MLB Player News

Westburg will undergo season-ending elbow surgery, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.

Westburg suffered a partially torn UCL in his right elbow during spring training and had been attempting to rehab the injury without surgery. He began a throwing program in April but was shut down earlier this month. The 27-year-old will now miss the entirety of the 2026 campaign, leaving Coby Mayo, Jeremiah Jackson, Blaze Alexander and Weston Wilson as candidates for playing time at third base the remainder of the season. Baltimore will hope to get Jackson Holliday (hand) back at some point in the relatively near future, and he's been getting reps at third base as well during his latest rehab assignment, perhaps signaling he'll be an option at the hot corner for the big-league club.

The Rays recalled Martin from Triple-A Durham on Friday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

In a corresponding move, Tampa Bay designated Aaron Brooks for assignment. Martin made his major-league debut earlier this season with the Rays, appearing in three games out of the bullpen, and turned in a 6.23 ERA and 4:1 K:BB across 4.1 innings. He's logged a 2.40 ERA, 1.73 WHIP and 16:8 K:BB over 15 innings at Durham.

Erceg allowed one run on two hits and no walks with a strikeout over one inning in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the White Sox.

Erceg, who had not pitched over the previous five days, entered with the Royals trailing in the eighth inning and surrendered an RBI single to Derek Hill to widen the deficit. Thursday's outing snapped a streak of eight consecutive scoreless innings for Erceg, who had also recorded five saves during that stretch. The right-hander owns a 3.63 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 15:12 K:BB with 10 saves across 17.1 innings and figures to continue operating as Kansas City's closer with Carlos Estevez (foot/shoulder) not close to returning from the injured list.

Avila allowed no hits and two walks while striking out two over two scoreless innings in Thursday's 6-2 loss to the White Sox.

After starter Kris Bubic lasted only four innings, Avila covered a pair of scoreless frames in relief. Avila surrendered runs in four of his first five big-league appearances this season, but the right-hander has now strung together three consecutive scoreless outings. Overall, he owns a 5.28 ERA and 1.83 WHIP with an elevated 5.3 BB/9 across 15.1 innings.

Leiter threw a perfect inning while striking out two Thursday against the Cardinals.

Leiter was called upon to pitch the seventh inning and did so without issue, retiring the side in order. It marked the third consecutive scoreless outing for the right-hander, who has struggled mightily at times during his first season with the Athletics. Leiter has allowed multiple runs in four of his 20 appearances this year, contributing to a 7.64 ERA and 1.70 WHIP across 17.2 innings.

Gelof went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Thursday's 5-4 loss to St. Louis.

Gelof got a center-cut fastball from Ryne Stanek in the seventh inning and sent it over the left-center field wall for his second long ball in as many games. It has been a scorching start to May for Gelof, who is slashing .308/.372/.692 with four homers, nine RBI and eight runs across 11 games this month. The 26-year-old is valued for his ability to play multiple positions around the diamond, but with Max Muncy (hand) sidelined, Gelof has seized regular playing time at third base.

Perkins (2-2) blew the save and took the loss Thursday as the A's fell 5-4 to the Cardinals. He allowed two runs on three hits, no walks and a hit-by-pitch with no strikeouts over two-thirds of an inning.

The right-hander entered with a one-run cushion in the ninth inning but plunked JJ Wetherholt with two outs, opening the door for an Ivan Herrera game-tying single and a go-ahead double from Jordan Walker. Perkins had emerged as a trusted high-leverage arm for manager Mark Kotsay after a strong start to the season, but he has faltered of late. The 26-year-old has surrendered five earned runs across his past four outings, including a pair of blown saves. Overall, Perkins owns a 4.76 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 22:5 K:BB with three saves in five chances across 17 innings in 2026.

Skubal (elbow) has resumed playing catch, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Skubal is barely more than a week removed from surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow, so it's remarkable that he's already throwing. The procedure was performed with a nanoneedle, which significantly reduced post-surgical swelling in the joint and could shorten the timeline for Skubal's return from two-plus months to just six weeks if all goes well. A return date for the two-time AL Cy Young winner should come into focus in the coming weeks as he ramps up his throwing progression.

Hanifee will serve as the Tigers' opening pitcher in Friday's game against the Blue Jays, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The 27-year-old reliever has yielded just one run with a 4:1 K:BB over 8.1 frames for the Tigers this season, but that run came in Hanifee's last appearance Thursday, when he served up a solo shot to the Mets' Juan Soto. Ty Madden is expected to serve as the bulk reliever for Detroit on Friday.

Madden will serve as the Tigers' primary pitcher out of the bullpen Friday versus the Blue Jays, with Brenan Hanifee being deployed as an opener in front of him, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Madden was initially listed as a traditional starting pitcher, but the Tigers have decided to use him in a bulk-relief role again after it worked well the last two times. The righty has permitted three runs with a 12:2 K:BB over 11 innings in his first two appearances for Detroit this season.