MLB Player News

Smith underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow Thursday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

The bone chips were the cause of the inflammation that Smith began experiencing during spring training. A timeline for his return was not given, but he's currently on the 60-day injured list and can't be reinstated until May 29.

Santana allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one in the ninth inning in Friday's win over the Rays.

The Pirates were up by two runs at the start of the eighth inning but tacked on two runs in the home half of the frame. That meant Santana didn't work in a save situation, though he's now pitched the ninth inning or 10th inning in six consecutive appearances -- five of which were to end the game. Santana looks to be the Pirates' preferred closing option for the time being, though Gregory Soto will likely mix in occasionally.

Soto didn't allow a baserunner across one inning to earn a hold Friday against the Rays.

Soto entered the game in the eighth inning with the Pirates up by two runs. He's remained very sharp all season, allowing only one earned run across 10.2 innings while maintaining a 15:5 K:BB. However, Soto has now pitched in the seventh or eighth inning in five consecutive appearances, suggesting Dennis Santana is the primary option for saves at this point.

Lowe went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run in Friday's 8-0 win over the Padres.

Lowe provided the Angels' last runs of the game with his fifth-inning blast off San Diego reliever David Morgan. Lowe has hit safely in three straight games while striking out three times in that span, an improvement from his rough showing early in the season. He's still hitting a paltry .167 with a .598 OPS, three homers, nine RBI, eight runs scored and a stolen base over 18 contests.

Soriano (5-0) allowed two hits and four walks while striking out eight over 5.2 shutout innings to earn the win Friday over the Padres.

Soriano fell short of a quality start for the first time this season, but he's still picked up a win in all five outings so far. The four walks matched his season high from Opening Day versus the Astros, but that's about the only complaint to be had with his performance. The right-hander has a tiny 0.28 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 39:13 K:BB across 32.2 innings so far. The walk rate is a concern in the long run, but he's consistently shown an ability to limit home runs as a groundball pitcher. He'll see his luck fade at some point, but he looks like the Angels' clear ace early in 2026. Soriano is tentatively projected to make his next start at home versus the Blue Jays.

Waldron (0-1) allowed six runs on eight hits, a walk and a hit batsman over 3.2 innings Friday, taking the loss versus the Angels. He struck out four.

Waldron missed time due to hemorrhoid surgery in late February. The knuckleballer didn't have success in his major-league season debut as the Angels got to him in the second and fourth innings. The right-hander was limited to just one big-league start in 2025, allowing four runs over 4.2 innings, and he pitched to a 6.67 ERA over 82.1 innings across 18 starts with Triple-A El Paso last year. There's an opening in the Padres' rotation with Nick Pivetta (elbow) on the shelf, but it's not yet clear if Waldron will be the one to fill it on a permanent basis.

Arenado went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a second RBI in Friday's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Arenado has recorded a trio of multi-hit efforts over his last four games, a span that also includes all three of his homers this season. The third baseman is still batting just .224 on the year, adding a .605 OPS, 11 RBI, seven runs scored and a double over 18 contests. Arenado is handling a starting role at the hot corner but is not off to a particularly strong start in 2026, which suggests he may struggle to rebound from his career-low .666 OPS from 2025 with the Cardinals.

Sewald struck out one in a perfect inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Sewald's been excellent in save situations this season, pitching seven scoreless innings to come away with seven saves in as many attempts. He's struggled outside of closing duties, allowing three runs (two earned) over 1.1 innings across his three other appearances this season, two of which have resulted in him taking a loss. Overall, he still looks locked in as the Diamondbacks' closer with a 2.16 ERA, 0.48 WHIP and 11:0 K:BB through 8.1 innings.

Soroka (4-0) allowed two runs on five hits and struck out five without walking a batter over seven innings to earn the win Friday over the Blue Jays.

Soroka had his longest outing of the season so far, throwing 67 of 94 pitches for strikes. The 28-year-old gave up a solo home run to light-hitting Myles Straw in the sixth inning but still had enough in the tank to finish strong. Soroka's start to his Arizona tenure couldn't be going much better -- he's at a 2.78 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 28:6 K:BB over 22.2 innings across four starts. He'll look to keep rolling next week in a start projected to come against the White Sox, one of his former teams.

The Dodgers are expected to recall Ward from Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Ward first reached the Triple-A level in 2023 and has seen his OPS increase in every season he's been at Oklahoma City. After beginning the 2026 campaign by slashing .324/.432/.588 through 81 plate appearances, the 28-year-old will finally get the call to join the big-league roster for the first time. He's spent most of his time in the outfield throughout his professional career but has primarily played at first base this season. It's unlikely he sees regular playing time with the Dodgers, but he could make an occasional start if Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez or Kyle Tucker need a day off.