MLB Player News

Rafaela went 2-for-4 in Tuesday's 4-2 loss to the Orioles.

After sitting out Sunday's game due to lower-back soreness and getting Monday's team off day to rest, Rafaela was back in center field Tuesday and looked no worse for wear. Since the beginning of May, Rafaela is slashing .294/.351/.480 over 28 contests with seven doubles, four homers, six steals, 10 runs and 13 RBI.

Early (3-5) took the loss Tuesday as the Red Sox fell 4-2 to the Orioles, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk over 5.1 innings. He struck out six.

The 24-year-old southpaw fanned at least five batters for a fifth straight start, but homers by Coby Mayo in the second inning and Pete Alonso in the third saddled Early with the loss. It's the third time in his last four starts that Early has served up multiple long balls, but he's done a good job of limiting the damage against him otherwise, posting a 3.42 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 24:5 K:BB in 23.2 innings over that stretch. He'll try to keep the ball in the yard in his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road this weekend against the Yankees.

Alonso went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Tuesday's 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

The first baseman took Connelly Early deep in the third inning for what proved to be the game-winning hit. Alonso has hit safely in six straight games, and over his last 12 contests he's slashing .319/.377/.574 with four of his 12 homers on the season, along with eight runs and 12 RBI.

Feduccia is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

After making three consecutive starts behind the dish while going 0-for-5 with two walks in those contests, Feduccia will be rested as the Rays conclude their series against the Tigers with a day game. Nick Fortes will handle the catching duties for Tampa Bay.

Walls (hamstring) is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Walls exited Monday's 10-9 loss due to left hamstring tightness, though he described his removal from the contest as precautionary and said he felt "100 percent" ready to play if needed, per MLB.com. The Rays have nonetheless opted to hold Walls out of the lineup for the final two games of the series, though he may be available off the bench Wednesday. Ben Williamson will receive another start at shortstop in place of Walls.

Garcia struck out two in a perfect ninth inning Tuesday to record his fourth save of the season in a 4-2 win over the Red Sox.

The 32-year-old right-hander continues to impress in 2026, despite a nomadic career that had seen him pitch for seven different teams -- including two different stints with Baltimore -- over his prior five MLB seasons with a 5.27 ERA. Garcia has been scored upon in only one of his last 16 appearances, producing a stellar 0.63 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 17:5 K:BB in 14.1 innings with one win, three saves and four holds. Ryan Helsley (elbow) still doesn't have a clear timeline for his return, so Garcia will remain the primary closing option for the O's into June, with Anthony Nunez also in the mix.

Baz (3-5) picked up the win in Tuesday's 4-2 victory over the Red Sox, allowing two runs on four hits and two walks over seven innings. He struck out six.

The right-hander delivered his second straight win and fourth straight quality start on 94 pitches (64 strikes), as Baz begins to look like the top-of-the-rotation arm the Orioles thought they were getting when they traded for him in December. Over that four-outing stretch, he's produced a 2.33 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 25:10 K:BB in 27 innings. Baz will look to stay locked in during his next trip to the mound, which is set to come on the road this weekend in Toronto.

Madden is no longer lined up to start Sunday's contest against the Mariners, with the Tigers listing Jack Flaherty as their probable starter for that game, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Madden returned from the 15-day injured list to start Monday's series opener versus the Rays, working 3.1 innings and striking out four while allowing two earned runs on three hits and two walks in a no-decision. Flaherty ended up starting Tuesday's contest, but he'll now move ahead of Madden in the pitching schedule after securing his first win of the season while spinning five shutout innings in Detroit's 8-0 victory. The Tigers haven't clarified what Madden's role might be look like moving forward, but he may soon be headed to the bullpen or to Triple-A Toledo while the Detroit rotation is set to get some reinforcements in the near future. Justin Verlander (hip) threw five shutout innings in a rehab start Tuesday for Toledo and could be activated from the 60-day injured list next week, while Tarik Skubal (elbow) could be cleared to head out on a rehab assignment as soon as Saturday.

Matz (4-3) took the loss Tuesday, coughing up five runs on six hits over 1.2 innings as the Rays were routed 8-0 by the Tigers. He struck out two without walking a batter.

Gleyber Torres led off the game with a solo shot before Wenceel Perez added a two-run blast in the second, helping to chase Matz from the game after only 53 pitches (35 strikes). The southpaw's been tagged for 11 runs in his last two outings, ballooning his ERA from 3.70 to 5.48, and he hasn't won a game since late April. With Jesse Scholtens (wrist) on the IL and Joe Boyle still struggling to find his form at Triple-A Durham, however, Tampa Bay may have to stick with Matz in the rotation a little while longer. He lines up to make his next start at home early next week against the Red Sox.

Flaherty (1-7) picked up the win Tuesday, allowing five hits and two walks over five scoreless innings in an 8-0 rout of the Rays. He struck out six.

The veteran right-hander got lifted after 94 pitches (56 strikes), falling short of his second quality start of 2026, but he finally collected his first win after getting stuck with the loss in his five prior trips to the mound. Flaherty has a 4.71 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 28.2 innings since the beginning of May, but his 38:7 K:BB over that stretch offers some hope he'll be able to turn a tough season around. He'll look to build on this effort in his next outing, which is scheduled to come at home this weekend against the Mariners.