MLB Player News

Jones (elbow) struck out five over three perfect innings in his first rehab start with Single-A Bradenton on Wednesday.

Jones overwhelmed the A-ball hitters, regularly reaching 100 mph and hitting 101.1 mph on his final pitch of the first inning, per Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The right-hander required only 41 pitches as he cruised through his three frames. It's a very encouraging first rehab outing for Jones, who is coming back from internal brace surgery that he had last May. Jones is on the 60-day injured list and thus not eligible for activation until late May, so he will continue to deliberately build up stamina before rejoining the Pirates' rotation in a few weeks.

Franco allowed three runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three over three relief innings in Wednesday's 13-2 loss to the Rockies.

The Reds bullpen had a lot of work to do when starter Brandon Williamson was removed after three innings with left shoulder fatigue. Franco, who was a starter at Triple-A Louisville, could slot into the rotation pending the results of Williamson's MRI, which is scheduled for Thursday. Aside from Franco, the Reds could also reach down to Louisville for Chase Petty, who was removed early from his start Wednesday for what appears to be a potential recall should Williamson be unavailable when his next turn in the rotation comes due Monday.

Sugano (3-1) earned the win Wednesday against the Reds, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out two over 5.1 scoreless innings.

Sugano turned in his first scoreless outing of the season, relying more on command than swing-and-miss stuff. The right-hander threw 51 of his 91 pitches for strikes and generated just five whiffs but made up for it with 24 called strikes to keep hitters off balance. He continues to show consistency, now holding opponents to two or fewer runs in five of his six outings. Sugano owns a 2.84 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 21:9 K:BB across 31.2 innings in a strong debut season with Colorado and is slated to face the Mets in his next start early next week.

Rodriguez allowed two runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four over 4.2 innings in a no-decision versus the Brewers on Wednesday.

Rodriguez's pitch count got elevated as he matched his season high with four walks. He ended up throwing 48 of 87 pitches for strikes and was pulled after walking Gary Sanchez in the fifth inning. Rodriguez has allowed 10 runs over his last 14.2 innings, and he's at a 3.03 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 22:16 K:BB across 32.2 innings through six starts this season. He had a career-worst 3.5 BB/9 in 2025, but it's at 4.4 so far in 2026, which will likely limit his effectiveness if he can't reverse course with the free passes. The southpaw is lined up to make his next start at home versus the Pirates.

Sproat (0-2) allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out five over 4.1 innings to take the loss versus the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Sproat kept runs off the board until the fourth inning, when Adrian Del Castillo tagged him for a solo shot and Nolan Arenado followed up with a three-run homer. It's the first time since his first outing of the year that Sproat has given up multiple homers. He threw 52 of 82 pitches for strikes, but this outing was a reversion to his earlier struggles this year when it comes to pitching deeper into games. He's sporting a 6.75 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 25:15 K:BB across 26.2 innings over six appearances (four starts). Sproat is tentatively lined up for a matchup in St. Louis early next week, but his performance so far has been mixed at best.

Waldron did not factor into the decision Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out one over five innings.

Waldron labored early, throwing 41 pitches over the first two innings and allowing five baserunners, though he limited the damage to one run on an RBI single from Miguel Amaya. The right-hander later gave up a two-run homer to Pete Crow-Armstrong in the fourth but overall turned in a more stable outing compared to his first two starts, in which he allowed six earned runs in each. While it was a step forward for the knuckleballer, his season numbers remain inflated, as he now holds a 9.88 ERA, 1.98 WHIP and an 8:5 K:BB across 13.2 innings. Waldron could be in line for a more favorable outing next time against a Giants lineup that has struggled to score runs this season.

Taillon (2-1) earned the win Wednesday against the Padres, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out six over seven innings.

Taillon looked dominant early, retiring the first 14 batters he faced before running into trouble in the fifth inning. The right-hander surrendered a solo homer to Miguel Andujar and a two-run shot to Nick Castellanos in the inning, continuing a troubling trend with the long ball. Taillon has now allowed at least one homer in five straight starts, including multiple homers in three of those outings. Still, he settled in after the fifth and finished strong with two scoreless innings to secure the win. Taillon now owns a 4.41 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 31:13 K:BB across 34.2 innings and is slated to face Cincinnati next, a lineup that has struggled offensively this season.

Ritchie allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits and four walks while striking out four over 5.1 innings in a no-decision versus Detroit on Wednesday.

Ritchie's own throwing error on a pickoff attempt led to the unearned run on his line in the second inning. He also gave up a solo home run to Riley Greene. All in all, Ritchie has done well over his first two major-league starts, surrendering five runs (four earned) across 12.1 innings with an 11:6 K:BB, though he has given up three homers. Spencer Strider (oblique) is set for his season debut Sunday in Colorado, which could make Ritchie a candidate to head back to Triple-A Gwinnett. Atlanta has already designated Martin Perez for assignment once this season, however, and the veteran lefty could get bumped from the rotation instead. If Ritchie gets another start, it would likely come during next week's road series in Seattle.

Peterson (0-4) took the loss Wednesday against the Nationals, allowing seven runs on five hits and three walks in 3.2 innings. He struck out five.

Peterson entered in long relief in his prior two outings, but he didn't fare well in his return to the rotation. The left-hander coughed up a season-worst seven runs Wednesday, walking multiple batters for the fifth time in as many starts on the year. Peterson has a ghastly 6.53 ERA, 1.71 WHIP and 29:14 K:BB over 30.1 innings, so he'll be tough to trust in fantasy lineups during his next scheduled outing in Colorado.

Cavalli (1-1) tallied the win Wednesday against the Mets, allowing two runs on eight hits and two walks in six innings. He struck out 10.

Although Cavalli gave up a season-high eight hits and served up his first home run of the year, he still put forth perhaps his most impressive showing of 2026 thus far. The right-hander matched a season high in innings and punchouts, generating 18 whiffs in his second quality start of the year. Cavalli has struggled to work deep into starts consistently, logging only 30.2 innings covering seven outings while posting a shaky 1.66 WHIP, but he does have a 3.82 ERA and a strong 38:14 K:BB ahead of his next matchup versus the Twins.