MLB Player News

Smith-Shawver will be recalled from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Thursday's game against the Cubs, Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Smith-Shawver will be making his first big-league start of 2024 on Thursday after logging a 6.10 ERA and 1.52 WHIP through 31 innings across eight starts in Triple-A. He appeared in six games for Atlanta last season with mixed results, though he could find some success against a Cubs offense that ranks 10th in the National League with a .683 OPS.

Bello (5-2) allowed three runs on four hits and four walks while striking out six over six innings to earn the win over the Rays on Wednesday.

Bello completed six innings for the second time in eight outings this season, and he earned his second quality start in the process. The Rays scored three times in the second inning, but the Red Sox offense rallied for eight runs over the fifth and sixth frames to give Bello plenty of support. The right-hander is now at a 4.04 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 37:13 K:BB through 42.1 innings. Walks typically haven't been an outsized issue for Bello, so there's not much reason for concern that he was a little wild Wednesday. He's projected to make his next start on the road versus the Orioles.

Walker didn't factor into the decision Wednesday against Texas, allowing three runs on six hits and four walks across 4.2 innings. He struck out five.

Walker issued a season-high four walks Wednesday, two of which came in the fifth inning before he was yanked. After taking a comebacker off the foot in his last start end exiting early, Walker threw 86 pitches and didn't seem to be limited in any capacity. Although the 31-year-old owns a 5.06 ERA across 26.2 innings, he holds a 3-0 record and hasn't allowed more than three runs in a start since his 2024 debut. He's projected to make his next start Monday at the pitcher-friendly Oracle Park.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Wednesday that Kelly will undergo an MRI later this week to see how his strained right shoulder is progressing, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Kelly's shoulder has kept him out of action since April 23, though he may be able to begin a throwing program in the near future if his MRI results come back clean. If the 35-year-old righty is cleared to begin throwing, a more defined return timeline may emerge, although he isn't eligible to return to Arizona's rotation until June 22.

Ragans (4-3) picked up the win in Wednesday's 8-3 victory over the Tigers, allowing one hit and three walks over six scoreless innings. He struck out 12.

A clash with fellow star southpaw Tarik Skubal brought out the best in Ragans, who fanned a career-high 12 batters and generated a whopping 35 called or swinging strikes among his 100 pitches. The 26-year-old has reeled off 13 straight shutout innings over his last two starts, and he'll take a 3.34 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 76:21 K:BB through 62 innings into his next outing, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in Minnesota.

Skubal (6-1) took the loss Wednesday as the Tigers were downed 8-3 by the Royals, giving up four runs on six hits and two walks over five innings. He struck out six.

In a matchup of elite southpaws, Skubal wasn't able to keep pace with Cole Ragans and failed to complete six innings for only the second time this season in 10 starts, while tying his season high in runs allowed. Skubal also served up a solo shot to Nelson Velazquez in the fourth inning, just the fourth homer off him in 60 innings. Skubal will take a 2.25 ERA, 0.85 WHIP and 72:10 K:BB into his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the Pirates.

Brown (1-5) took the loss Wednesday, giving up two runs on two hits and three walks over six innings in a 2-1 loss to the Angels. He struck out three.

The right-hander put together arguably his best start of the season and made only one real mistake, but a fifth-inning sinker got too much of the plate and Kyren Paris drove it out of the park to left-center field for a two-run homer. It was only Brown's second quality start of the year, and he's served up nine home runs in just 43.1 innings, fueling a 7.06 ERA. With Ronel Blanco (suspension) rejoining the rotation this weekend and Jose Urquidy (forearm) likely not far behind in his return, it's not clear when Brown might make his next trip to the mound.

Rodriguez (back) allowed an unearned run on one hit and one walk while retiring one batter in his rehab appearance for Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.

Rodriguez tossed 16 pitches in the outing, his first at any level since the Blue Jays placed him on the 15-day injured list April 30 with thoracic spine inflammation. Per Keegan Matheson of MLB.com, Rodriguez is scheduled to cover two innings and toss around 30-to-35 pitches in his next rehab appearance later this week, which could be his last before he makes his return from the IL.

Anderson (5-4) picked up the win Wednesday, allowing one run on six hits and two walks over eight innings in a 2-1 victory over the Astros. He struck out four.

The veteran southpaw needed 95 pitches (65 strikes) to deliver his third straight quality start and seventh of the season, and Anderson's eight frames marked his longest outing of the season. He'll take an impressive 2.52 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 44:23 K:BB through 64.1 innings into his next start, which lines up to come at home next week against the Yankees.

Whitlock is scheduled to visit Dr. Jeff Dugas in Birmingham, Ala. on May 30, at which point a decision will be made whether he'll require surgery to address his right elbow sprain, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Whitlock was originally placed on the 15-day injured list April 17 with a left oblique strain, but the health of his pitching elbow is now the Red Sox's chief concern after he sustained the injury in his lone rehab start for Triple-A Worcester last Wednesday. He's reportedly dealing with damage to his UCL, so while the early expectation is that he'll need some kind of procedure to address the injury, he'll first consult with Dr. Dugas to see if rest and rehab is a viable treatment plan. Even if Whitlock is able to avoid surgery, he's still likely looking at an extended absence and likely won't be ready to rejoin the Red Sox until the second half of the season even in a best-case scenario.