MLB Player News

Williams (1-0) picked up the win Wednesday against Pittsburgh, allowing two runs on three hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out five.

Williams was good aside than a rough second inning, retiring 13 of the 14 batters he faced outside of the frame. Both of the runs against Williams came in the second, with a leadoff double and back-to-back walks filling the bases for an eventual two-RBI single by Michael Taylor. After tying for the fifth-most homers allowed and posting a 5.55 ERA in his first season as a National, Williams looked more like his 2022 self (3.21 ERA in 89.2 innings) Wednesday. Still, he is not a recommended fantasy option in his next projected start Monday at San Francisco.

Kelly did not factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk over seven innings in a 6-5 loss to the Yankees. He struck out four.

Kelly allowed the leadoff runner to reach base in three of his first four innings of work and it finally cost him in the fourth when Aaron Judge jumped on a hanging sinker and sent it into the stands, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. The right-hander recovered nicely, however, surrendering just two singles and a walk from that point on as the Diamondbacks fell to New York in the series finale. Kelly has now logged back-to-back quality starts to open the season, posting a 12:1 K:BB over that early stretch.

Ross came away with a no-decision in Wednesday's 7-3 loss to the Twins, giving up two hits and five walks over 3.2 scoreless innings. He struck out three.

Making his first big-league start since late 2021, Ross threw only 38 of 73 pitches for strikes before being lifted, although he was able to avoid any damage from all the traffic he put on the basepaths. Despite the shaky outing, he might not be in much danger of losing his spot in the rotation for the time being. Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Milwaukee will likely need to use a six-man rotation over the next month, as the team is scheduled for 13 games in a row and 26 over the next 27 days.

Taillon (back) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Tennessee on Sunday, Mike McGraw of the Chicago Daily Herald reports.

Taillon didn't pitch at all during spring training due a strained back, but he was able to face hitters near the end of camp and has now been cleared to test his back in a game environment. It's unclear exactly how many starts the Cubs want Taillon to make before he returns to Chicago, but it will likely take him multiple outings to build up to a starter's workload.

Puk (0-2) took the loss Wednesday, allowing four runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks over four innings against the Angels. He struck out five.

Puk's transition to a starting pitcher hasn't gone according to plan thus far -- the 28-year-old left-hander has allowed eight runs (six earned) through just six innings in his first two starts. While Puk has had success out of the bullpen in the majors, the Marlins seem set on having him remain in the rotation, at least while Braxton Garrett (shoulder), Edward Cabrera (shoulder) and Eury Perez (elbow) are sidelined. Puk's currently lined up for a tough road matchup versus the Yankees in his next outing.

Prosecky is on the minor-league injured list with elbow inflammation, Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline reports.

Per Mayo, Prosecky's elbow inflammation is mild and he is in the process of building back up in extended spring training, but it's obviously still a concerning injury as things stand. Prosecky, who had a 2.72 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 125 strikeouts in 109 innings for Single-A Fresno last year, will likely head to High-A Spokane once healthy.

Buehler (elbow) will make his second minor-league rehab appearance Saturday with Triple-A Oklahoma City, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Buehler had his first rehab outing with OKC on Sunday, tossing 54 pitches over 3.1 innings and allowing four runs (three earned) on three hits and two walks while striking out two batters. Though he was far from sharp in the appearance and was clocked at about 1.0 mph below his norm, the right-hander appears to have come out of the start without any setbacks. Buehler is expected to make four minor-league rehab outings in total before potentially joining the Dodgers' big-league rotation in mid-to-late April.

Butto could be recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to start for the Mets in the second game of Thursday's doubleheader versus the Tigers, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Butto wouldn't be eligible to be recalled from Triple-A yet under normal circumstances, but because the Mets can add a 27th man for the doubleheader, the 26-year-old is an option. The righty allowed two earned runs over five innings in his first start with Syracuse and yielded just one earned run in 10 frames this spring.

Strider won't start Wednesday after Atlanta's game versus the White Sox was postponed due to inclement weather in Chicago, LaMond Pope of the Chicago Tribune reports.

The game will be made up on June 27, which had been a mutual off day for the two clubs. Atlanta is off Thursday, which means Strider's next start will come Friday at home against the Diamondbacks.

Houser and the Mets won't face the Tigers on Wednesday after the game was postponed due to inclement weather at Citi Field.

The interleague matchup has now been postponed for consecutive days and will be made up as part of a doubleheader Thursday. Expect Houser to start at least one of the two contests, while the Mets could delve into the minor-league ranks for a spot starter for the second game of the twin bill as the team begins a stretch of 15 games in 14 days.