MLB Player News

The Pirates announced Wednesday that Barco has been diagnosed with a mild muscle strain in his left shoulder, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Triple-A Indianapolis placed Barco on its 7-day injured list Sunday, but the 24-year-old isn't expected to be headed for an extended absence. He's since resumed throwing out to 120 feet after suffering the injury, which bodes well for his chances of returning to action at Indianapolis before the end of the month or perhaps in early June. Barco made two starts for the Triple-A club since being promoted earlier this month after opening the season with a 34:7 K:BB over 25.2 scoreless frames in six starts with Double-A Altoona.

Lawrence recently received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right elbow and will rest for three weeks before beginning a throwing program, Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com reports.

Lawrence has resided on the injured list since April 23 after being diagnosed with inflammation in his right elbow. Though he's been out for nearly a month, Lawrence's condition hadn't shown much improvement, but the Pirates are hopeful that the PRP injection will provide some relief. The right-hander will likely operate as a middle reliever or setup man once he's ready to return from the IL, perhaps shortly before the All-Star break or soon after.

Vasquez (3-4) was charged with the loss Wednesday against the Blue Jays after allowing two runs on four hits and no walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

Although Vasquez produced just three whiffs, he continued to stabilize his ratios after being battered for six runs back on April 21 in Detroit. The 26-year-old right-hander now has a 3.49 ERA and 1.43 WHIP through 49 innings in 2025, and he's posted an improved 14:2 K:BB across his past three outings after logging a ghastly 13:24 K:BB over his first seven starts of the year. Yu Darvish (elbow) appears to be nearing a return and is a threat to take Vasquez's place in San Diego's rotation, but the latter remains tentatively lined up to take the hill versus the Marlins next week.

Knizner signed a minor-league contract with the Giants on Wednesday.

Knizner was let go by the Nationals on Saturday after turning in a 1.016 OPS across 91 plate appearances with their Triple-A affiliate, and he'll now look to work his way up to the majors with the Giants. San Francisco hasn't gotten much production from Patrick Bailey (.474 OPS) or Sam Huff (.534) this season, so Knizner could be back in the big leagues relatively soon if he keeps hitting well.

Wilson was removed from Wednesday's game against the Rockies due to a migraine, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Wilson went 0-for-1 with a walk before coming out of the game in the fourth inning. The 30-year-old outfielder has turned in a .762 OPS while working in the short side of a platoon in left field, and he shouldn't require an extended absence.

Civale (hamstring) didn't make his rehab start at Triple-A Nashville on Wednesday as originally scheduled, Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports.

The Brewers haven't officially named a starter for Thursday's game in Pittsburgh, so the decision to scratch Civale from his minor-league start could indicate that the 29-year-old righty will be activated early to pitch against the Pirates. If he ends up starting Thursday, Civale would presumably operate under a workload restriction, as he built up to just 60 pitches during his last rehab outing.

Single-A Carolina placed Pena on its 7-day injured list Wednesday due to a concussion, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.

The 18-year-old skipped complex ball and joined Single-A Carolina for his first taste of minor-league action this year, and he's raked in his first 25 games with three homers, 21 steals and a .327/.400/.505 slash line. Pena will be out for at least the next week due to the concussion, but once healthy, it may not be long before he's moved up to High-A Wisconsin given his strong performance.

Manager Bob Melvin said Wednesday that Verlander will be placed on the 15-day injured list due to right pectoral soreness, Shayna Rubin of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Verlander was dealing with the issue during his last start against the Athletics on Sunday. There was optimism that he would be able to make his next turn through the rotation this weekend in Washington, but the veteran right-hander will instead go on the IL and miss at least two starts. The Giants could call up a starter from Triple-A to replace Verlander or shift Jordan Hicks from the bullpen back into the rotation.

Gurriel is not in the Diamondbacks' starting lineup against the Dodgers on Wednesday.

Gurriel will begin Wednesday's game in the dugout while Tim Tawa starts in left field and bats ninth. Gurriel has slashed .292/.362/.569 with four home runs and 14 RBI across 80 plate appearances since the beginning of May.

Meyer didn't factor into the decision Wednesday, allowing one run on five hits and a walk over six innings in a 2-1 loss to the Cubs. He struck out four.

A solo shot by Kyle Tucker in the first inning was the only blemish on Meyer's line, but Miami's offense couldn't get much going against Cade Horton and the Chicago bullpen. That left Meyer settling for his fifth quality start of the season, but his first in May as he pulled out of a tailspin that had seen him post a 7.97 ERA over his previous four outings. The 26-year-old right-hander will look to build on this performance in his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road early next week in San Diego.