MLB Player News

Wittgren allowed a run on three hits and struck out one in 1.1 innings in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Orioles.

Through five appearances in May, Wittgren has allowed three runs in 5.1 innings. He allowed all of one run in April, so this is a discouraging downturn for the righty reliever. For the season, the 30-year-old has a 3.09 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 7:4 K:BB across 11.2 innings while picking up four holds.

Rogers saved Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Cubs, allowing one run on two hits and two hit batters with one strikeout in the ninth inning.

After retiring the first two Cubs, Rogers made things interesting by letting four straight batters reach base. Fortunately, San Diego had a two-run lead and he was able to induce a Frank Schwindel flyout to end the game with the bases loaded. The earned run was the first the 31-year-old has surrendered this season while the four batters that reached base doubled his previous high.

Topa (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Tuesday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

Topa is returning from September elbow surgery, and Tuesday marked his first time facing live batters since undergoing the procedure. The 31-year-old is building up at the Brewers' spring training facility in Arizona, and he should move to a minor-league affiliate for a rehab assignment in the next couple weeks.

VerHagen (hip) is scheduled to make a rehab appearance with Double-A Springfield on Thursday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

VerHagen made his first rehab appearance last week and will continue the rehab assignment Thursday. He threw 27 pitches over 1.2 innings during that outing and is expected to continue ramping up his workload with Springfield.

Gott was unavailable during Tuesday's 5-4 win over the Reds due to a quadriceps injury, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Gott was limited to only 12 pitches during his appearance Monday due to the injury, leading to him not being available Tuesday. It doesn't appear to be a serious issue, so the right-hander should be considered day-to-day.

Naughton (0-1) was tagged with the loss Tuesday after pitching 3.1 innings, giving up three runs on five hits while striking out two against the Orioles.

All of the damage against Naughton in this one came in the form of home runs. He gave up a two-run homer to Cedric Mullins in the top of the third inning and then a solo shot to Tyler Nevin in the fourth frame. The earned runs were his first surrendered this season, though he was put in a tough spot, starting on two days' rest. Overall, Naughton has a 4.26 ERA and 1.26 WHIP with four punchouts over 6.1 innings this season. With Adam Wainwright (illness) expected to return soon, the 25-year-old will likely return to his regular bullpen role without making another start.

The Pirates recalled Kranick from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday.

Kranick was optioned to Indianapolis on Sunday after he was called up to serve as the Pirates' 27th man for the club's doubleheader Saturday with the Reds, but he'll be eligible to return to Pittsburgh just two days later due to outfielder Jake Marisnick (thumb) being placed on the 10-day injured list in a corresponding move. While he's with Pittsburgh, Kranick is expected to work out of the bullpen as a long-relief or multi-inning option.

Cousins (elbow) has opted against undergoing Tommy John surgery and will begin a rehab program for 6-to-8 weeks before being re-evaluated, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The 27-year-old is dealing with a UCL injury in his right elbow and will be sidelined for the foreseeable future, though he'll avoid surgery for the time being. Cousins will likely be out through the All-Star break even if the rehab program goes smoothly since he'll need some time to rebuild his arm strength.

Naughton will serve as the Cardinals' starting pitcher in Tuesday's game against the Orioles, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

St. Louis held out hope that Adam Wainwright would be ready to clear COVID-19-related protocols and make his scheduled turn through the rotation Tuesday, but he ultimately wasn't able to do so. As a result, Naughton will move from the bullpen to make the spot start, but don't expect him to work deep into the game. He'll be pitching on two days' rest after facing two hitters in Saturday's game against the Giants, and he hasn't topped three innings in any of his appearances in the majors or at Triple-A Memphis this season.

The Nationals transferred Thompson (biceps) from the 10-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Tuesday.

A month after landing on the IL with biceps tendinitis, Thompson hasn't taken any notable steps forward in his recovery from the injury. As a result, the Nationals decided to rule out a return for Thompson for at least one more month, with the transaction simultaneously clearing a spot on the 40-man roster for another right-handed reliever in Carl Edwards.