MLB Player News

Padres manager Mike Shildt said Friday that it would be "a little aggressive" for Merrill to be ready to return to action at the start of San Diego's next homestand, which begins April 25, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Merrill has already missed the minimum amount of required time after being placed on the 10-day injured list April 8. However, the rising star appears set to be out for at least another week given his manager's comments. Shildt added that Merrill will need to "progress to a good consistent jog" before he is able to take the next step in his recovery and indicated that the team isn't yet putting a timeline on the outfielder's return. Brandon Lockridge initially replaced Merrill in center field but has since landed on the IL with a hamstring injury of his own, so Tyler Wade has started three of the Padres' past four games in center.

Donovan went 2-for-4 with a home run and three runs scored in Friday's loss to the Mets.

Late in Friday's back-and-forth affair, Donovan launched a solo shot off the right-field foul pole to tie the game at 4-4 in the ninth inning. Friday also extended Donovan's hitting streak to 14 games, during which the utility man is batting .463 (25-for-54) with two homers, six doubles, 10 RBI and 10 runs scored. Among qualifiers, Donovan leads the National League with a .380 batting average over 20 games (79 at-bats) on the young campaign.

McLain went 1-for-4 with a three-run homer and an additional run scored in Friday's 8-3 win over the Orioles.

McLain belted a three-run homer off Cade Povich in the fourth inning, and the former came across home plate for an additional run in the sixth inning on an infield single by Austin Hays. It was McLain's fourth home run of the season and first since March 31 against the Rangers. He's slashing .205/.340/.538 with seven walks, two stolen bases, 11 runs scored and nine RBI across 47 plate appearances this season.

Harris went 2-for-4 with a stolen base, two RBI and one run scored in Friday's 6-4 win over the Twins.

Harris delivered the game-tying hit, a two-run single, during Atlanta's eighth-inning rally. The outfielder had gone 0-for-15 across the previous four games, racking up six strikeouts and just one walk in that span. For the season, he's at a .197/.224/.310 slash line with two home runs, eight RBI, six runs scored, three steals on four attempts and two doubles over 19 contests. Given the struggles of Atlanta's other outfielders, Harris is in no danger of losing playing time yet.

Kelenic went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-4 win over the Twins.

Kelenic was 0-for-8 over his previous four games and has started to see his playing time diminish amid the slump. The 25-year-old outfielder got Atlanta on the board with a fifth-inning homer Friday, and he's up to two homers, two RBI, five runs scored and a .163/.250/.326 slash line over 48 plate appearances this season. Kelenic is strictly a strong-side platoon option, and in the long run, he could become a bench outfielder once Ronald Acuna (knee) is ready to make his season debut.

Candelario went 1-for-5 with a solo homer in Friday's 8-3 win over Baltimore.

Candelario gave the Reds a three-run lead in the fourth inning when he took a 91-mph fastball from Cade Povich deep to center field for a solo shot. Candelario has a .447 OPS across 74 plate appearances this season, but Friday's homer may be a sign of things to come for the 31-year-old.

De La Cruz went 1-for-5 with a three-run homer in Friday's 8-3 win over the Orioles.

De La Cruz struck out in three of his five at-bats Friday, but he put the Reds on the board in the third inning when he took the first pitch he saw from Cade Povich deep to center field for a 400-foot, three-run long shot. It was De La Cruz's fourth homer of the season, and his 21 RBI are tied with Pete Alonso and Kyle Tucker for second most in the National League behind Wilmer Flores (23).

Iglesias pitched a perfect inning to earn the save in Friday's 6-4 win over the Twins.

Atlanta's five-run rally in the eighth inning created a save situation, and Iglesias took care of business. The closer hadn't pitched since Saturday -- Atlanta went 1-3 over its previous three games entering Friday, and the one win didn't yield a save opportunity. He's allowed a run in three of his seven appearances this season while converting three of four save chances. The right-hander is at a 3.86 ERA, 0.71 WHIP and 7:1 K:BB across seven innings.

Abbott (2-0) came away with the win against the Orioles on Friday, allowing one run on two hits and one walk while striking out 11 across six innings.

The only run Abbott gave up came in the second inning on a solo shot by Cedric Mullins, but the former settled in to retire 15 of the next 16 batters he faced (including nine strikeouts). He has won both of his starts since being activated from the 15-day injured list April 12 and has posted a 1.64 ERA, 0.64 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB across 11 innings. He'll look to make it three wins a row next weekend on the road against the Rockies.

Elder took a no-decision versus the Twins on Friday, allowing four runs on six hits and three walks while striking out three over five innings.

Elder didn't have much going for him throughout this start, which saw Minnesota take a four-run lead in the fourth inning. Atlanta rallied back, and its five-run eighth inning was enough to get Elder off the hook. The right-hander has allowed at least three runs in all three of his starts this season, pitching to a 7.20 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 10:5 K:BB over 15 innings. It's not the start to the year he needed after struggling with a 6.52 ERA and 1.63 WHIP in 2024. He remains in the rotation for now and is tentatively lined up for a home start versus the Cardinals next week, but Atlanta may have to explore other options if Elder can't turn things around soon.