MLB Player News

Lowder (shoulder) is expected to face hitters early next week, Charlie Goldsmith of of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Lowder recently resumed throwing off the mound as he works his way back from an AC joint issue in his right shoulder, and he's almost ready to face hitters. The righty said he's "pushed to be aggressive to get back as fast as possible," but he will not quite be ready when first eligible Monday. It shouldn't be long after that, however, as long as Lowder's recovery continues on its current trajectory.

The Pirates recalled Valdez from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Valdez earned his first promotion to the majors after slashing .253/.381/.506 with 10 homers, 29 RBI and 25 runs scored over 194 plate appearances at Indianapolis. He's worked primarily in right field throughout his minor-league career, making him a logical choice to fill in as Pittsburgh's right fielder while Ryan O'Hearn (quad) is on the injured list. That said, the Pirates recalled Jhostynxon Garcia from Triple-A on Tuesday for a similar purpose, so it's unclear how reps will be divided between the two prospects.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough indicated Thursday that Phillips is under consideration to start Sunday's game against the Mets, Craig Mish of FanDuel Sports Network Florida reports.

Phillips has been a full-time reliever the last two seasons with the Marlins, but almost all of his experience prior to that both at the major- and minor-league level has been as a starting pitcher. He's also exceeded 40 pitches in each of his last two relief outings, so Phillips is relatively stretched out. If the Marlins do go with Phillips on Sunday, he likely wouldn't be able to go longer than four innings.

May (3-5) took the loss Thursday against the Pirates, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out seven.

May held Pittsburgh to two runs through his first five innings but ran into trouble in the sixth, when four straight Pirates reached safely with one out, ultimately resulting in two more runs. Prior to Thursday, May had delivered quality starts in four straight outings. His ERA now sits at an even 5.00 with a 1.43 WHIP and 42:17 K:BB across 54 innings. The right-hander is currently lined up to face the Brewers on the road his next time out.

Ashcraft (3-2) earned the win Thursday over the Cardinals, allowing a run on four hits and two walks across seven innings. He struck out nine.

Ashcraft was impressive Thursday, holding St. Louis to a lone run on an Ivan Herrera homer while matching a season high with nine strikeouts. Ashcraft has pitched into the seventh inning in four consecutive starts, posting a 2.14 ERA in that span (28.1 innings). Overall, his ERA is down to 2.89 with a 1.03 WHIP and 65:16 K:BB across 10 starts (62.1 innings) this season. Ashcraft will look to keep rolling in his next outing, tentatively scheduled to come at home against the Cubs.

Snelling will undergo Tommy John surgery to repair the UCL in his left elbow, Craig Mish of FanDuel Sports Network Florida reports.

It's not a surprising development after Snelling was diagnosed with a sprained UCL last week and moved from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL earlier Thursday. With it being a full Tommy John repair rather than an internal brace procedure, Snelling will likely be out until at least the second half of the 2027 season, and he might not be seen in the big leagues until 2028.

Atlanta claimed Handley off waivers from the Orioles on Thursday and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

With both Drake Baldwin (oblique) and Sean Murphy (finger) on the injured list, Atlanta is a bit thin at catcher at the moment, so the team will bring in Handley to provide some extra depth at the position. He'll report to Triple-A and would likely join the big club only if an injury strikes another backstop. Hurston Waldrep (elbow) was transferred to the 60-day IL in a corresponding move.

Atlanta transferred Waldrep (elbow) to the 60-day injured list Thursday.

The move frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for waiver claim Maverick Handley. It does not alter Waldrep's timetable, as he is recovering from elbow surgery and not expected to be an option for Atlanta until late June at the earliest.

Norby isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against Atlanta.

Norby will grab a seat on the bench to begin Thursday's finale after going 1-for-10 with three walks, two runs and a steal over the first three games of the series. Javier Sanoja will pick up a start at third base as a result and bat ninth.

Senga (back) will begin a rehab assignment with Single-A St. Lucie on Friday, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Senga has been throwing at the Mets' spring training complex in Florida and is ready to test things out in a game setting. The 33-year-old right-hander posted a 9.00 ERA in his first five starts before landing on the 15-day injured list in late April with lumbar spine inflammation, so the Mets will want Senga to look crisp in addition to feeling healthy before they consider re-inserting him into the big-league rotation.