MLB Player News

Ashcraft (4-2) earned the win Tuesday against the Cubs, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts across 6.1 innings.

The Pittsburgh offense gave Ashcraft plenty of run support, hammering Cubs starter Jordan Wicks for eight runs over 4.1 frames, and Ashcraft held up his end of things to pick up his fourth victory. The right-hander has gone at least six innings in all five starts this month and generated 14 swinging strikes on 95 pitches Tuesday. Ashcraft has plus stuff with an upper 90s fastball and one of the better cutters in the sport. He's in the 89th percentile in chase rate and lowered his ERA to 2.75 with a 70:17 K:BB across 68.2 innings this season.

Crochet (shoulder) said that he's scheduled to throw a second live batting practice session Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

Crochet completed a one-inning live BP session Tuesday, marking the first time that he faced hitters since landing on the injured list April 29 due to left shoulder inflammation. The southpaw felt pleased with how the session went, noting afterward that he's no longer dealing with fatigue and is now focused on ramping up his workload and honing his mechanics. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy was similarly upbeat after Crochet's workout, noting that the 26-year-old's velocity sat in the mid-90s. Boston hasn't ruled out the possibility of Crochet returning from the IL without going out on a rehab assignment, but because he's been on the shelf for the past month, he'll most likely need to make a start in the minors prior to being activated.

Soto went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run during the Mets' 7-2 loss to the Reds on Tuesday.

Soto supplied the Mets' lone runs Tuesday, smacking a two-run homer off Chase Burns in the sixth inning. It was the 11th home run of the season for Soto, eight of which have come in May. Over his last 14 games, he has gone 17-for-49 (.347) with four steals, seven home runs and 13 RBI.

Peterson (3-5) took the loss against the Reds on Tuesday, allowing six runs on 11 hits and three walks while striking out four across five innings.

Peterson put the Mets in a hole early after yielding an RBI double to Eugenio Suarez in the first inning before giving up another three runs in the fourth. It could have been a worse stat line for Peterson, given that he gave up at least two baserunners in four of the six innings in which he pitched. The 11 hits allowed were a season high, and the six earned runs were his most in a start since April 29 against the Nationals (seven). Peterson now sits at a 5.57 ERA and 1.67 WHIP over 53.1 innings this season, and the 66 hits he's given up are tied for fifth most in the National League. His next start is lined up for next week on the road against the Mariners.

Springer went 3-for-4 with an RBI single and a steal during Tuesday's 8-1 win over the Marlins.

Springer contributed to the Blue Jays' six-run sixth inning with an RBI single and a steal before coming around to score on a Jesus Sanchez grand slam off Sandy Alcantara. Springer's three hits are a season high, and it was his seventh multi-hit game of the season. He hasn't been great at the plate this season, but Tuesday's performance brought him to a .214 batting average for the year. Springer has gone 11-for-38 (.289) with five extra-base hits (including three home runs), six RBI, two steals and five runs scored over his last nine games.

Clement went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during the Blue Jays' 8-1 win over the Marlins on Tuesday.

Clement got the Blue Jays on the board early with a solo homer off Sandy Alcantara in the second inning. Clement has gone deep in back-to-back games and is now on a nine-game hitting streak. For the season, he is slashing .298/.323/.452 with two steals, five home runs, 20 RBI and 22 runs over 217 plate appearances. Clement leads the American League with 17 doubles while ranking second in hits and seventh in batting average.

Pinango went 1-for-4 with a solo home run during the Blue Jays' 8-1 win over the Marlins on Tuesday.

Pinango kicked off the Blue Jays' six-run sixth inning with a solo home run off Sandy Alcantara, which was the former's second long ball of his major-league career. Pinango is on a five-game hitting streak, going 6-for-19 (.316) with three extra-base hits and four RBI in that span.

Sanchez went 2-for-4 with a double and a grand slam during the Blue Jays' 8-1 win over the Marlins on Tuesday.

Sanchez smacked his 10th double of the season in the third inning, but he made his biggest play of the night in the sixth, when he smacked a grand slam off Sandy Alcantara to cap off the Blue Jays' six-run frame. Sanchez was moved up to the third spot in the lineup Tuesday, and his recent play at the plate could have him stay there, even when Vladimir Guerrero (elbow) returns to action. Over his last 16 games, Sanchez has a 1.131 OPS with eight extra-base hits (including two homers) and 12 RBI in 49 plate appearances.

Royals manager Matt Quatraro said that Estevez (shoulder) is slated to be re-examined by the team doctor Tuesday and could be cleared to resume throwing if he receives a positive evaluation, Jaylon T. Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports.

Initially placed on the injured list April 1 due to a left foot contusion, Estevez began a rehab assignment earlier this month but made just one appearance before being shut down, after he was diagnosed with a rotator cuff strain in his right shoulder. While Estevez looks like he could start playing catch by the end of the week, he'll likely be ramped up slowly during his throwing program and will eventually need to head back out on another rehab assignment prior to being activated. During Estevez's extended absence, the Royals have leaned on Lucas Erceg as their closer, but Erceg owns a 5.06 ERA and 1.69 WHIP over 21.1 innings on the season and hasn't made a strong case for keeping the job once Estevez is activated.

Verlander (hip) is slated to throw around 4-to-5 simulated innings or 65-to-70 pitches Wednesday in a live batting practice session, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Rather than joining a minor-league affiliate for a rehab assignment, Verlander has been gradually ramping up his pitch count through a series of sim games. Verlander should be ready to handle something close to a starter's workload following Wednesday's session, but the Tigers will likely wait and see how he responds in the next couple of days after the workout before determining his next step. Verlander and Ty Madden (forearm) both appear on pace to return from the injured list within the next two weeks, and Tarik Skubal (elbow) isn't far behind them, so the Tigers will soon face some tough decisions with their rotation.