MLB Player News

The Pirates designated Valdez for assignment Friday.

The club needed to free up a spot on its 40-man roster for the addition of Konnor Griffin. Valdez has managed just a .230/.288/.392 batting line over parts of three major-league seasons.

Mateo slugged a two-run home run in his only at-bat during Thursday's 17-2 rout of the Diamondbacks.

The utility infielder pinch hit for DH Dominic Smith in the ninth inning and took position player James McCann deep. Mateo has been used sparingly early in the year, appearing in just three of Atlanta's first seven games and getting only four plate appearances, and it'll likely take an injury or two to put him in a fantasy-friendly role.

The Pirates selected Griffin's contract from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

Griffin is set to make his major-league debut Friday during the Pirates' home opener. The expectation is that he will also receive a nine-year, $140 million contract extension, per Buster Olney of ESPN, though that has not been finalized. Griffin will take over as the Pirates' everyday shortstop after collecting a .336/.420/.530 batting line with 21 home runs and 68 stolen bases in his first 127 minor-league games.

Dubon went 2-for-4 with a walk, a solo home run and two additional runs scored in Thursday's win over the Diamondbacks.

His sixth-inning homer off Joe Ross was one of four Atlanta long balls in a 17-2 rout. It was Dubon's first time leaving the yard in 2026, but he's come flying out of the gates while handling starting shortstop duties in place of Ha-Seong Kim (finger), batting .429 (9-for-21) with four runs and six RBI in six games.

Baldwin went 1-for-6 with three runs scored and an RBI in Thursday's rout of the Diamondbacks.

Per Mark Bowman of MLB.com, in the process Baldwin became just the third player in franchise history to score at least one run in each of the first seven games of a season, joining Hall of Famers Jimmy Collins (who accomplished the feat in 1900) and Hank Aaron (1957). Baldwin's had a blistering start to 2026, slashing .286/.375/.643 in 32 plate appearances with a double, three homers, eight RBI, nine runs and a 4:3 BB:K.

Conine (illness) will start in left field and bat eighth in Friday's game against the Yankees.

Conine wasn't available for the Marlins' last game Wednesday versus the White Sox due to illness, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go in the Bronx. The 28-year-old Conine is 4-for-10 with one home run and a 1:2 BB:K in his first 11 plate appearances this season.

Castellanos is out of the lineup for Friday's game in Boston.

Castellanos' playing time early in his tenure with the Padres has been erratic. He did not start the first two games of the season, then started three straight and has now been back on the bench for two games in a row. Miguel Andujar is in the designated hitter spot for San Diego, and he and Castellanos are likely to continue sharing playing time in the slot.

Fermin is absent from the lineup for Friday's game in Boston.

It will be Luis Campusano doing the catching. Fermin has made four starts to Campusano's three behind the plate thus far, and a similar playing time breakdown seems likely to continue.

Gorman is not in the lineup for Friday's tilt against the Tigers.

The Cardinals have faced two left-handers this season and Gorman has been on the bench both times, so he looks to be in a clear platoon. Ramon Urias will grab the start at third base and bat cleanup for St. Louis.

Pages is not in the lineup for Friday's contest in Detroit.

Ivan Herrera is getting the start at catcher, so Pages will take a seat. Pages is 3-for-15 with one home run and a 0:4 BB:K in his first five games this season.