MLB Player News

Benge will start in right field and bat leadoff in Friday's game versus the Cubs.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is shaking up his lineup as the club tries to halt an eight-game losing streak. Benge is slashing only .151/.237/.226 in the early going and has spent most of his time batting eighth this season. Usual leadoff man Francisco Lindor will bat third in Friday's series opener.

Lile went 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored in Thursday's extra-inning win over the Pirates.

After opening the campaign with a seven-game hit streak, Lile cooled off in early April, but he may be heating up again. The 23-year-old outfielder has three multi-hit performances in the last five games, pushing his slash line on the season back up to .277/.310/.337. Lile is still looking for his first homer of 2026 through 19 contests, but he has banged out five doubles while adding one steal, six RBI and 11 runs.

Polanco (Achilles) remains out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cubs.

Polanco has battled nagging bursitis in his left Achilles and will miss a second straight start. The Mets have not ruled out placing the veteran on the injured list, but no move was made prior to Friday's afternoon contest at Wrigley Field. MJ Melendez will occupy the designated hitter slot and Brett Baty will play first base in the series opener.

Atlanta selected Perez's contract from Triple-A Gwinnett on Friday.

Perez re-signed with Atlanta earlier this week after electing free agency, and he's slated to start Friday's game on the road in Philadelphia. The veteran left-hander holds a 3.14 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 6:4 K:BB across 14.1 innings during his time in the majors this season. Perez should make at least a couple more starts but will likely lose his rotation spot once Spencer Strider (oblique) is ready to return around the beginning of May.

Peete hit for the cycle in High-A Peoria's win over Wisconsin on Thursday.

Peete actually had only one hit (a double) entering the seventh inning, but he was part of an offensive explosion late in the game and completed his cycle in the ninth with a triple. Acquired from the Mariners over the offseason in the Brendan Donovan trade, Peete is slashing .256/.360/.605 with three home runs and one stolen base in his first 10 contests with Peoria. The 20-year-old has a 26.0 percent strikeout rate, which is high but is down from last year's 30.6 percent mark. Making enough contact will likely be the determining factor in whether Peete reaches his high ceiling.

Strider (oblique) allowed one hit and two walks over 3.1 scoreless innings in a rehab start for High-A Rome on Thursday. He struck out three.

The right-hander built up to 50 pitches as he made his first rehab start, retiring the first eight batters he faced. Strider is expected to need at least two more minor-league outings before he'll be ready to join the big-league rotation. He's been sidelined since mid-March due to an oblique strain but appears on track to make his 2026 debut with Atlanta in early May.

Tatis went 1-for-2 with two RBI, a run scored and a walk in Thursday's win over the Mariners.

He plated two runs with a two-out single that scored both Luis Campusano and Jake Cronenworth as part of a four-run second inning for the Padres. Tatis has hit safely in seven of his last eighth starts, and the star outfielder has been the engine driving the Padres offense during that stretch. He's hitting .255 with a .642 OPS since the beginning of April, but during that eight-start stretch, he sports a .323 batting average with a .733 OPS.

Freeman went 3-for-5 with an RBI in Thursday's win over the Astros.

The performance snapped a 0-for-9 stretch for Freeman over his previous three games. While he remains a part-time option in the Rockies' outfield, he's seeing the ball well. In 34 plate appearances since the beginning of April, Freeman is hitting .300 with a .682 OPS.

Goodman went 2-for-3 with a solo home run, a double, a walk and a strikeout in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Astros.

Goodman blasted his fifth homer of the season in the top of the fourth inning with a 397-foot blast to left center. The 2025 Silver Slugger is hitting just .217 in 53 plate appearances since the beginning of April but with an .821 OPS, four homers, six RBI, nine runs scored and a stolen base.

Buehler (1-0) earned the win Thursday against the Mariners, allowing two runs on five hits and a walk while striking out seven across five innings.

Buehler has bounced back effectively after allowing four runs in 2.2 innings against the Red Sox on April 5. He's given up just two runs on eight hits with an impressive 11:1 K:BB across 11 innings over his last two home starts, with Thursday's seven strikeouts being a season high. Buehler is scheduled to make his next start on the road against the Rockies next week.