MLB Player News

Single-A Jupiter placed Benitez on the injured list May 9, and the left-hander is expected to miss the rest of the season due to an arm injury, J.J. Cooper of Baseball America reports.

Benitez had gotten off to a stellar start this season for Jupiter, generating a 2.79 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 24:9 K:BB in 19.1 innings through five starts. During his final appearance May 7, Benitez was working on a no-hitter midway through the fourth inning before he was abruptly pulled from the start after getting checked out on the mound by a trainer, per FishOnFirst.com. Benitez didn't look to be in any major discomfort at the time he was removed from the game, but the Marlins determined days later that he would need to be shut down. Details regarding Benitez's injury remain scarce nearly two months later, but the fact that he's been shut down for the season could point to the 20-year-old lefty requiring elbow or shoulder surgery.

Double-A Springfield activated Hjerpe (elbow) from the 60-day injured list Thursday.

Hjerpe had Tommy John surgery last April and has completed a rehab assignment, allowing four runs with a 9:3 K:BB over 8.2 innings covering five starts between Single-A Palm Beach and the rookie-level Florida Complex League. The left-hander struck out four over three scoreless frames in the FCL his last time out and will continue to get stretched out in the Springfield rotation. Hjerpe is on the Cardinals' 40-man roster and should move up to Triple-A Memphis before long if he's pitching well. A major-league debut during the second half is possible.

Marquez (forearm) recorded two outs and allowed three earned runs on three hits and one walk during his rehab appearance Tuesday with Triple-A El Paso.

Marquez kicked off his rehab assignment June 2 and started in each of his first four appearances for El Paso, maxing out at five innings and 73 pitches. While his usage seemed to indicate that the Padres were considering Marquez for a spot in the rotation upon his return from the 15-day injured list, the veteran righty now appears to be preparing for a bullpen role. He's worked in relief in his last two outings for El Paso, striking out three while allowing four runs on six hits and three walks in 2.1 innings between those contests. Marquez's 30-day rehab window officially came to a close Wednesday, so the Padres could look to activate him at some point during their upcoming four-game series with the Dodgers.

Payne has posted a 3.93 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 95:22 K:BB over 68.2 innings this season between Single-A Jupiter and High-A Beloit.

An 18th-round pick in the 2024 First-Year Player Draft out of a Pennsylvania high school, Payne gave up an offer from George Mason to start his pro career early, per Christina De Nicola of MLB.com, and the decision seems to be paying off. While the 20-year-old southpaw sits in the low 90s with his fastball, his velocity has crept up since he was drafted and the pitch comes with significant ride that allows him to work up in the zone. He then turns to a potentially plus curveball and slider for his whiffs. Payne likely still profiles as a back-of-the-rotation option in the majors at best unless he can add more juice to his fastball and improve his changeup, but his development so far has been impressive.

Peterson is slated to start Friday's game against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field, Jared Wyllys of AllCHGO.com reports.

The 30-year-old southpaw will be rewarded with another turn through the rotation after excelling in his Cubs debut last Saturday, earning a win over the Brewers while striking out two batters and allowing two earned runs on five hits and no walks across 5.2 innings. Peterson's body of work over a sample of eight starts and eight relief appearances with the Mets this season has been much less impressive (6.09 ERA, 1.65 WHIP in 68 innings), but he looks like he'll have a chance to stick around in a depleted Chicago rotation until the club gets some reinforcements. Among the Cubs' injured starters, Jameson Taillon (hamstring) is the closest to returning and is set to make a rehab start Sunday, but it's unclear if he'll be ready to return from the 15-day injured list before the All-Star break.

Holmes will start Friday's series opener versus the Mets in Atlanta, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Atlanta will plug Holmes back into the rotation after he made his first appearance of the season as a reliever his last time out Saturday, striking out four batters over four shutout innings against the Giants. Per Bowman, Atlanta believes Holmes could prove to be a more valuable asset in the bullpen, where he would be able to work at a higher velocity and lean more heavily on his slider, a pitch that has generated a 41.3 percent whiff rate on the season. A decision on Holmes' role beyond this weekend could hinge on the performance of Hurston Waldrep, who will draw a start Thursday against the Cardinals after Atlanta opted to skip Bryce Elder's turn in the rotation. Elder is expected to rejoin the rotation next week, and if Waldrep fares well against the Cardinals and earns himself an extended leash as a starter, Holmes would likely head back to the bullpen on a more permanent basis.

Gallen (3-8) allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four over 5.2 innings to take the loss Wednesday versus the Giants.

Gallen had a decent start going until he allowed a solo home run to Heliot Ramos and a two-run blast to Victor Bericoto in the fifth inning. The Giants went small ball to scrape together three more runs, all charged to Gallen, in the sixth. While the veteran right-hander has struggled for most of the season, he's been particularly bad lately, allowing 20 runs over his last 16.1 innings with a 6:5 K:BB in that span. Overall, he's at a 6.36 ERA, 1.57 WHIP and 56:28 K:BB with 17 homers surrendered through 92 innings over 18 starts. His next start is projected to be in San Diego, but Gallen has gotten to the point where it's virtually impossible for fantasy manager's to trust him in any park or matchup.

McDonald (3-6) allowed one hit and struck out five without walking a batter over six scoreless innings to earn the win over the Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

McDonald ended June on a three-game skid and had gone seven games without a win, but he ended the drought Wednesday with his best performance to date in the majors. McDonald now has a 4.42 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 50:19 K:BB across 57 innings through 11 starts this season. The right-hander's next start is projected to be at home versus the Blue Jays.

Meyer (9-1) allowed five runs (one earned) on six hits and no walks while striking out five over six innings to take the loss versus the Rockies on Wednesday.

Meyer had a good start going, but an error in the fifth inning by Javier Sanoja ultimately led to a four-run rally for the Rockies. Meyer still looked good overall, throwing 56 of 78 pitches for strikes in his first start without issuing a walk all year. With only one of the runs on his ledger being earned, Meyer's ERA shrunk to 2.53 with a 1.11 WHIP and 112:36 K:BB across 103 innings over 18 starts. The 27-year-old's next outing is projected to come at home versus the Mariners.

Freeland (2-7) allowed two runs on six hits and a walk while striking out seven over five innings to earn the win over the Marlins on Wednesday.

Freeland put together a decent showing and exited at 85 pitches (55 strikes). The Rockies' bullpen managed to hold the lead, allowing Freeland to come away with his first win since April 7 versus the Astros. He posted a 6.67 ERA over 29.2 innings in June, which was actually an improvement compared to May. Overall, the veteran left-hander has a 7.25 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 68:18 K:BB through 77 innings over 15 starts this season. Freeland's next outing is projected to be a tough one on the road versus the Dodgers early next week.