MLB Player News

Smith picked up the save in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Orioles, striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.

Smith made easy work of the Orioles' batters in the ninth inning, getting each one to strike out swinging while generating six whiffs and 15 pitches (11 strikes). The right-hander has converted on five of seven save opportunities this season and has a 4.09 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 14:3 K:BB across 11 innings. His five saves are tied for sixth most in the American League.

Crawford said that he expects to have an update on the extent of his right forearm injury Sunday once his doctor finishes reviewing his MRI results, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.

Crawford underwent the MRI late earlier in the week after experiencing soreness in his forearm following his first rehab start at Triple-A Worcester last Saturday. He's still awaiting his doctor's assessment, but the Red Sox should soon have an update regarding Crawford's next steps. Crawford missed the entire 2025 season, initially due to patellar tendon soreness before he developed a wrist problem that he treated with surgery in July.

Williams (3-1) earned the win against the Orioles on Saturday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk while striking out 11 across seven innings.

Williams set the tone early by striking out four of the first five batters he faced. He limited the Orioles to just four baserunners, with his lone blemish coming in the fourth inning on a Leody Taveras solo homer. Williams finished strong, however, retiring the last 11 batters he faced. The right-hander generated a whopping 18 whiffs while tossing 73 strikes on 100 pitches, and it was the second time this season he posted 10-plus strikeouts. Williams has a 2.12 ERA and 1.01 WHIP over 29.2 innings, and his 40 punchouts lead the majors. He's lined up to face the Blue Jays in Toronto next weekend.

Diaz is expected to have his contract selected by the Royals on Sunday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Diaz signed with Kansas City in late February and has spent the start of the regular season with Triple-A Omaha. He is hitting only .226 with one double across 34 plate appearances, but he'll still make his way back to the majors. Diaz's immediate role is unclear, and his promotion is not yet official.

Yates (knee) still needs to gain weight and add velocity before being activated from the injured list, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Yates made his first rehab appearance Friday night and said the outing went as planned despite allowing one earned run on a hit and a walk. He also noted he'll need a few more rehab appearances before returning. Yates projects to work in a high-leverage role once fully healthy and could threaten closer Jordan Romano for saves.

Allen did not suffer an injury and is available off the bench for Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Allen was originally in the lineup for Saturday's game, starting at shortstop while hitting ninth. However, he did not take the field with the starters, with Shay Whitcomb taking Allen's spot. The move appears to be discretionary, as the team has advised that Allen did not suffer an injury.

Whitcomb is starting at third base in Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Whitcomb wasn't in the original lineup and the Astros never announced a change. However, he took the field with the rest of Houston's starters and is manning third base while hitting ninth. Nick Allen (undisclosed) was removed from the lineup.

Allen did not start Saturday's game against the Cardinals, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Allen was originally slated to start the game at shortstop while hitting ninth. The Astros never announced a change to the lineup, but Carlos Correa ended up taking the field at shortstop with Shay Whitcomb manning the hot corner. It's unclear if Allen suffered an injury or if the team just made a change to its lineup.

Story went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts during the Red Sox's 4-1 loss to the Tigers on Saturday.

Story served as the designated hitter for Saturday's bout, though that shift didn't pay off as he struck out in all three of his at-bats against Tarik Skubal. Story has gone 0-for-9 with six strikeouts over the first two games of the series and is slashing .188/.202/.306 with one steal, two home runs, 17 RBI and a 30.6 percent strikeout rate over 89 plate appearances this season.

Bello (1-2) took the loss against the Tigers on Saturday, allowing four runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four across four innings.

It was going to be tough for Bello to come away with the win Saturday as he faced Tarik Skubal on the mound, but the former did himself no favors in the first inning. Bello ran up his pitch count to 35 in the opening frame, somehow limiting the damage to just one run despite loading the bases. He settled in over the next two innings before giving up another three runs in the fourth, and Bello was unable to avoid the loss as his teammates generated just one run. He has given up three runs or more in three of his first four starts of the season and has a 6.75 ERA and 1.93 WHIP over 18.2 innings. Bello will look to bounce back in his next start, which is tentatively slated for next week at home against the rival Yankees.