MLB Player News

Rodriguez did not play in Friday's doubleheader for Triple-A St. Paul due to a left thumb strain, MLB.com reports.

It is not the same thumb that required offseason surgery, according to the report. Rodriguez had surgery to repair a ligament tear in his right thumb last fall. The top prospect is off to a slow start at Triple-A, as he's hitting just .231/.359/.277 with three stolen bases in 17 games.

Lewis (hamstring) went 1-for-3 with a double and played third base in his first rehab game Friday for Triple-A St. Paul. He's not expected to play Saturday as the Twins ease him into action, Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports.

Lewis won't be activated from the injured list until he is able to play on consecutive days, according to the report, which means he likely won't return before a homestand that begins May 6. Lewis suffered the left hamstring strain March 16 while running to first base.

Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run Friday against the Athletics.

Baldwin has primarily started in the corner outfield spots for the White Sox, but he slotted in at shortstop Friday with Chase Meidroth (thumb) sidelined. He popped his second homer of the season in the ninth inning against impressive closer Mason Miller, giving Baldwin his first multi-hit effort since April 11. Despite the slow stretch, he has six extra-base hits with a 108 wRC+ across 74 plate appearances.

Hendricks (0-3) took the loss Friday against the Twins after allowing seven earned runs on three hits and five walks while striking out three batters over three-plus innings.

Hendricks put the Angels into an early hole by walking two batters and hitting another, loading the bases for Carlos Correa to bring one home on a sacrifice fly. Things got worse in the third when Byron Buxton launched a ball 419 feet into left field and Trevor Larnach hit an RBI double. Hendricks departed the game with the bases loaded and nobody out, and reliever Carl Edwards allowed all three inherited runners to score. Hendricks' poor outing caused his ERA to balloon from 4.50 to 6.65, and he'll attempt to bounce back during his next outing against the Tigers at home.

Kim (shoulder) is increasing the intensity of his baseball activities, MLB.com reports.

Kim visited Dr. Neal ElAttrache on April 24, but he reported that "nothing has changed" in his recovery process. It was noted that Kim is throwing, hitting and fielding with increased intensity, but no further details were offered. Kim is projected to return in late May.

Lopez (2-1) earned the win against the Angels on Friday, giving up two earned runs on five hits and two walks while striking out six batters across five innings.

Friday's start marked Lopez's first time on the mound for the Twins since he strained his right hamstring April 8. He wasn't incredibly efficient, needing 101 pitches to get through five, but he still did enough to qualify for a win in his return from the injured list. RBI singles from Jo Adell in the second inning and Mike Trout in the fifth were all the Halos could manage against Lopez, and the 29-year-old righty departed the game with a comfortable 9-2 lead. He'll look to keep his momentum going during a divisional matchup in Cleveland next week.

Wesneski (1-2) took the loss Friday against the Royals, surrendering two earned runs on eight hits while striking out one batter over five-plus innings. He did not issue a walk.

Wesneski had 25 punchouts across 23 innings entering Friday's contest, but his third-inning strikeout of Jonathan India was the only one he was able to muster in five frames against Kansas City. Despite allowing consistent traffic on the bases, Wesneski didn't surrender a run until Kyle Isbel brought Drew Waters home on a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning. The right-hander then came back out for the sixth but was pulled after allowing hits to the first two batters he faced, one of which eventually came around to score. Houston's offense, on the other hand, wasn't able to get anything going against Seth Lugo, so Wesneski will take a 1-2 record as well as a 3.86 ERA into his next start at home against Detroit.

Erceg pitched a perfect ninth inning while striking out one batter to collect his first save of the season in a 2-0 victory over Houston on Friday.

The Royals turned to Erceg for the ninth inning after deploying primary closer Carlos Estevez twice in three days, and the former did not disappoint. With a 0.87 ERA and 0.39 WHIP through 10.1 innings this season, the 29-year-old Erceg remains one of the most reliable relievers in the league, and he could wrestle back the closer job from Estevez eventually.

Lugo (2-3) earned the win Friday against the Astros, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out eight batters across eight shutout innings.

Lugo was remarkably efficient Friday, needing only 94 pitches to get through eight innings, and he never faced more than four batters in an inning. Two of the four runners that Houston put on base against the 35-year-old reached scoring position, but neither advanced past second base. Lugo will carry a 3.08 ERA and 1.09 WHIP into his next start, tentatively scheduled to come in Tampa on Thursday.

Polanco went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Friday's loss to Miami.

Polanco stayed hot Friday, having now homered in two of his last three games and logged a hit in seven of his last eight. On the season, the veteran switch hitter is batting .344 with five long balls, two doubles, 16 RBI and one stolen base over 61 at-bats. Although a side issue is currently preventing him from batting right-handed, Polanco is worth a look for fantasy rosters in need of infield help in shallower leagues while he's swinging such a hot bat.