MLB Player News

Manager Craig Albernaz stated after Monday's win over the Yankees that Basallo (knee) is fine, Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com reports.

Basallo was a late scratch from Monday's lineup due to left knee discomfort. However, it seems he's managed to avoid a significant injury. Assuming all goes according to plan, Basallo should be back in the starting lineup within the next day or so.

The Orioles selected Walker's contract from Triple-A Norfolk on Monday.

Walker has operated out of Norfolk's bullpen this season, where he has a 4.40 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, one save and a 16:5 K:BB across 14.1 innings. His next outing out of the Orioles' bullpen will mark his first major-league game since May 4, 2025 as a member of the Blue Jays. To make room on the roster for Walker, Trey Gibson was optioned to Triple-A and Heston Kjerstad (hamstring) was transferred to the 60-day IL.

The Orioles transferred Kjerstad (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list Monday.

Kjerstad was cleared to embark on a rehab assignment with Double-A Chesapeake on Saturday. His move to the 60-day IL means that he won't be available to make his 2026 season debut until late May, but Kjerstad's rehab stint will likely be lengthy given that he's recovering from a strained right hamstring that he suffered during spring training.

The Orioles optioned Gibson to Triple-A Norfolk on Monday.

The move corresponds with the Orioles selecting Josh Walker's contract from Norfolk and the team transferring Heston Kjerstad (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list. Gibson made his major-league debut May 3 in a spot start against the Yankees and was used in long relief against the Athletics on Friday. Across those two outings, he has allowed four runs on seven hits (including two homers) and three walks while striking out four across 6.2 frames.

Mayo has been inserted into the Orioles' lineup for Monday's game versus the Yankees in place of Samuel Basallo (knee), Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Mayo was slated to ride the bench for the second day in a row, but he's been granted a reprieve. The 24-year-old is just 4-for-35 with a 0:14 BB:K over his previous 13 contests.

Basallo was scratched from Monday's lineup against the Yankees due to left knee discomfort, Andy Kostka of TheBanner.com reports.

Basallo picked up the injury from a collision at home plate during the seventh inning of Sunday's game against the Athletics, per Jake Rill of MLB.com. The Orioles should have an update on the 21-year-old's status once he undergoes more tests on his left knee. Coby Mayo will serve as Baltimore's designated hitter and bat sixth in Monday's series opener.

Pena (hamstring) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday, likely at Double-A Corpus Christi, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Pena will go through a full workout Monday first, and as long as he gets through that without any hiccups, he'll play in his first game in more than a month Tuesday. The shortstop could be back on the Astros' active roster before the end of this week.

Smith (lower body) is dealing with a wrist injury that will delay his rehab program, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Smith landed on the 10-day injured list this past Tuesday due to a right glute strain. A minimum stint on the IL would have Smith eligible to return May 15, but his new wrist issue will likely push that return date by at least a few days. Prior to his placement on the IL, Smith was slashing .217/.324/.239 with two steals and six RBI across 108 plate appearances.

Junis will serve as the Rangers' opening pitcher for Monday's game against the Diamondbacks, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

Junis will be called upon to start on short notice after Nathan Eovaldi (side) was a late scratch for his scheduled turn through the rotation. Though he's made 116 career starts in the big leagues, Junis has worked exclusively as a reliever since the start of the 2025 season and may not be asked to cover more than 1-to-3 innings Monday. Cal Quantrill will be available out of the bullpen on two days' rest and could be an option to cover multiple innings once Junis exits the game.

Eovaldi has been scratched from his scheduled start Monday against the Diamondbacks due to left side tightness, Kennedi Landry of MLB.com reports.

The injury is a tough blow for both the Rangers and Eovaldi's fantasy managers, as the right-hander had been in peak form for his last two starts, covering 15 innings and collecting wins in both of those appearances while pitching to a 0.60 ERA, 0.53 WHIP and 15:1 K:BB. The Rangers will send Eovaldi in for further tests as they look to determine whether he's dealing with an oblique strain, which would presumably require a stint on the IL. Texas will turn to Jakob Junis as its opening pitcher for what will be a bullpen game in Monday's series opener. Consider Eovaldi day-to-day until the Rangers provide more information on the extent of his injury.