MLB Player News

Heaney (3-3) picked up the win in Wednesday's 3-1 victory over the Reds, allowing one run on three hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out four.

The veteran southpaw tossed 64 of 97 pitches for strikes as he gave up two runs or fewer for the third straight start, and the seventh time in 10 trips to the mound this season. Heaney's been far from dominant -- he managed only nine swinging strikes Wednesday and sports a 14:9 K:BB in 19.2 innings over four starts in May -- but he continues to avoid hard contact, and all three hits he gave up to the Reds were singles. He'll take a 2.91 ERA and 1.13 WHIP into his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Arizona.

Singer (5-3) took the loss Wednesday, giving up two runs on five hits and four walks over five innings as the Reds were downed 3-1 by the Pirates. He struck out three.

Cincinnati's hitters only managed four hits on the afternoon, giving Singer no margin for error, but the right-hander didn't help himself by throwing just 57 of 102 pitches for strikes. The four free passes were a season high, but he's issued multiple walks in four of his last five starts, posting a 6.29 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 14:13 K:BB over 24.1 innings during that stretch. Singer will try to get back on track in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road early next week against Kansas City -- the team he spent the first five seasons of his career with before being traded for Jonathan India in November.

Williams and the Nationals won't play Atlanta on Wednesday after the game was postponed due to rain in Washington.

The two teams will make up the postponed game Sept. 16 as part of a doubleheader. Per Andrew Golden of The Washington Post, Williams will instead start in Thursday's series finale against Atlanta.

Smith-Shawver and Atlanta won't play the Nationals on Wednesday after the game was postponed due to rain in Washington.

The two teams will make up the postponed game Sept. 16 as part of a doubleheader. Smith-Shawver's start has been pushed back a day to Thursday's series finale in Washington, per Gabe Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Pallante (4-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Tigers, allowing three runs on four hits and four walks across 5.2 innings. He struck out three.

After going 14.1 innings without allowing a walk in his previous two starts, Pallante issued four free passes Wednesday, matching a season high. Through 10 starts (56 innings) this year, the right-hander has pitched to a 4.18 ERA with a 1.34 WHIP and 35:20 K:BB. Pallante is currently lined up to face the Orioles on the road in his next outing.

The Pirates announced that Jones underwent successful surgery Wednesday to repair the UCL in his right elbow. Jones is projected to return to full competition in 10-to-12 months.

Jones will miss the rest of the season, but the positive news is that his elbow procedure wasn't a standard Tommy John surgery, which would have carried a lengthier recovery timeline. The projected 10-to-12-month recovery window from surgery still likely means that Jones will open the 2026 season on the injured list, though an April or May return to the Pittsburgh rotation could be in the cards if he experiences no snags in the recovery process. Jones should be ready to begin a throwing program by the winter, and a firmer target date for his 2026 debut will likely come into focus during spring training.

Sykora threw three perfect innings for Single-A Fredericksburg on Tuesday while striking out five.

The 21-year-old righty had a delayed start to the season as he recovered from offseason hip surgery, but Sykora has been dominant since being cleared to get back on the mound. After two appearances in the Florida Complex League in which he compiled a 14:1 K:BB through only five innings, Sykora got bumped up to Single-A and has kept rolling, producing a 0.00 ERA and 9:2 K:BB in six innings over two starts. His workload is still being monitored -- he threw only 42 pitches (29 strikes) Tuesday -- but another promotion to High-A could come quickly given the lack of a challenge Carolina League hitters are presenting him.

Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said that Jones will undergo season-ending surgery Wednesday on his right elbow, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Tomczyk didn't indicate whether the upcoming procedure will be Tommy John surgery, an internal brace surgery or another kind of surgery, so Jones' status for the 2026 season won't be immediately known until more details are provided. Even if the 23-year-old righty doesn't need to miss much time to begin the 2026 season, he could struggle to immediately regain his pre-surgery velocity and command, making him a risky investment in fantasy leagues.

The Pirates optioned Mlodzinski to Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

As expected, Mlodzinski will head back to the minors while the Pirates open up a spot in the rotation for right-hander Mike Burrows, who was called up from Triple-A in advance of his first MLB start Thursday versus the Brewers. After winning a spot in the Opening Day rotation coming out of spring training, Mlodzinski struggled over his nine starts, going 1-4 with a 5.67 ERA, 1.61 WHIP and 28:12 K:BB in 39.2 innings. He might stay stretched out as a member of the Indianapolis rotation, but Mlodzinski could be ticketed for the bullpen the next time he receives a call-up to Pittsburgh.

The Pirates recalled Burrows from Triple-A Indianapolis on Wednesday.

Pittsburgh had been expected to wait until Thursday to make Burrows' promotion official, but he'll join the big club a day in advance of his first MLB start Thursday against the Brewers at PNC Park. He'll be joining the rotation as a replacement for righty Carmen Mlodzinski, who was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move. The 25-year-old righty has been a standout performer at Indianapolis this season, logging a 2.40 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 39:9 K:BB across 30 innings.