MLB Player News

King did not factor in the decision during Tuesday's loss to the Yankees. He allowed two runs on three hits and two walks over six innings while striking out two.

The only damage against King came in the fourth inning when he served up a solo shot to Aaron Judge and an RBI single to Jasson Dominguez. King tied season lows with just two punchouts and five whiffs. He completed six innings for the first time since firing a complete game against the Rockies on April 13 and was in line for the victory before San Diego's bullpen gave up 10 runs in the seventh inning. King is sporting an impressive 2.22 ERA with a 48:14 K:BB through eight starts. He's currently in line to face the Angels at home next week.

Wichrowski (undisclosed) struck out four and allowed one hit and four walks over three scoreless innings Sunday in his season debut for Double-A Biloxi after being reinstated from the 7-day injured list.

The Brewers never provided a clear explanation for why Wichrowski missed the first month of the Double-A season, but the right-hander linked back up with Biloxi over the weekend and should gradually increase his pitch counts in his future starts. Wichrowski finished the 2024 season at Biloxi, where he turned in a 4.00 ERA and 61:36 K:BB across 74.1 innings.

Hayes went 2-for-4 with an RBI double in Tuesday's 2-1 loss to the Cardinals.

Hayes snapped an eight-game streak without an extra-base hit, although he has continued to hit for a high average despite the lack of pop. The defensive-minded third baseman hasn't homered since April 4, but he's batting .317 (20-for-63) with two doubles and six RBI since April 19. Hayes has at least one knock in 14 of his last 16 outings, tallying multiple hits in six of these contests.

Lord will move back to the bullpen after starting the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Guardians, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports. The right-hander was the pitcher of record in the Nationals' 9-1 loss to the Guardians in Game 2, dropping to 1-4 after allowing three earned runs on three hits and one walk while striking out four over six innings.

With Michael Soroka (biceps) due to return from the injured list Wednesday, Lord will be squeezed out of the rotation and will shift to a relief role. After taking the loss Tuesday despite delivering a quality start, the 25-year-old righty has a 4.45 ERA, 1.45 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB across 28.1 innings over nine appearances (six starts). He'll likely be first in line to join the rotation the next time an opening emerges.

Merrill (hamstring) went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored in Tuesday's loss to the Yankees.

Merrill made his first appearance since April 6 after being activated from the injured list Tuesday. He wasted no time getting back into his groove; Merrill doubled in the first inning before singling and scoring a run in the fourth. He owns a terrific .390/.422/.683 slash line with six extra-base hits through 45 plate appearances.

Soroka (biceps) will be activated from the injured list and start Wednesday against the Guardians, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Manager Dave Martinez said Soroka will claim the fifth spot in the Nationals' rotation upon returning, which will force Brad Lord to move back to the bullpen. Soroka has been on the injured list since early April after suffering a biceps strain during his first start of the season. He has since made three rehab starts in the minors, most recently striking out 11 batters across five innings of one-run ball at Triple-A Rochester.

Liberatore (3-3) picked up the win Tuesday against the Pirates after allowing one run on three hits and three walks in seven innings. He struck out eight.

During what's already been a promising start to the year for Liberatore, he delivered perhaps his finest performance of the campaign so far. The 2018 first-rounder set season highs in innings and punchouts, generating 17 whiffs in the process. Although his three walks did mark a season worst, Liberatore threw at least six frames and surrendered two runs or fewer for the fourth time in his past five outings. The left-hander owns an outstanding 3.07 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 38:6 K:BB over 41 innings in 2025, but he's in line for a tough test in his next scheduled appearance against the Phillies next week.

Skenes (3-4) took the loss Tuesday against the Cardinals after allowing two runs on three hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out six.

While Skenes matched a season high in walks, he also tied a season best with just three hits allowed. After issuing only four free passes through his first six starts in 2025, Skenes has now given up eight walks in his past two outings. On a positive note, the star right-hander has lasted at least five innings in each of his eight appearances this season. He'll take an excellent 2.77 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 47:12 K:BB over 48.2 frames into his scheduled next start, which lines up for next week in a difficult assignment against the Mets.

Montas (lat) threw his third bullpen session Tuesday since resuming his throwing program in mid-April, MLB.com reports.

After being diagnosed with a high-grade right lat strain in mid-February, Montas was shut down for nearly two months before receiving clearance to start throwing. He steadily increased his throwing distance off flat ground before recently being cleared for mound work, and he's thus far avoided any setbacks through his three bullpen sessions. Montas could soon advance to facing hitters in live batting practice, but he may be a week or more away from starting up a minor-league rehab assignment. The right-hander isn't expected to be ready to return from the 60-day injured list until around early June.

Moreno has been scratched from Tuesday's lineup against the Mets.

Moreno is stepping out of the starting nine due to a manager's decision, per Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com, so it doesn't seem like the 25-year-old backstop is battling any sort of injury. Jose Herrera will now start behind home plate and bat ninth. Moreno has gone 8-for-30 with six runs scored and three RBI over his last nine games.