MLB Player News

Boyd (biceps) will make a rehab start with Triple-A Iowa on Thursday, Tommy Birch of the Des Moines Register reports.

Boyd is expected to require just the one rehab outing, setting him up to rejoin the Cubs' rotation as soon as Tuesday at Wrigley Field against the Phillies. The veteran southpaw has missed the last two weeks of action with a left biceps strain. Boyd allowed eight runs (seven earned) with a 17:3 K:BB over 9.1 innings in his first two starts of the season before getting hurt.

Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer confirmed that Dollander will cover the bulk of the innings out of the bullpen behind opening pitcher Juan Mejia during Thursday's game against the Astros in Houston, Eli Whitney of BlakeStreetBanter.com reports.

After making a one-inning appearance in his most recent outing Sunday against the Padres, Dollander was expected to continue serving in a more traditional relief role this week with the Rockies getting Jose Quintana (hamstring) back from the injured list Wednesday, but Kyle Freeland's (shoulder) move to the IL in a corresponding transaction has left a rotation spot open. The Rockies will turn to Dollander to essentially take Freeland's turn Thursday, but the 24-year-old righty will probably need a strong showing against the Astros to ensure he receives additional bulk-relief appearances or starts. Tanner Gordon struck out four over four scoreless innings of long relief in Wednesday's 3-1 loss, giving the Rockies a viable alternative the next time as a fifth starter is needed if Dollander can't get the job done.

Luzardo (1-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits and one walk while striking out four over 5.1 innings.

Luzardo was prone to big innings once again, as after two scoreless frames to begin the game in which Chicago managed only one hit, the Cubs posted a three-spot in the third and then chased the the left-hander from the contest with four runs in the sixth. Luzardo's performance Wednesday continued a troubling early-season trend, as he has now allowed five or more earned runs in three of his first four starts, ballooning his ERA to 7.94 through 22.2 innings despite a 30:5 K:BB. While there's still plenty of time for Luzardo to turn things around, it's been a concerning start after Philadelphia committed to him long term with a five-year, $135 million extension this spring.

Mahle (0-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Reds, allowing eight runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out six over four innings.

The right-hander was in trouble from the jump, serving up back-to-back homers in the first inning, including a three-run shot to Sal Stewart. Stewart took him deep again an inning later for another three-run blast, and Elly De La Cruz added Cincinnati's fourth homer of the night in the fourth to cap the damage. The outing surprisingly could have been even worse, as Mahle managed to strand runners in scoring position in multiple innings despite all the traffic. It's now the second time in his first four starts that he's allowed at least eight hits and five runs, and his season line has ballooned to a 7.23 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB across 18.2 innings. It will be a tall task to rebound from Wednesday's performance as a difficult matchup against the Dodgers awaits Mahle next week.

Jones (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Pitching coach Bill Murphy reported that Jones looked "amazing," though the team didn't release specific details about the session. Jones is expected to throw a few more live bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment, and he continues to line up for a return in late May.

Lowder (2-1) earned the win Wednesday against the Giants, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four over 6.2 innings.

Lowder ran into trouble in the second inning, allowing three straight baserunners, capped by a two-run double from Daniel Susac, but Lowder settled in well after that, tossing four straight scoreless frames. The 24-year-old found himself running into traffic again in the seventh, when he exited with runners at the corners, and one inherited runner later came around to score. Despite the late blemish, Lowder delivered another strong outing and has now posted quality starts in two of his last three appearances. Through 23 innings, the right-hander owns a 3.52 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 15:7 K:BB, with a road matchup against Tampa Bay on deck.

Paddack (0-3) took the loss Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

Paddack held Atlanta in check for the most part, but he wasn't particularly efficient with his pitch count. The right-hander couldn't get through the fifth inning, finishing with 92 pitches and failing to cover at least five frames for the third time in four starts to begin the season. Paddack appears to have a soft matchup against the Cardinals in his next scheduled start, but he still won't be a recommended option for most fantasy managers while carrying a 5.59 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across his first 19.1 innings of 2026.

Elder (2-1) notched the win Wednesday against the Marlins, allowing four hits and two walks in 5.2 scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

Given how well he was pitching, it was pretty surprising to see Elder get pulled from the outing at just 79 pitches. The right-hander threw 53 strikes on the evening, submitting his third scoreless start already this year. Elder hasn't yet touched the 90-pitch mark this season -- Atlanta could have some form of workload restrictions in place -- but he has a microscopic 0.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB over 23.1 innings thus far, making him close to a must-roster fantasy player ahead of a favorable matchup against Washington next week.

Irvin (1-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five.

It was a bit of a hard-luck loss for Irvin, who yielded just four singles but did struggle with his control. The right-hander tossed five innings for the third time in four starts to begin the year, though he's yet to give up fewer than two runs in any of them. Irvin has a lackluster 6.16 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB over his first 19 innings, so he'll remain difficult to trust in fantasy lineups against Atlanta next week.

Perez will be called up from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Friday's game against the Phillies, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Perez elected free agency Tuesday, returned to Atlanta on a minor-league pact Wednesday, and he's now set to rejoin the big-league rotation Friday. The 35-year-old lefty owns a 3.14 ERA and 0.91 WHIP through 14.1 innings on the season, and he'll match up against a Philadelphia offense that's posted just a .229 batting average (22nd in MLB) across its first 18 games.