MLB Player News

Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said after Wednesday's 4-3 win over the Tigers that Ritchie won't be optioned back to Triple-A Gwinnett when Spencer Strider (oblique) returns from the injured list this weekend, Gabriel Burns of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Weiss was effusive in his praise of the rookie right-hander after he battled for a no-decision Wednesday, and the skipper made it clear Ritchie would take his next turn in the rotation early next week in his hometown of Seattle. Atlanta hasn't revealed if it will shift to a six-man rotation when Strider is activated, or whether Martin Perez -- who's been designated for assignment once already this season -- will get bumped instead. In either scenario, Ritchie will end up getting a longer look in the majors. Through his first two MLB starts, he's produced a 2.92 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 11:6 K:BB in 12.1 innings.

The Astros recalled Alexander from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday.

Alexander will serve as the 27th man during Thursday's doubleheader against the Orioles. The right-hander has collected a 4.97 ERA and 20:10 K:BB over 29 innings covering six starts with Sugar Land this season. He will give the bullpen length Thursday before likely returning to the minors after the twin bill.

The Astros placed Weiss on the paternity list Thursday.

Weiss will be away from the team for 1-to-3 days while welcoming a new addition to the family. Cody Bolton (back) has been activated from the injured list and will replace Weiss on the active roster.

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.

Severino (2-2) allowed one run on four hits and two walks while striking out eight over seven innings to earn the win over the Royals on Wednesday.

Severino was locked in, throwing 71 of 103 pitches for strikes. He gave up a run in the first inning, but he was sharp after that. He started the year with mixed results, but he's allowed just two runs over his last 13.2 innings, winning each of his last two starts. For the season, Severino has a 4.46 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 40:23 K:BB through 38.1 innings over seven starts. The 32-year-old's next outing is projected to be at Philadelphia.

Wacha (2-2) allowed four runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out five over five innings to take the loss versus the Athletics on Wednesday.

Wacha threw 64 of 105 pitches for strikes. The biggest hit against him was Lawrence Butler's three-run blast in the fourth inning. After allowing just three runs over his first four starts, Wacha's given up 10 runs across 10.1 innings over his last two outings. He's at a 3.13 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 33:14 K:BB through 37.1 innings over six starts this season. The veteran right-hander has kept his ERA under 4.00 in each of the previous four seasons, so he should be pretty close to leveling off after his unsustainable hot start to the year. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Guardians.

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.