MLB Player News

Varsho went 1-for-4 with a grand slam in Wednesday's 14-0 win over the Padres.

It was the seventh long ball already this year by Varsho, who has played just 16 games after missing the start of the season due to a shoulder injury. While the outfielder is batting only .217, he has three doubles, 17 RBI, one stolen base and 11 runs scored over 60 at-bats in addition to the homers. The lefty-hitting Varsho is hitless in nine at-bats against southpaws, but he boasts a 1.003 OPS across 51 at-bats versus right-handers.

Lynch didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against San Francisco, allowing one hit and three walks across 1.2 innings. He struck out two.

Starters Cole Ragans (groin) and Seth Lugo (finger) hit the injured list Saturday, leaving an opening in the back end of Kansas City's rotation. Lynch has been used as a starter in past seasons, making him a candidate to fill the gap despite pitching only in relief to begin 2025. However, he threw just 40 pitches Wednesday and couldn't make it through two full frames in what ended up being a bullpen game for the Royals. It's unclear if Lynch will make another start and if the Royals will try to stretch him out, but Wednesday's outing shouldn't inspire much confidence in Lynch's short-term prospects as a rotation option.

Bichette went 2-for-6 with two RBI and two runs scored in Wednesday's 14-0 win over the Padres.

It was another multi-hit game by Bichette, who now has 19 such occurrences in 2025. Over his last 20 outings (85 at-bats), the 27-year-old shortstop is batting a strong .294 with four homers, seven doubles, 11 RBI, 11 runs scored and two stolen bases. Bichette ranks sixth in the American League with 59 hits on the season.

Yarbrough didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Rangers after allowing one run on three hits and no walks in five innings. He struck out eight.

Given his fastball velocity is averaging 87.5 mph on the season, it was impressive to see Yarbrough generate 14 swinging strikes. The crafty lefty's eight punchouts were his most in a start since 2022, and he now holds a 3.38 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 28:10 K:BB over 29.1 innings (three starts) in 2025. Yarbrough should have some deep-league streaming appeal if he stays in New York's rotation for his next scheduled turn against the Angels, who have a paltry .584 OPS versus left-handed pitching through their first 47 games.

DeGrom didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Yankees after allowing two runs on three hits and one walk in seven innings. He struck out nine.

DeGrom got 20 whiffs while continuing to put a shaky beginning to the season in the rear-view mirror, as he's now fanned at least seven in five of his last seven starts. The star right-hander has tossed at least five innings while giving up two runs or fewer in each of those seven outings, dominating to the tune of a 1.66 ERA and 49:6 K:BB. DeGrom will try to keep the good times rolling next week versus a hot Blue Jays offense that has a .782 OPS over their last 19 games.

Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Cruz hasn't been available for the past few days due to a shoulder injury, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Boone didn't go into specifics about the injury, but he noted that imaging on the reliever's shoulder came back negative. With a 2.66 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 23.2 innings on the season, the 35-year-old righty has been a reliable high-leverage arm for New York, though it's unclear when he might be cleared to pitch in a game again.

Gausman (4-4) recorded the win Wednesday against the Padres after allowing three hits and no walks in seven scoreless innings. He struck out nine.

Gausman was dominant, tallying 19 whiffs and coming just one punchout shy of tying his season high. It was also the veteran right-hander's longest outing since his third start of the season, and he hasn't issued a walk over his last three starts (13 innings). Gausman has still been inconsistent overall, as evidenced by his 4.03 ERA over 58 frames in 2025, but his 0.98 WHIP and 55:12 K:BB are perhaps more in line with the quality of his pitching. His ability to limit free passes also figures to work to his advantage in his next scheduled matchup against the Rangers, who entered Wednesday ranked 27th in MLB in on-base percentage (.288).

Santander was removed from Wednesday's game against the Padres due to left hip inflammation.

Santander's hip has been giving him problems for about a week, and he seemingly aggravated the injury during Wednesday's contest. The Jays will take a closer look at him to determine the severity of his latest flare-up, but the team could consider placing him on the IL at this point to give him the time he needs to fully move past the hip issue. For now, however, Santander should be considered day-to-day.

Heim was removed from Wednesday's game against the Yankees due to a compressed nerve in his right hand, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

Heim's hand began bothering him after he hit a ball off the end of his bat in the second inning, and he was replaced behind the dish when the Rangers went back out on defense. The severity of the backstop's injury remains unclear, but Kyle Higashioka and Tucker Barnhart could pick up some starts if Heim needs to miss some time.

Soto threw a clean eighth inning Wednesday against the Brewers. He struck out one.

Soto continues to work as a setup man for closer Felix Bautista, picking up his ninth hold of the season Wednesday. Through his first 16.2 innings of the year, Soto owns a 3.78 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB. The hard-throwing 30-year-old remains one of Baltimore's top left-handed relievers, but he's without a single save opportunity over 19 appearances on the campaign.