MLB Player News

Gray (hamstring) will throw a bullpen session Monday, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Gray will throw off a mound for the second time in four days, after he faced batters Friday. Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said the club will evaluate the right-hander and discuss next steps following Monday's session. The first day that Gray can be activated from the 15-day injured list will be Wednesday, and Gray could be in play to start the Red Sox's series finale in Detroit that day. If the Red Sox elect to give Gray more time to build back up before activating him, Jake Bennett would be in line for another turn through the rotation Wednesday.

Defrank has no timetable for a return after suffering a right biceps injury, Christina De Nicola of MLB.com reports.

Defrank will not require surgery, so he's not necessarily out for the season, but he will be forced to miss substantial time. The 17-year-old was expected to pitch limited innings in the Florida Complex League this season, and it's unclear if he'll be able to pitch again in 2026.

Busch went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a triple, a run scored and four RBI in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Busch was all over the bases Sunday as he helped power the Cubs to victory, The first baseman is heating up with a .298 batting average, eight extra-base hits and 14 RBI across his last 12 games. Busch had the opportunity to bat first Saturday with Nico Hoerner out for a game with a neck issue, but the latter returned Sunday. That development pushed Busch down to sixth in the order, with Hoerner returning to the top spot.

Ballesteros went 2-for-4 with a walk, a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Sunday's 8-4 win over the Diamondbacks.

Ballesteros snapped an 0-for-16 slump across his previous four games with a strong performance Sunday. Even following the mini cold spell, the 22-year-old is having a tremendous season with a .317/.380/.598 slash line, six home runs and 18 RBI across 30 contests. The Cubs also announced recently that Ballesteros would begin to see more playing time behind the plate, which should elevate his fantasy appeal once he gains eligibility at catcher in most formats.

The Red Sox promoted Eyanson from High-A Greenville to Double-A Portland on Sunday, Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston reports.

Eyanson will make the leap to the Double-A level after dominating to the tune of a 0.44 ERA, 0.50 WHIP and 34:3 K:BB in 20.1 innings spanning five starts with Greenville to open the season. The No. 87 overall pick in the 2025 First-Year Player Draft, Eyanson, 21, is quickly establishing himself as one of the top pitching prospects in the Red Sox organization.

Peterson will pitch in bulk relief behind an opener in Monday's series opener against the Rockies in Colorado, Anthony DiComo of MLB.com reports.

Peterson will follow an opener for the second time this season after last doing so April 19 against the Cubs, when he tossed 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing three hits in the team's 2-1 loss to Chicago. The southpaw has posted a disappointing 6.53 ERA and 1.71 WHIP with 29 strikeouts over 30.1 innings in seven appearances (five starts) with New York this season.

Lovelady notched a save Sunday against the Brewers, allowing no runs on one hit and no walks in two-thirds of an inning. He struck out one.

Lovelady was brought in for matchup-related reasons Sunday in his first save opportunity of the year. The southpaw faced a pair of left-handed hitters in Jake Bauers and Garrett Mitchell, retiring Mitchell before striking out Brandon Lockridge for the final out. Since coming over from the Mets via trade, Lovelady has a 1.29 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 7:5 K:BB over seven innings for Washington.

Duran went 2-for-5 with a solo home run in Sunday's 3-1 extra-inning loss to Houston.

Duran launched his third home run of the season in the fifth inning, the second long ball in the last three games. He took over the leadoff spot against right-handers recently and has hit safely in three straight contests after an initial 0-for-13 run over his first three games atop the order. Duran is slashing .186/.246/.310 over 29 games (122 plate appearances).

Littell (1-4) earned the win Sunday against the Brewers, allowing one run on one hit and one walk in 3.2 innings. He struck out one.

Working behind opener PJ Poulin on Sunday, Littell quietly gave the Nationals one of his better performances of 2026 in long relief. It was just the right-hander's second appearance of the year with fewer than three runs allowed, and he kept the ball in the yard for just the second time in seven outings this season. Littell still has a rough 7.24 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 17:12 K:BB over 32.1 innings, so fantasy managers can likely find more appealing streaming options.

The Yankees reinstated Volpe (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Sunday.

Volpe is healthy again after being shelved to begin the season while completing his recovery from the left shoulder surgery that he underwent Oct. 14, but the Yankees aren't yet willing to commit to using him in an everyday role at the big-league level. With his 20-day rehab window coming to a close Sunday, the 25-year-old will end up sticking around in the minors while the Yankees proceed with Jose Caballero as their primary shortstop. Volpe had split time between Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Double-A Somerset over his rehab assignment and wasn't overly impressive, slashing .250/.306/.318 with one extra-base hit and two stolen bases over 13 games. Volpe will continue to play on a regular basis at Triple-A, and if he's able to show improvement at the plate and/or if Jose Caballero's performance regresses, the Yankees could turn shortstop duties back over to Volpe at some point later this season.