MLB Player News

Sheets slugged a solo home run in his only plate appearance during Monday's 9-7 win against the Cubs.

Sheets began the game on the bench but entered in the seventh inning after Manny Machado was lifted as a precaution due to concern about an unspecified injury. Sheets made the most of his lone plate appearance, slugging a solo homer to right field in the bottom of the eighth frame. The long ball extended his modest hitting streak to four games, and Sheets has gone 4-for-11 with a pair of homers, three runs and six RBI during that span.

Triple-A Nashville placed Childers on the 7-day injured list April 25 with an undisclosed injury.

Childers was having a breakout start to the year at Triple-A, logging a 0.00 ERA, 1.00 WHIP and 13:3 K:BB in 10 innings to go with four saves. The move is retroactive to April 24.

Manager Craig Stammen said after Monday's game against the Cubs that Machado is "fine" and was removed from the contest as a precautionary move, Marty Caswell of Foul Territyory reports.

The veteran third baseman came out of the batter's box awkwardly and wasn't moving well down the line in the sixth inning Monday, so the Padres elected to lift him from the contest after he went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three runs scored. Stammen didn't mention a specific injury but indicated Machado's lower half wasn't feeling great after a couple of slides into second base. He should be considered day-to-day heading into Tuesday's matchup with Chicago.

The Cubs are "accelerating the catching program" for Ballesteros, Patrick Mooney of The Athletic reports.

Ballesteros made his second appearance and first start of the season at catcher in Monday's loss to the Padres. He remains the primary designated hitter and No. 3 catcher behind Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya, but Ballesteros will be worked in more behind the plate moving forward. Ballesteros needs eight more appearances at catcher in order to gain eligibility at the position in most fantasy leagues. It sounds like he should get there, which would be a boon for the fantasy prospects of a player who's slashing a ridiculous .387/.435/.710 with five home runs and a 6:12 BB:K.

Strider (oblique) isn't expected to be activated from the 15-day injured list to make his season debut this weekend in Colorado and could instead continue his rehab in the minor leagues, Lindsay Crosby of BravesToday.com reports.

Strider threw 82 pitches over five innings Sunday for Triple-A Gwinnett in his third rehab start, and he's apparently not quite ready to enter the big-league rotation after previously being expected to face the Rockies this weekend. No setback has been reported, so it's possible Atlanta just wants to avoid the right-hander making his season debut at the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. Strider's first MLB start of 2026 now appears likely to come next week on the road against either the Mariners or Dodgers.

Ashcraft (personal) is expected to be activated from the bereavement list in time to start Tuesday's game versus the Cardinals, Jose Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reports.

Ashcraft was placed on the bereavement list Saturday, but he will not have to miss a start, only getting his turn pushed back one day. The young right-hander is sitting on a 2.43 ERA and 32:9 K:BB over his first 29.2 innings this season and is a must-start against a lackluster Cardinals lineup.

Freeland (shoulder) threw a bullpen session with no issues Sunday and is expected to be reinstated from the injured list during the three-game series against the Reds that begins Tuesday, Kevin Henry of The Denver Gazette reports.

The Rockies have yet to announce their starting pitcher for Tuesday's series opener, and Freeland is likely being considered to take the mound, though he could also start later in the series. The veteran left-hander landed on the shelf with shoulder inflammation after allowing one run over 6.1 innings versus Houston on April 7. Freeland could face some minor workload restrictions in his first start back since he didn't embark on a rehab assignment, but the brevity of the absence should mean he isn't significantly limited whenever he does take the mound.

Murphy (hip) will remain on a rehab assignment with High-A Rome this week, Lindsay Crosby of BravesToday.com reports.

Atlanta wants Murphy to catch back-to-back nine-inning games before it activates the veteran catcher for his season debut, though it's unclear exactly what the target date is for his return. Murphy -- who is just 3-for-23 with a 1:7 BB:K across his first eight rehab contests -- is projected to serve as Atlanta's primary designated hitter and occasional catcher once he's back on the active roster.

The Reds assigned Ferguson (oblique) to Double-A Chattanooga to begin a rehab assignment Tuesday.

The left-hander opened the season on the IL due to an oblique strain but is now in the final stage of his rehab program. Ferguson will likely require at least a few appearances in the minors before being cleared to join the active roster.

Manager Torey Lovullo said Sunday that Gallen (shoulder) was feeling better, and the club is "encouraged" the right-hander will make his next turn through the rotation, Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic reports.

Gallen was removed from his start against the Padres on Saturday after being hit by a comebacker on his throwing shoulder, ending his day after three scoreless frames. The 30-year-old was diagnosed with a contusion, and it appears he'll be able to take the mound for his next turn through the rotation this weekend against the Cubs. Gallen's status should receive more clarity in the next day or two, which is when he would typically throw his between-starts bullpen session.