MLB Player News

Emanuel cleared waivers Saturday and was sent outright to Triple-A Jacksonville, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Emanuel was DFA'd by the Marlins on Thursday after giving up four runs across three innings Wednesday. He will remain in the Marlins organization, but he no longer holds a spot on the 40-man roster. The 31-year-old lefty turned in a 6.19 ERA and 1.56 WHIP across 84.1 frames with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate last season, and he will have to turn things around at Jacksonville in order to have a shot at pitching in the majors again this year.

Smith (1-0) collected the win Friday in a 3-2 victory over the Reds, giving up two hits and striking out one in a scoreless inning.

The right-hander entered a 1-1 tie with two outs and two on in the sixth inning and got Luke Maile to pop up, before running into trouble himself in the seventh and getting bailed out by Brooks Raley. Smith has made an appearance in four of the Mets' first seven games, posting a 4:2 K:BB over four innings without getting charged with an earned run, and he's picked up a win and a hold along the way. The 30-year-old hasn't recorded more than 14 holds in a season, but he could easily top that number in 2024 given his fairly high-leverage role for New York.

Manager Oliver Marmol said Saturday that Middleton (forearm) has yet to resume his throwing program, John Denton of MLB.com reports.

Middleton had been scheduled for mound work earlier in the week, but a setback prevented him from throwing. He will meet with the Cardinals' staff Saturday to discuss the next steps of his rehab process, but it appears the right-hander's absence will extend further into the season than originally expected.

Johnson (2-0) picked up the win Friday, walking one and striking out two in a scoreless 10th inning as Atlanta downed the Diamondbacks 6-5.

He walked a batter for the third straight appearance, but it's mostly been a strong start to the season for Johnson. The right-hander sports a 2.25 ERA and 5:3 K:BB through four innings as part of the high-leverage bridge to closer Raisel Iglesias, and Johnson has seen the most usage of any Atlanta reliever so far. After recording eight holds in 24 appearances for the team last season, he may not have to wait too much longer for his first hold of 2024.

Merryweather tossed 1.1 scoreless innings to earn a hold in Friday's 9-7 win over the Dodgers. He allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three.

Merryweather helped bridge the gap to closer Adbert Alzolay after starter Kyle Hendricks only lasted four innings, and he picked up his first 2024 hold in the process. The righty had a solid 2023, logging a 3.38 ERA along with 17 holds and two saves across 72 innings while striking out 98. Merryweather could improve on those numbers in 2024 as a key reliever for the Cubs.

Gage signed a minor-league contract with the Dodgers on Saturday, Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports.

Gage was DFA'd by the Dodgers on Tuesday and released Wednesday, but the team will bring him back to provide bullpen depth at Triple-A Oklahoma City. The 31-year-old southpaw posted a 4.58 ERA and 1.64 WHIP across 37.1 frames with Houston's Triple-A affiliate last season.

Cruz (0-1) was tagged with the loss Friday against the Mets. He allowed a run on three walks while striking out two over one inning in a 3-2 defeat.

Cruz entered a clean seventh inning and got the first out before walking three consecutive batters. He nearly escaped trouble, but a potential double-play grounder was mishandled by shortstop Elly De La Cruz. The reliever has allowed two runs one one hit and three walks while striking out eight over 4.1 innings.

Gibaut (forearm) allowed a hit and a walk while striking out three over a scoreless inning for High-A Dayton on Friday.

Gibaut began a rehab assignment with the Dragons, working into and out of a jam in the fifth inning. The right-hander dealt with a pronator strain in his right forearm during spring training and needs time to get ready for the regular season. Per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Gibaut's targeted return is April 20.

Thompson allowed a hit and struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to Atlanta.

Thompson made his fifth appearance and has yet to give up a run or walk. On a night when the bullpen blew a three-run lead -- including a blown save by fill-in closer Kevin Ginkel -- Thompson's performance stood out. Thompson worked the eighth and ninth innings in his previous appearances this season before entering Friday's game in the sixth.

Mantiply allowed a walk over a scoreless inning in Friday's 6-5 extra-inning loss to Atlanta.

Mantiply's effort spanned the seventh and eighth innings and was his third straight scoreless outing after he ceded a pair of runs in his regular-season debut. The lefty could be used at any time in a game and is one of two southpaws in the bullpen.