MLB Player News

Smith-Shawver has not allowed an earned run while striking out 17 in nine innings through two starts for High-A Rome.

We knew entering the season that Smith-Shawver had an electric arsenal, but the key to his excellent start to the season is his 8.6 percent walk rate, which is much more manageable than the 13 percent mark he logged at Single-A. At 20 years old, Smith-Shawver is also one of the youngest pitchers at High-A, and it wouldn't be surprising if Atlanta bumped him to Double-A if he keeps stacking starts of this caliber.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts confirmed Tuesday that Gonsolin (ankle) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Wednesday at Pittsburgh, Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register reports.

Gonsolin could be in line for a piggyback start or even as the lead option in a bullpen day after he made only one three-inning minor-league rehab start and topped out at 57 pitches. He'll get built up on the fly and should eventually round into form as a high-impact fantasy option in the rotation, but he's not expected to cover much more than four innings Wednesday, per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The 28-year-old went 16-1 with a 2.14 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 119:35 K:BB over 130.1 innings (24 starts) in 2022. He missed the beginning of the 2023 campaign after suffering a left ankle sprain in the Cactus League this spring.

Suarez (forearm) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Reading on Thursday, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Suarez, who has been on the 15-day injured list all season with the left forearm injury, is expected to be limited to two innings in his first start at any level in 2023. The Phillies are planning for Suarez to get stretched out over the course of 3-to-4 rehab starts in the minors before he's deemed ready to reclaim a spot in the big-league rotation.

Verlander (shoulder) confirmed Tuesday he expects to return from the 15-day injured list after making just one minor-league rehab start, Pat Ragazzo of SI.com reports.

That rehab start is scheduled to take place Friday, when he's expected to cover around 3-to-4 innings in his first appearance since spring training, per Pat Ragazzo of SI.com. Assuming all goes well Friday, Verlander will then be on track to make his Mets debut next week in Detroit. The veteran right-hander has been on the shelf with a low-grade teres major strain, but he's checked all the necessary boxes so far in his recovery. Even at age 40 and coming off this recent shoulder scare, Verlander projects for ace-like production the rest of the way in 2023.

The Mets recalled Butto from Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday, and he's in line to start or serve as a bulk reliever in the team's series opener versus the Nationals, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Butto was optioned to Triple-A just eight days ago, but he'll be able to rejoin the big club in fewer than the minimum 15 days because the Mets placed reliever Edwin Uceta (ankle) on the 15-day injured list in a corresponding move. The rookie right-hander acquitted himself well in his first start with the big club April 16 in Oakland, covering five innings and allowing one earned run in a no-decision. Butto tentatively lines up for a two-start week -- he's in line to take the hill again Sunday in Atlanta -- but he could head back to the minors immediately after that outing with ace Justin Verlander (shoulder) likely to return from the IL in the first week of May.

Hendricks (shoulder) is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Iowa, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Hendricks hasn't appeared in a major-league game since last July due to a shoulder injury that was eventually diagnosed as a capsule tear, so he'll need at least a couple of rehab outings to get properly built up. Levine suspects that the 33-year-old right-hander could be ready to join the Cubs around mid-May, assuming he experiences no setbacks during his rehab assignment.

Cabrera (1-2) took the loss Monday, allowing four runs on four hits and four walks over 4.1 innings during an 11-0 loss to Atlanta. He struck out six.

Cabrera posted two scoreless frames to start the game, but he allowed one run in the third, two in the fourth and was pulled in the fifth with a runner on first and one out. The right-hander currently holds a 4.91 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP with a questionable 24:20 K:BB through 22 innings.

Strider (3-0) earned the win Monday against the Marlins, tossing eight scoreless innings in which he allowed two hits and no walks. He struck out 13.

Strider was perfect through six innings until Jazz Chisholm reached on a fielding error by Matt Olson to lead off the seventh. The right-hander got out of the frame by retiring the next three batters, but he lost his no-hitter in the eighth when Jean Segura and Jon Berti hit back-to-back, one-out singles. Strider escaped the frame by striking out Jacob Stallings and Garrett Hampson, giving him a season-high 13 strikeouts. It was Strider's third scoreless outing of the year, and he currently holds a 1.80 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP with a stellar 49:11 K:BB through five starts (30.0 innings).

Lodolo did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing six runs on nine hits and two walks over four innings in a 7-6 victory over Texas. He struck out six.

After being spotted a one-run lead in the first inning, Lodolo was tagged for three runs in the second, two runs in the third and one run in the fourth, but he was let off the hook for the loss after the Reds made a late-inning comeback. The left-hander has allowed six-plus runs in back-to-back starts, but he still has a strong 37:9 K:BB through 25.2 innings.

Gomber (1-4) picked up the win in Monday's 6-0 victory over Cleveland, allowing three hits and three walks over five scoreless innings. He struck out three.

After a brutal beginning to the season that saw Gomber take a loss in four straight trips to the mound while posting a 12.12 ERA, the southpaw was able to find some success against the Guardians. Given his early struggles and the fact the Rockies had the game well in hand, Gomber's exit after just 83 pitches (45 strikes) was likely a move to build up his confidence rather than risking a stumble in the sixth inning. He'll look to build on this performance in his next start, likely coming at home against Arizona over the weekend, but his 15:12 K:BB through 21.1 innings highlights his limited fantasy appeal, particularly at Coors Field.