MLB Player News

Almonte (shoulder) said Saturday that he hopes to make a full recovery from right labrum surgery in less than 12 months, Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com reports.

On the shelf since May 11 with a right shoulder strain, Almonte had been treating the injury with rest and rehab but has ultimately decided to get season-ending surgery after he recently sought a second opinion following a setback in the recovery process. A more precise timeline for Almonte's return to game action could come once he undergoes surgery in the coming days, but he's already seemingly preparing to miss time to begin the 2025 campaign. For the time being, Almonte is seemingly targeting a return shortly before the All-Star break next season.

Phillips (2-0) was charged with a blown save and earned the win against Milwaukee on Saturday. He allowed one run on one hit while striking out one batter over one inning.

With the Dodgers up 3-2 in the top of the eighth frame, manager Dave Roberts elected to call upon Phillips to face the heart of the Brewers order. The right-hander couldn't protect the lead, giving up a one-out solo homer to Christian Yelich. Phillips did get credited for the win, however, as a result of Los Angeles tallying two runs in the bottom of the frame and Alex Vesia closing things out in the ninth. This was the second time in the past two weeks that Roberts has called upon Phillips before the ninth inning in a high-leverage situation, so it's clear that the team is comfortable using him in that way. Phillips should still get the vast majority of save chances for the Dodgers, though Vesia has five saves on the campaign and is probably the leading candidate for ninth-inning duties when Phillips is either unavailable or deployed earlier in a contest.

Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said after Saturday's 7-5 extra-inning win over the Padres that Pfaadt (ankle) expects to make his next start, Jesse Friedman of GoPHNX.com reports.

Pfaadt was pulled midway through the fifth inning Saturday after he was struck in the left ankle by a 98-mile-per-hour comebacker. Fortunately for Pfaadt, X-rays returned negative and he was diagnosed with little more than a bruise, but the Diamondbacks want to check back in with the right-hander Sunday to make sure that his condition hasn't taken a turn for the worse. Pfaadt tentatively lines up to make his next turn through the Arizona rotation Thursday versus Atlanta.

Vodnik picked up the save over the Royals on Saturday, allowing one hit and one walk over one inning while striking out one.

Vodnik entered the contest with a two-run lead in the ninth and got Salvador Perez to go down on strikes before allowing two of the next three men to reach. The right-handed reliever was able to escape the jam, however, and secure his first save of the campaign. Vodnik had blown each of his previous two save attempts this season coming in but has now recorded a win and a save in his last two appearances. He's also recorded at least one strikeout in seven consecutive outings.

Torrens went 3-for-4 with a double, a run scored and three RBI in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Pirates.

Getting the nod behind the plate after Francisco Alvarez took a Paul Skenes fastball off his elbow Friday, Torrens opened the scoring with a bases-loaded double in the third inning. He hasn't fallen out of the game plan completely since Alvarez returned from the injured list about a month ago -- Torrens has started four of the last seven games, three at catcher and one at DH, and manager Carlos Mendoza will likely continue to find way to get him into the lineup given his .317/.364/.610 slash line with three homers in 44 plate appearances since joining the Mets.

Nimmo went 3-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Pirates.

The multi-hit performance was his third in his last six games, while Nimmo is 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts through 82 contests -- his career high is nine steals, set back in 2018. The 31-year-old has found his groove at the plate, and since the beginning of June he's slashing .312/.400/.560 through 125 plate appearances with six homers, four steals, 23 RBI and 26 runs.

Diaz struck out one in a scoreless ninth inning Saturday to record his eighth save of the season in a 5-2 win over the Pirates.

Seeing his first action since serving a 10-game suspension for use of a foreign substance, Diaz hit Oneil Cruz with a pitch to begin the frame but escaped the minor jam by striking out Rowdy Tellez and getting Andrew McCutchen to ground into a double play. Diaz has had a turbulent campaign in his return from a knee injury that cost him the entire 2023 season, but he had been showing signs of turning things around prior to the suspension -- he's allowed only one run in his last six innings with a 7:0 K:BB.

Smyly allowed a walk and a solo home run over two innings of relief in Saturday's 7-0 loss to the Angels. He struck out one.

Starter Kyle Hendricks left the game after two innings due to back tightness, which forced the Cubs to use five relievers, including Smyly. The veteran lefty has been solid this year with a 3.48 ERA and 31 strikeouts across 31 innings of relief work. While he's been used exclusively out of the bullpen so far in 2024, Smyly did make 23 starts for the team last season, and he could be an option for the rotation in the short term if Hendricks has to miss any time.

Peterson came away with a no-decision in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Pirates, giving up two runs on five hits and two walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out five.

The 28-year-old lefty ran up his pitch count and got the hook after 87 pitches (61 strikes), missing a chance to collect his fourth win of the season. Peterson has allowed two runs or less in four straight starts but has failed to complete five innings in two of them, leaving him with a 3.00 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB through 21 innings over that stretch. He could be the pitcher bumped from the rotation when Kodai Senga (shoulder) returns sometime after the All-Star break, but Peterson will take one more turn before the Midsummer Classic, lining up to face the Nationals at home next week.

Young went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a stolen base in Saturday's 14-6 win over the Cardinals.

The 24-year-old center fielder doesn't offer much with his bat while hitting at the bottom of the order for the Nationals, but Young continues to be a nuisance when he reaches base. Through 78 big-league games this season he's slashing .261/.321/.327 with one homer, 18 RBI, 45 runs and 20 steals in 25 attempts. Washington's youth movement is in full swing, but Young isn't necessarily guaranteed to keep his spot in the starting lineup as Dylan Crews could be the next prospect the team brings up to The Show.