MLB Player News

The Astros announced Monday that Blanco (elbow) is continuing to complete regular bullpen sessions as part of his throwing progression, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Still on the mend from June 2025 Tommy John surgery with an internal brace as well as a repair of the flexor tendon of his forearm, Blanco remains at the Astros' complex in Florida to conduct his rehab. He's been throwing off a mound for more than a month now, so Blanco could soon be ready to take the next step in his progression by facing hitters. Blanco is hopeful to return from the 60-day injured list at some point in 2026, though he likely won't be a candidate for activation until after the All-Star break.

Merryweather (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment with the Twins' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate Tuesday, Theodore Tollefson of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

Merryweather has been shelved since spring training with a left hamstring strain, but he's finally ready for game action. The veteran reliever is signed to a minor-league contract with the Twins and will eventually move up to Triple-A St. Paul.

Slaten (oblique) allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless inning for Double-A Portland on Sunday.

Slaten opened the rehab assignment by serving as a game opener for the Sea Dogs. The right-hander's next outing will be Tuesday or Wednesday at Triple-A Worcester, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. It's uncertain if Slaten will require more rehab outings beyond what's coming up in the next two days. He last pitched for Boston on April 4.

Baker earned the save Monday against the Blue Jays, recording the final out of the ninth inning.

Baker entered the ninth with two outs and runners on the corners and induced a flyout from Kazuma Okamoto to seal the win. The quick appearance secured his ninth save of the season, tying him for the American League lead, and he now has five saves in his last six appearances. Baker has been highly effective this season, posting a 2.63 ERA, 0.88 WHIP and 15:3 K:BB across 13.2 innings. After a two-pitch workload, he should be fully available for Tampa Bay's next save scenario.

Martinez (3-1) earned the win Monday against the Blue Jays, allowing one run on five hits and one walk while striking out four over five innings.

Martinez continued his efficient run, throwing 51 of 71 pitches for strikes and consistently working ahead in counts. The right-hander has now held opponents to two runs or fewer in all seven of his starts this season, resulting in a strong 1.71 ERA and 1.02 WHIP. The one drawback has been his lack of swing-and-miss, as he's recorded just 28 strikeouts over 42 innings, his lowest strikeout rate since 2017. Martinez is set to take the mound against Boston in his next outing.

Munoz earned a save against Atlanta on Monday, allowing one hit and striking out two batters over one scoreless inning.

Munoz had just a one-run lead to work with when he entered in the bottom of the ninth frame, but he maneuvered around a two-out single to close out the Seattle win. It was a nice rebound performance after the right-hander blew his previous save chance Saturday against Kansas City. Munoz is up to seven saves in nine opportunities on the campaign. His 5.79 ERA is far from pretty, but it's largely due to a five-run blowup over two-thirds of an inning April 15 versus San Diego.

Chapman earned the save Monday against the Tigers, striking out one in a perfect ninth inning.

Chapman took care of business in the ninth, retiring the side in order on 13 pitches. Monday's performance tallied his seventh save in as many opportunities and the left-hander has now strung together eight straight scoreless appearances. Chapman continues to be nearly untouchable, boasting a 0.77 ERA, 0.86 WHIP and a 14:3 K:BB across 11.2 innings.

Soriano (5-2) took the loss against the White Sox on Monday, allowing five runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out five batters over four innings.

Soriano got off to a blazing start to the season -- in fact, he was recently recognized as the AL Pitcher of the Month for April. However, the right-hander couldn't sustain that success against the White Sox in his first real stumble of the campaign. Soriano gave up two runs in the first inning, then served up a pair of homers accounting for three total runs in the fourth. He ended up finishing just four frames, marking his shortest start of the season, while the five runs he surrendered were a campaign-worst mark. Soriano got through his first six starts spanning 37.2 frames having allowed just one homer, but he's now given up four long balls over his past two starts. He still carries a sterling 1.74 ERA overall, and he'll look to get back on track the next time he takes the mound, which is projected to be a road start in Toronto.

The Royals announced that Kolek (oblique) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Tuesday's game against the Guardians.

Kolek completed his fourth rehab appearance at Triple-A Omaha on Wednesday, striking out four batters over 4.1 innings (72 pitches) while yielding three runs (one earned) on eight hits and no walks. Though he initially appeared to be ticketed for a long-relief role upon his return from the IL, Kolek will end up slotting into the rotation Tuesday as a rpelacement for Noah Cameron, who was scratched from his scheduled start due to lower-back tightness. Kolek suffered a Grade 1 left oblique strain during spring training and will be making his first big-league appearance of the 2026 campaign Tuesday.

Moran will serve as Boston's opening pitcher for Tuesday's game in Detroit, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The lefty will presumably work the first inning or two before making way for Brayan Bello, who is expected to serve as the team's bulk reliever Tuesday. Moran is off to a strong start to the 2026 season, delivering a 2.33 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 17 strikeouts across 19.1 innings.