MLB Player News

Banks threw a scoreless sixth inning in Wednesday's 9-5 win over the Rockies. He struck out one.

That's now seven scoreless outings out of nine appearances in May for Banks, but he's still given up five runs this month. On the season, the 33-year-old owns a 3.97 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 25:5 K:BB. With Jose Alvarado out of action due to an 80-game suspension, Banks could see more action as a setup man as opposed to a middle reliever, but he remains well out of contention for regular save chances.

Jackson (0-4) blew the save in Wednesday's 4-3 defeat to the Yankees, allowing one run on two hits in the ninth inning.

Jackson gave up a walk-off home run to Jasson Dominguez, taking his second blown save of the season. The veteran right-hander has worked as Texas' primary closer to open the campaign, but his 5.52 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 13:8 K:BB over 14.2 innings likely loosens his grip on the gig and leaves the door open the door for the likes of Shawn Armstrong, Robert Garcia and Jacob Webb to see additional save chances in the future. Jackson missed some time with a swollen hand recently, and he's yielded six runs across his last 5.2 innings.

The Yankees plan to recall Headrick from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Thursday, Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports.

Since being sent down to Triple-A in early April, Headrick has given up four earned runs in 9.2 innings while striking out eight batters and walking four. He'll now return to the Bronx to give the Yankees a fresh bullpen arm and possibly replace Fernando Cruz, who has been dealing with a shoulder injury for a few days.

Lynch didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against San Francisco, allowing one hit and three walks across 1.2 innings. He struck out two.

Starters Cole Ragans (groin) and Seth Lugo (finger) hit the injured list Saturday, leaving an opening in the back end of Kansas City's rotation. Lynch has been used as a starter in past seasons, making him a candidate to fill the gap despite pitching only in relief to begin 2025. However, he threw just 40 pitches Wednesday and couldn't make it through two full frames in what ended up being a bullpen game for the Royals. It's unclear if Lynch will make another start and if the Royals will try to stretch him out, but Wednesday's outing shouldn't inspire much confidence in Lynch's short-term prospects as a rotation option.

Yarbrough didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against the Rangers after allowing one run on three hits and no walks in five innings. He struck out eight.

Given his fastball velocity is averaging 87.5 mph on the season, it was impressive to see Yarbrough generate 14 swinging strikes. The crafty lefty's eight punchouts were his most in a start since 2022, and he now holds a 3.38 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 28:10 K:BB over 29.1 innings (three starts) in 2025. Yarbrough should have some deep-league streaming appeal if he stays in New York's rotation for his next scheduled turn against the Angels, who have a paltry .584 OPS versus left-handed pitching through their first 47 games.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Holderman has been diagnosed with right thumb tenosynovitis and is scheduled to visit a specialist in Arizona next week, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Pittsburgh had initially labeled Holderman's injury as thumb inflammation when he was placed on the injured list Tuesday, but follow-up tests revealed that the right-hander is actually dealing with tenosynovitis, a condition Tomczyk said is "very debilitating for anybody that has a career in gripping and throwing a baseball." The upcoming visit with a specialist should shed more light on a treatment plan for Holderman, but based on Tomczyk's foreboding comments, the 29-year-old reliever appears likely to be sidelined beyond the minimum 15 days.

Manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Cruz hasn't been available for the past few days due to a shoulder injury, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Boone didn't go into specifics about the injury, but he noted that imaging on the reliever's shoulder came back negative. With a 2.66 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP over 23.2 innings on the season, the 35-year-old righty has been a reliable high-leverage arm for New York, though it's unclear when he might be cleared to pitch in a game again.

Lawrence recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow and will rest for three weeks before beginning a throwing program, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Lawrence has resided on the injured list since April 23 after being diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow. Though he's been out for nearly a month, Lawrence's condition hadn't shown much improvement, but the Pirates are hopeful that the PRP injection will provide some relief. The right-hander will likely operate as a middle reliever or setup man once he's ready to return from the IL, perhaps shortly before the All-Star break or soon after.

Soto threw a clean eighth inning Wednesday against the Brewers. He struck out one.

Soto continues to work as a setup man for closer Felix Bautista, picking up his ninth hold of the season Wednesday. Through his first 16.2 innings of the year, Soto owns a 3.78 ERA, 1.44 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB. The hard-throwing 30-year-old remains one of Baltimore's top left-handed relievers, but he's without a single save opportunity over 19 appearances on the campaign.

Munoz earned the save in Wednesday's 6-5 win over the White Sox, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth inning.

Munoz allowed a leadoff single to Andrew Vaughn before setting down the next three White Sox in order, locking down his league-leading 16th save this season. Munoz has now gone 21.2 innings without allowing an earned run to open the year, posting a 0.74 WHIP and 28:8 K:BB.