MLB Player News

Witt went 3-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's 11-8 loss to the Padres.

Witt had multiple hits in five of his last six games in May, adding seven RBI despite just two extra-base hits in that span. The shortstop hit .315 through the end of April and exactly matched that mark in May, showing excellent consistency. He's added a stellar .917 OPS, nine home runs, 42 RBI, 51 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 16 doubles and six triples over 59 contests this season.

Velazquez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and an additional RBI in Friday's 11-8 loss to the Padres.

That's now five homers over Velazquez's last nine games. He was nearly the hero in the Royals' ninth-inning rally, which started with his solo shot and ended on a deep flyout to left-center field. The outfielder is slashing .220/.283/.415 with eight homers, 21 RBI, 25 runs scored and a stolen base over 49 contests, though he slugged .475 in May with a welcome return of the impactful power he showed in the second half of 2023.

Little was called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Little will return to the majors after being sent down to Buffalo on May 5. With Jordan Romano (elbow) being placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, Little will get another shot in Toronto's bullpen. The left-hander has appeared in three games with the Blue Jays this season, allowing four runs on five hits and a walk while striking out four batters over 3.1 innings.

McArthur took a blown save in Friday's 11-8 loss to the Padres, allowing four runs on four hits without retiring a batter.

McArthur inherited a brutal situation from John Schreiber, who left the bases loaded with no outs in the eighth inning. McArthur let all three inherited runners score after allowing four straight singles, and Will Klein was unable to slow the Padres' rally. While he's still a high-leverage option, McArthur was awful in May with a 9.00 ERA and 1.90 WHIP over 10 innings while going 4-for-7 in save conversations. He's at a 5.32 ERA, 1.48 WHIP and 23:3 K:BB through 23.2 innings, and he's giving up too many hits to find long-term success, though the Royals lack relievers who have pitched well over the last month.

Romano was placed on the 15-day injured list Saturday, retroactive to May 30, with right elbow inflammation, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Romano was unavailable for Friday's 5-3 victory over the Pirates due to right elbow soreness and he'll now be forced to miss a couple weeks of action while nursing the injury. The 31-year-old produced a 9.00 ERA and 1.88 WHIP over eight innings, while suffering a blown save and being tagged with a pair of losses in nine appearances with Toronto in May, so the time off could serve as a reset button for him. In the meantime, left-hander Brendon Little was called up from Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday to replace him on the major-league roster. In Romano's absence, Yimi Garcia and Chad Green represent a pair of candidates to absorb the ninth-inning role.

Schreiber (3-1) allowed three runs on three hits over one-third of an inning, taking the loss Friday versus the Padres.

Schreiber got the final out of the seventh inning but put three straight batters on base to begin the eighth. James McArthur relieved him and couldn't stop the Padres' rally in what ended up being a nine-run frame. After looking like one of the Royals' most dominant relievers in April, Schreiber posted a much worse 6.52 ERA and 2.17 WHIP over 9.2 innings in May. He's at a decent 3.00 ERA on the year, but his 1.33 WHIP and 17:7 K:BB over 24 innings are concerning, as he's giving up too many hits and striking out too few batters. Schreiber has a save and 14 holds on the year while operating in a setup role.

Dubin was called up from Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Dubin will return to Houston after being sent down May 17. The right-hander has appeared in nine games with the Astros this season, producing an inflated 6.59 ERA and 1.61 WHIP over 13.2 innings on the mound.

Speas was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Speas will head back to Sugar Land after appearing in Friday's 6-1 loss to Minnesota, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out two batters over a pair of frames on the mound. Shawn Dubin was recalled from Triple-A to replace him in Houston's bullpen Saturday.

Isbel is out of the starting lineup Saturday versus San Diego.

Isbel will get a day off after he went 2-for-13 with a double, an RBI, three runs scored and a stolen base while starting the last four contests. Dairon Blanco will take over in center field and bat ninth against the Padres.

Renfroe is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the Padres.

Renfroe will get a breather after he went 2-for-4 with a double and a strikeout in the team's 11-8 loss in Friday's series opener. Nelson Velazquez will slot in at right field while Freddy Fermin enters the lineup at catcher after some shuffling.