MLB Player News

Maldonado will start at catcher and bat ninth in Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

Maldonado will pick up his ninth start in 14 games and seems to have at least moved into a timeshare behind the plate with Elias Diaz. The two backstops have produced at a similar level offensively -- Maldonado owns a .572 OPS compared to Diaz's .592 mark -- but Maldonado is regarded as the superior pitch framer of the two. Unless Diaz picks up the pace at the plate to separate himself from Maldonado from a performance standpoint, the playing time could tilt in the latter's favor.

Diaz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Tigers.

Diaz was responsible for the only scoring in Tuesday's 2-0 win when he popped a two-run home run in the second inning, but that has been one of the few highlights for the veteran backstop this season. He's hitting just .190/.306/.286 over 50 plate appearances, and Diaz's poor production has resulted in him moving into more of a timeshare with Martin Maldonado behind the plate. Maldonado will pick up the start Wednesday and has now been included in the lineup in nine of the Padres' last 14 games.

Phillies manager Rob Thomson said Wednesday that Sanchez (forearm) will play catch Friday and there are no current plans for the pitcher to undergo an MRI, Matt Gelb of The Athletic reports.

Sanchez had to be pulled from Tuesday's start against the Mets after two innings due to left forearm soreness. He's feeling much better a day later and there doesn't seem to be any worry that it could be a long-term injury. Sanchez's next start is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday against the Nationals, but Thomson said that could be pushed back a couple days.

Tena went 3-for-4 with two doubles, a triple and a run scored in Tuesday's 7-0 win over the Orioles.

The Nats scalded the ball all night, with 10 of their 14 hits going for extra bases in a 7-0 rout, and Tena led the way with three of them. The 24-year-old has started three of the last four games, and with Washington looking to get some production from the hot corner, manager Dave Martinez suggested after Tuesday's contest that Tena could move into a strong-side platoon role at third base while Paul DeJong (nose) remains on the shelf, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNSports.com.

Taylor went 0-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in Tuesday's win over the Phillies.

Starting in center field and batting seventh, Taylor drew a free pass off a struggling Jordan Romano in the sixth inning and promptly got himself into scoring position with his first steal of 2025. Taylor's been a near-everyday player for the Mets since Jose Siri (lower leg) was injured, but he hasn't done much with the opportunity, batting .235 (8-for-34) over his last 10 games with two RBI, six runs and a 1:8 BB:K.

Pena (undisclosed) made his season debut at Triple-A El Paso on April 9 and has given up two earned runs on one hit and four walks while striking out five over five innings through his first four appearances.

The Padres held Pena back at extended spring training to begin the minor-league season while he managed an undisclosed injury, but he's looked healthy since reporting to Triple-A. The 24-year-old reliever could make his big-league debut at some point later in 2025.

Bender gave up a hit in a scoreless eighth inning to record his second hold of the season in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

The right-hander continues to be a reliable -- if not exactly dominant -- high-leverage arm in the Marlins' bullpen. Bender has a 1.80 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 7:5 K:BB through 10 innings with one win and one save in addition to his holds, but he hasn't been called upon to protect a ninth-inning lead since April 1. Calvin Faucher and Jesus Tinoco appear to be the preferred closing options for manager Clayton McCullough at the moment.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said that Blackburn (knee) has been scratched from his scheduled rehab start Wednesday at High-A Brooklyn due to a stomach bug, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

Blackburn began a rehab assignment with Brooklyn on Saturday, allowing one run over two innings. He threw 38 pitches in that outing and had been set to get stretched out more Wednesday, but the righty's next start will be put on hold. Mendoza has said previously that he would like Blackburn to get his pitch count up to the 65-to-70 range before being activated, so he will likely need at least a couple more rehab starts.

Stowers went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a stolen base in Tuesday's win over the Reds.

The 27-year-old outfielder had a rough introduction to south Florida last year after being acquired from the Orioles, but Stowers is looking a lot more comfortable to begin his first full season as a Marlin. Through 22 games, he's slashing .307/.393/.453 with two homers, two steals, 11 runs and 15 RBI, and he's making some impressively consistent hard contact -- Stowers is in the 93rd percentile in barrel rate.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Wednesday that McNeil (oblique) is on track to be activated from the 10-day injured list prior to Friday's game versus the Nationals, Abbey Mastracco of the New York Daily News reports.

McNeil will play one final rehab game Wednesday before rejoining the Mets for their weekend series on the road against the Nationals. The 33-year-old is slashing .375/.444/.667 with two home runs and a 2:3 K:BB over 27 plate appearances in his first seven rehab games. McNeil is projected to be the Mets' primary second baseman but could also see some action in the outfield.