Williamson could be without a rotation spot once he's ready to return. Williamson holds a 6.11 ERA and 19:20 K:BB over six starts covering 28 innings this season.

Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said after Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Tigers that Ritchie won't be optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett when Spencer Strider (oblique) returns from the injured list this weekend, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Weiss was effusive in his praise of the rookie right-hander after he battled for a no-decision Wednesday, and the skipper made it clear Ritchie would take his next turn in the rotation early next week in his hometown of Seattle. Atlanta hasn't revealed if it will shift to a six-man rotation when Strider is activated, or whether Martin Perez -- who's been designated for assignment once already this season -- will get bumped instead. In either scenario, Ritchie will end up getting a longer look in the majors. Through his first two MLB starts, he's produced a 2.92 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 11:6 K:BB in 12.1 innings.

Jones (elbow) struck out five over three perfect innings in his first rehab start with Single-A Bradenton on Wednesday.

Jones overwhelmed the A-ball hitters, regularly reaching 100 mph and hitting 101.1 mph on his final pitch of the first inning, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The right-hander required only 41 pitches as he cruised through his three frames. It's a very encouraging first rehab outing for Jones, who is coming back from internal brace surgery that he had last May. Jones is on the 60-day injured list and thus not eligible for activation until late May, so he will continue to deliberately build up stamina before rejoining the Pirates' rotation in a few weeks.

Franco allowed three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three over three relief innings in Wednesday's 13-2 loss to the Rockies.

The Reds bullpen had a lot of work to do when starter Brandon Williamson was removed after three innings with left shoulder fatigue. Franco, who was a starter at Triple-A Louisville, could slot into the rotation pending the results of Williamson's MRI, which is scheduled for Thursday. Aside from Franco, the Reds could also reach down to Louisville for Chase Petty, who was removed early from his start Wednesday for what appears to be a potential recall should Williamson be unavailable when his next turn in the rotation comes due Monday.

Sugano (3-1) earned the win Wednesday against the Reds, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out two over 5.1 scoreless innings.

Sugano turned in his first scoreless outing of the season, relying more on command than swing-and-miss stuff. The right-hander threw 51 of his 91 pitches for strikes and generated just five whiffs but made up for it with 24 called strikes to keep hitters off balance. He continues to show consistency, now holding opponents to two or fewer runs in five of his six outings. Sugano owns a 2.84 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 21:9 K:BB across 31.2 innings in a strong debut season with Colorado and is slated to face the Mets in his next start early next week.

Rodriguez allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Brewers on Wednesday.

Rodriguez's pitch count got elevated as he matched his season high with four walks. He ended up throwing 48 of 87 pitches for strikes and was pulled after walking Gary Sanchez in the fifth inning. Rodriguez has allowed 10 runs over his last 14.2 innings, and he's at a 3.03 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 22:16 K:BB across 32.2 innings through six starts this season. He had a career-worst 3.5 BB/9 in 2025, but it's at 4.4 so far in 2026, which will likely limit his effectiveness if he can't reverse course with the free passes. The southpaw is lined up to make his next start at home versus the Pirates.

Sproat (0-2) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings to take the loss versus the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Sproat kept runs off the board until the fourth inning, when Adrian Del Castillo tagged him for a solo shot and Nolan Arenado followed up with a three-run homer. It's the first time since his first outing of the year that Sproat has given up multiple homers. He threw 52 of 82 pitches for strikes, but this outing was a reversion to his earlier struggles this year when it comes to pitching deeper into games. He's sporting a 6.75 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 25:15 K:BB across 26.2 innings over six appearances (four starts). Sproat is tentatively lined up for a matchup in St. Louis early next week, but his performance so far has been mixed at best.

Waldron did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out one over five innings.

Waldron labored early, throwing 41 pitches over the first two innings and allowing five baserunners, though he limited the damage to one run on an RBI single from Miguel Amaya. The right-hander later gave up a two-run homer to Pete Crow-Armstrong in the fourth but overall turned in a more stable outing compared to his first two starts, in which he allowed six earned runs in each. While it was a step forward for the knuckleballer, his season numbers remain inflated, as he now holds a 9.88 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and an 8:5 K:BB across 13.2 innings. Waldron could be in line for a more favorable outing next time against a Giants lineup that has struggled to score runs this season.