MLB Player News

Strahm (knee) threw live batting practice Wednesday and is slated to throw a bullpen session Friday, putting him on track to be activated from the injured list when eligible Sunday, MLB.com reports.

Strahm landed on the injured list May 16 but appears to be recovering well after receiving an injection May 21 to address inflammation in his right knee. Manager Matt Quatraro said the southpaw looked great during a live batting practice session Wednesday, so barring any setbacks during his upcoming bullpen session, Strahm appears likely to be activated from the injured list when first eligible Sunday. Prior to being shelved, he posted a 3.86 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB across 16.1 innings.

Estevez (shoulder) began playing catch Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

While on a rehab assignment for a left foot contusion, Estevez was diagnosed with a right rotator cuff strain May 6 and subsequently shut down from throwing. The right-hander met with team doctors Tuesday for a re-evaluation and seemingly received positive news, as he has now resumed throwing. The development marks a step in the right direction, though Kansas City will likely proceed cautiously with the veteran's buildup, and he'll almost certainly require another rehab assignment, leaving his timetable for a return unclear. With Estevez sidelined, Lucas Erceg has stepped in as the Royals' closer and posted a 5.06 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 18:13 K:BB while converting 11 of 15 save opportunities across 21.1 innings.

Jansen is awaiting results of an MRI on his right groin, Chris McCosky of The Detroit News reports.

Jansen had to exit an appearance Wednesday against the Angels after his groin tightened up on him. Any sort of strain will likely lead to a stint on the injured list, but more on Jansen's status will be available soon. If Jansen is forced to miss time, the Tigers could turn to Will Vest and/or Kyle Finnegan to fill their closer role.

Rojas is slated to start Thursday's game against the White Sox at Rate Field, Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star Tribune reports.

The Twins had previously been listing Taj Bradley as their starter for Thursday, but he'll instead be pushed back to Friday in Pittsburgh while the team temporarily expands its rotation to six men in order to make room for Rojas. Since being recalled from Triple-A St. Paul on May 10, Rojas has made four appearances (three starts) and has logged a 1.46 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 14:7 K:BB across 12.1 innings. Rojas hasn't tossed more than four frames or 60 pitches in any of his appearances with Minnesota this season, so he could struggle to reach the five innings he would need to qualify for a win. The Twins have Simeon Woods Richardson available out of the bullpen as a fresh arm capable of covering multiple innings once Rojas exits the game.

The Angels optioned Saucedo to Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday.

Saucedo made three scoreless appearances during his most recent stint in the big leagues. With Drew Pomeranz (elbow) back from the injured list, Saucedo will head back to Salt Lake.

The Angels activated Pomeranz (elbow) from the 15-day injured list Thursday.

Pomeranz needed just a minimum stay on the IL while recovering from left elbow inflammation. He skipped a rehab assignment and will return to a setup role in the Angels' bullpen. Pomeranz has struggled this season, posting a 7.20 ERA and 12:8 K:BB over 15 frames.

Rogers worked a perfect ninth inning Wednesday to record his second save of the season in a win over the Marlins.

A pop-up and two flyouts took care of Miami's 7-8-9 hitters after Louis Varland had worked the eighth against the heart of the order. Toronto manager John Schneider's willingness to use Varland outside the ninth will open up occasional save chances for other relievers, but Rogers will be competing for those rare opportunities with Jeff Hoffman, and potentially Yimi Garcia (elbow) beginning in early June as well. On the season, Rogers sports a 2.52 ERA, 1.12 WHIP and 15:9 K:BB over 25 innings while also collecting one win and nine holds in 26 appearances.

Hoffman (3-3) picked up the win over the Marlins on Wednesday, giving up two hits in 1.1 scoreless innings. He struck out two without walking a batter.

The right-hander entered the game with two outs in the sixth inning and got helped along by Tyler Heineman's arm -- the catcher threw out two of three would-be base stealers while Hoffman was on the mound. Hoffman has recorded a win, hold or save in four straight appearances, posting a 0.00 ERA and 7:0 K:BB in four innings during that span as he attempts to turn his season around. Per Mitch Bannon of The Athletic, Hoffman credits his recent success with increased slider usage to match the pitch mix he employed with the Phillies in 2023-24, his most dominant years as a reliever. He still carries a 4.81 ERA and 1.60 WHIP in 24.1 innings on the year, however, and he's unlikely to regain the closer role as long as Louis Varland remains effective.

De Los Santos struck out three over 1.2 perfect innings to earn the save in Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Rangers.

This was De Los Santos' first save in over a month. He got the nod in the eighth inning after Bryan King struggled mightily to open the frame. A rough patch in late April seemingly cost De Los Santos consistent high-leverage work, but he's gotten back in the mix by allowing just two runs (one earned) over 9.2 innings in his last nine appearances. He's at a 3.57 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 21:4 K:BB with four saves and four holds over 22.2 innings this season. His time competing with King and Bryan Abreu for regular save chances is nearing an end, as Josh Hader (biceps) is expected back in the first week of June.

Smith gave up one run on two hits and struck out two in the ninth inning Wednesday, recording his 19th save of the season in a 3-2 win over the Nationals.

Back-to-back singles by Curtis Mead and CJ Abrams to lead off the final frame made things interesting, but Smith buckled down and struck out the last two hitters he faced after giving up a sacrifice fly. The right-hander hasn't blown a save since April 14, reeling off 16 straight successful conversions, and on the season he sports a 2.70 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 39:5 K:BB over 26.2 innings.