MLB Player News

Finnegan earned the save in a 5-1 win against the Phillies on Sunday, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Finnegan was called upon to protect a 5-0 lead with the bases loaded in the ninth inning and retired three straight batters on just five pitches. The 33-year-old finished third in baseball last season with a career-high 38 saves and remains firmly locked in as the Nationals' closer.

Parker (1-0) earned the win against the Phillies on Sunday, allowing seven hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 6.1 scoreless innings.

Parker worked around frequent traffic on the basepaths to contain a potent Phillies lineup. Last season, the southpaw posted stark splits, with a 2.65 ERA over 15 home starts compared to a 6.61 ERA in 14 road outings. That trend continued Sunday, and he's set to take the mound at Nationals Park again next weekend against the Diamondbacks.

Abbott (shoulder) will begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville on Tuesday, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Abbott is expected to make two starts with Louisville, the first of which will be Tuesday, while the latter is set for April 6. The right-hander will then be re-evaluated for a potential return to the major-league roster after his second rehab outing. If all goes to plan, Abbott is roughly on track to be back in the Cincinnati rotation April 12.

Civale departed Sunday's start against the Yankees after three innings due to left hamstring cramping, Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

It wasn't immediately apparent that the right-hander suffered an injury, since the five runs, including three homers, he allowed seemed like enough to end his afternoon. The injury doesn't sound like a serious issue, but his status for the next turn through the rotation should receive some clarity in the next couple days. The Brewers can ill afford to lose another starter with Brandon Woodruff (shoulder) and Tobias Myers (oblique) on the IL while Jose Quintana is still ramping up in the minors.

Nola (0-1) took the loss against the Nationals on Sunday, allowing five runs on six hits and no walks with eight strikeouts over 5.1 innings.

Nola cruised through three innings before surrendering all five runs on home runs in the fourth and sixth frames. While the veteran remains one of the game's most durable arms, he has allowed 30-plus homers in each of the past two seasons. He'll look to bounce back in a tough matchup against the Dodgers next weekend.

Turner (back) isn't expected to be in the lineup for Monday's game against the Rockies, Todd Zolecki of MLB.com reports.

Turner missed a second consecutive game Sunday due to lower-back spasms, and it appears the Phillies plan to take advantage of Tuesday's team off day and give the shortstop four straight days of rest. Assuming the 31-year-old sits as expected, Edmundo Sosa is likely to receive another start at shortstop Monday.

Triple-A Syracuse placed Young on its 7-day injured list Thursday due to an unspecified issue.

Young wasn't known to be dealing with an injury when the Mets optioned him to minor-league camp March 9, but the 29-year-old first baseman looks like he'll have to wait a bit to make his Syracuse debut while he tends to an undisclosed issue. After being granted his release from the Cardinals organization in the middle of the 2024 season, Young finished out the campaign in the Korea Baseball Organization with the Doosan Bears, producing a 1.080 OPS over 169 plate appearances.

Triple-A Syracuse placed Gilbert (hamstring) on its 7-day injured list Thursday.

The outfielder's 2024 campaign was derailed by hamstring injuries, and he still wasn't fully healthy at the outset of spring training, prompting the Mets to take a cautious approach with him in camp. He didn't make any appearances during the Grapefruit League slate and is presumably still in the process of ramping back up before he makes his 2025 debut for Syracuse.

Walker has been unavailable the past couple days due to back tightness but could be ready to pitch Monday against the Reds, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

The right-hander picked up the save Opening Day, but it was Camilo Doval that was called upon for Sunday's save chance. Walker appears to still have a firm grip on the closer role, and he should be back soon after contending with the back issue.

Heyward will start in left field and bat eighth in Sunday's game against Atlanta.

After a rough spring in which he hit .143, Heyward's standing atop the depth chart in left field appeared to be shaky, but he's now cracked the lineup in each of the Padres' first three matchups with right-handed starting pitchers. However, Heyward's struggles have continued into the season, as he's yet to record a hit or draw a walk in eight plate appearances. The Padres may give Heyward some more time to get into a rhythm at the plate, but if he can't get going, he'll be at high risk of losing his strong-side platoon role.