MLB Player News

Lauer did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Angels, allowing three runs on seven hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out three.

While Lauer avoided a fourth straight loss Wednesday, the left-hander has yet to make it through six frames in any of his five outings this season. Overall, Lauer is 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 19:12 K:BB across 22.2 innings. He's currently slated to face the Red Sox at home his next time out.

Freeland (shoulder) threw 41 pitches in a simulated game Wednesday, Patrick Saunders of The Denver Post reports.

Freeland utilized his entire arsenal and told reporters after the session that he had no issues with his shoulder. The 32-year-old southpaw is eligible to be activated off the 15-day injured list April 28, and it looks like he'll be ready to return to major-league action at that time, barring any setbacks.

Wacha (2-1) took the loss Wednesday against the Orioles, allowing six runs on seven hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out five.

After giving up a two-run homer to Pete Alonso in the first inning, Wacha would settle in and hold the Orioles scoreless over his next four frames. However, things would unravel in the sixth, when four straight batters reached safely against the right-hander, all of whom would come around to score. Wacha had been stellar prior to Wednesday -- he turned in quality starts in each of his first four outings, allowing just three runs across 27 innings. Wacha will carry a 2.51 ERA with a 0.93 WHIP and 28:10 K:BB into his next start, currently slated to come on the road against the A's.

Bassitt (1-2) picked up the win Wednesday over the Royals, allowing five runs on eight hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out three.

It wasn't Bassitt's best outing, but the right-hander did snag his first win with the Orioles, as Baltimore rallied for six runs in the sixth inning en route to an 8-6 victory. He's yet to complete six frames in any of his five starts this year and sports a subpar 6.75 ERA, 2.06 WHIP and 10:13 K:BB. He's currently slated to face the Astros at home in his next outing.

Bibee (0-3) took the loss Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks over six innings as the Guardians were downed 2-0 by the Astros. He struck out three.

A two-run home run by Yordan Alvarez on Bibee's ninth pitch of the game proved to be the only offense either team would produce, but the right-hander shook it off and stuck around long enough to record his second straight quality start on 95 pitches (59 strikes). Bibee's ratios are still inflated by an eight-run disaster in Atlanta on April 12, but he's given up three runs or fewer in five of his six starts to begin the season, posting a 4.45 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 26:11 K:BB through 30.1 innings. He'll look for his first win of 2026 in his next trip to the mound, which is set to come at home early next week against the Rays.

The Cubs activated Boyd (biceps) from the 15-day injured list Wednesday, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

Boyd is set to rejoin the rotation with a start Wednesday against the Phillies after missing the past two-plus weeks with a left biceps strain. The left-hander threw 64 pitches and went 3.2 innings in his lone rehab outing last Thursday, so he might not be ready for a full workload in his first start back from the injured list.

Williamson (2-2) took the loss Wednesday as the Reds were downed 6-1 by the Rays, coughing up five runs on seven hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out three.

A third-inning solo shot by Junior Caminero marked the only extra-base hit off Williamson, but the southpaw has trouble putting hitters away and tossed 54 strikes among his 87 pitches. He's failed to last five frames in three of his five starts so far this season, producing a 5.40 ERA, 1.52 WHIP and 15:16 K:BB over 25 innings, With Nick Lodolo (blister) getting close to making his 2026 debut, Williamson's time in the rotation could be nearing an end.

The Cardinals are likely to insert Dobbins (knee) as part of a six-man rotation during their stretch of 17 games without an off day that begins Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Coming back from last year's ACL surgery, Dobbins is slated to make a fifth rehab start with Triple-A Memphis on Saturday. That would put him in line to make his Cardinals debut as soon as April 30 in Pittsburgh, and he appears likely to receive multiple turns as the club looks to keep their rotation members rested. Acquired over the offseason from the Red Sox in the Willson Contreras trade, Dobbins holds a 3.86 ERA and 16:4 K:BB over 18.2 frames covering his first four rehab outings with Memphis.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Tuesday that Peterson will have his turn in the rotation skipped this week and will work out of the bullpen, SNY.tv reports.

While starting in each of his first four appearances of the season, Peterson struggled to a 6.41 ERA and 1.83 WHIP, but he delivered better results while working in bulk relief behind opener Tobias Myers in Sunday's loss to the Cubs, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings. Despite the strong showing out of the bullpen, Peterson's grasp on a full-time spot in the rotation still appears to be tenuous, and the Mets will skip his turn this week and instead call up Christian Scott from Triple-A Syracuse to serve as their fifth starter Thursday versus the Twins. The Mets haven't revealed their plans for the rotation beyond this week, but if Scott performs well in his 2026 big-league debut, it's possible that he sticks as a starter over Peterson moving forward.

Ellwanger was placed on the 60-day injured list at Single-A Fort Myers on Wednesday with a right elbow sprain, Theodore Tollefson of Zone Coverage reports.

A sprain indicates ligament damage, though it's unclear at this point whether Ellwanger might need surgery. A third-round pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Ellwanger turned in a dominant first three starts at Fort Myers, tossing 11.2 shutout innings with a 15:5 K:BB. Now he will be sidelined for at least a couple months, and perhaps much longer.