MLB Player News

X-rays on Young's left shoulder came back negative Saturday, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Young exited Saturday's game after crashing into the wall while attempting to make a catch in the seventh inning. He seems to have avoided serious injury, though the team cautioned that it will need to see how Young feels Sunday before his status becomes clear.

Lopez (ankle) rejoined the Marlins in Miami on Saturday, Daniel Alvarez-Montes of ElExtraBase.com reports.

Lopez has been sidelined since May 4 due to a sprained right ankle and appeared in one rehab game Friday with Triple-A Jacksonville. He isn't yet activated, though he may return to the lineup for Sunday's series finale versus the Rays.

The Dodgers transferred Snell (shoulder) to the 60-day injured list Saturday.

Snell's move to the 60-day IL makes him ineligible to return until June 5, though he just began playing catch Wednesday and isn't expected to return for another several weeks anyway. While he continues working his way back, the Dodgers will give his spot on the 40-man roster to Clayton Kershaw (toe/knee), who was activated to start Saturday's game against the Angels.

The Dodgers optioned Loutos to Triple-A Oklahoma City on Saturday.

Loutos gave up two runs in one inning during Friday's loss and will now head back to the minors after one appearance to make room for Clayton Kershaw (toe/knee), who was activated from the IL to start Saturday's game.

The Dodgers reinstated Kershaw (toe/knee) from the 60-day injured list ahead of his start against the Angels on Saturday.

Kershaw will be pitching on a big-league mound for the first time since August after undergoing surgeries on his left toe and left knee. The future Hall of Famer made five rehab starts across three minor-league levels, finishing his assignment with a 2.57 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 16:5 K:BB across 21 innings. His first MLB test of 2025 will come against an Angels lineup that ranks near the bottom of the league with a .664 OPS. In order to make room for Kershaw on the active roster, the Dodgers optioned Ryan Loutos to Triple-A and transferred Blake Snell (shoulder) to the 60-day IL.

Manager Bob Melvin announced Saturday that Birdsong will replace Jordan Hicks in the Giants' rotation, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Birdsong lost the race for a rotation spot during spring training, but his 2.31 ERA and 1.29 WHIP across 23.1 innings out of the bullpen, combined with Hicks' struggles as a starter, will cause the two pitchers to swap roles. Birdsong's first start of the season will come Tuesday against the Royals, who own the fourth-lowest scoring offense (157 runs) and sixth-worst OPS (.662) in the majors.

Young was removed from Saturday's game against the Orioles with an apparent shoulder injury, Spencer Nusbaum of The Washington Post reports.

Young collided hard with the center field wall while chasing down a flyball in the seventh inning. The Nationals' training staff seemed to be focusing on the outfielder's left shoulder, though it's still unclear if he suffered any structural damage. He'll be evaluated further, and Alex Call -- who entered as Saturday as his replacement -- could pick up time in the outfield if Young has to miss any amount of time.

Manager Bob Melvin announced Saturday that Hicks will pitch out of the bullpen going forward, Alex Pavlovic of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

After pitching mostly out of the bullpen in his first five big-league seasons, Hicks transitioned back into a starting role after signing a four-year, $44 million deal with the Giants in January 2024. The move into the rotation hasn't paid off like the Giants had hoped, as the 28-year-old owns a 4.81 ERA in 29 starts since the start of the 2024 campaign. Hayden Birdsong will move from the bullpen to fill the rotation spot vacated by Hicks, who is expected to operate as a multi-inning.

Lux was scratched from the lineup ahead of Saturday's game versus Cleveland due to lower-back spasms, Charlie Goldsmith of the Dayton Daily News reports.

It's currently unknown if Lux's back will cause him to miss additional time beyond Saturday, but the Reds may provide more details in the near future. In the meantime, Will Benson will shift to left field to cover for Lux, opening a spot in right for Rece Hinds.

Cruz (back) will start in center field and bat leadoff against the Phillies on Saturday.

Cruz missed five consecutive starts due to back soreness but appeared as a pinch hitter in Friday's contest, and he's now officially been given the green light to resume duties as Pittsburgh's starting center fielder. Since the beginning of May, the 26-year-old is slashing .188/.366/.219 with two RBI and five runs scored across 41 plate appearances.