MLB Player News

Ortiz has hit safely in seven straight games for Triple-A Rochester, batting .333 (10-for-30) with seven home runs and 20 RBI during that stretch.

The 24-year-old first baseman is decimating the International League to close out May as he turns things around following a sluggish start to the season. At the end of April, Ortiz carried a .231/.375/.352 slash line with just one homer in 27 games. If he keeps swinging a hot bat, he could slug his way into the Nationals' 1B/DH picture over the summer.

Conine (hamstring) appears to be a week or two away from beginning a rehab assignment, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 28-year-old was injured in early April and underwent surgery to repair his left hamstring. Conine's making progress in his recovery, but there's no firm timeline yet for him to begin a rehab stint. Given the length of his layoff, a mid-June return to the majors might be a best-case scenario for Conine.

Morel could be released if he doesn't begin hitting soon, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

Signed to a modest one-year contract this offseason and asked to transition from the outfield to first base, Morel had his campaign put on pause by an Opening Day oblique strain, but the 26-year-old has contributed very little since coming off the IL in late April. Over 63 plate appearances this season, Morel is slashing .169/.222/.220 with zero homers and a 3:23 BB:K. Clearing him off the roster would potentially open up a spot for top prospect Kemp Alderman (wrist), who has been getting work at first base at Triple-A Jacksonville -- although it was a collision at first base while playing defense that led to his current wrist injury. In the meantime, Connor Norby and Liam Hicks will be the primary options at 1B for Miami while Morel tries to find his swing.

Milbrandt could be an option to join the Marlins' rotation later this summer, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports.

The 22-year-old right-hander has dominated to begin the season at Double-A Pensacola, posting a 1.06 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 63:14 K:BB through 42.1 innings, but the organization has been very careful with Milbrandt's workload and has had him pitching just once a week rather than every five or six days. His stuff appears ready for the majors, however -- he's gained velocity since being a third-round pick in the 2022 First-Year Player Draft and now sits in the mid-90s with his fastball while touching the high 90s, and he also works with a plus slider and promising kick-change. The Marlins don't seem inclined to rush him, but he'll need to be added to the 40-man roster this winter anyway, and with injuries piling up in the big-league rotation Milbrandt is positioning himself for a 2026 MLB debut.

Mateo went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, a run scored and an RBI in Thursday's win over the Red Sox.

Getting the start at shortstop and batting seventh, Mateo put together his second straight multi-hit performance. The veteran utility player has seen his usage shrink since Ha-Seong Kim came off the IL in mid-May, but he's been surprisingly productive when given the opportunity. Through 41 plate appearances this month, Mateo is slashing .368/.415/.526 with three doubles, a homer, four steals, four RBI and nine runs.

Harris went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and a second run scored in Thursday's win over the Red Sox.

The center fielder took Jovani Moran deep in the seventh inning, boosting Atlanta's lead to 8-2 in an eventual 10-2 rout. Harris has been flexing his muscles to close out May, homering five times in the last nine games while slashing .350/.366/.750 over that span with one steal, nine runs and nine RBI.

Alvarez won't start Friday's game against the Padres and is now expected to pitch behind opener Paxton Schultz, Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic reports.

Alvarez has provided some length out of the bullpen this season, and he's now set to fill the bulk role Friday after initially being expected to make his first big-league start of 2026. Through four appearances, the 26-year-old lefty has recorded a win, a save and two holds with a 2.84 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 16:3 K:BB across 12.2 innings.

Skenes (6-5) was charged with the loss Thursday against the Cubs after allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks across 5.1 innings. He struck out 10.

Skenes tossed 62 of his 103 pitches for strikes and struck out double-digit batters for the second time in his last four starts, but he was the victim of subpar defense once again. The star hurler has been struggling of late, as Skenes has taken the loss his last three starts -- a stretch in which he's posted a 5.87 ERA and 1.57 WHIP across 15.1 innings, albeit with an elite 19:5 K:BB. Skenes will aim to bounce back in his next start, scheduled for next week on the road against the Astros.

Rea (5-3) earned the win Thursday against the Pirates after allowing two runs on four hits and three walks across 5.1 innings. He struck out five and also hit a batter.

Rea allowed a solo homer to Bryan Reynolds and an RBI double to Tyler Callihan before departing the game in the sixth, but he was excellent in the opening five frames. Rea has been a mixed bag as a rotation option, but he's at least been serviceable. He's posted a 4.78 ERA with a 1.44 WHIP across six starts and 32 innings in May and is slated to make his next start next week at home against the Athletics.

Lee (back) could be activated from the 10-day injured list this weekend, Kevin Borba of NBC Sports Bay Area reports.

Lee has been shelved since early last week with a back strain, but he resumed baseball activities Tuesday and could skip a rehab assignment. The Giants optioned Will Brennan to Triple-A Sacramento on Thursday and did not announce a corresponding roster move, which could point to Lee being back in action Friday in Colorado on the first day he's eligible to be activated.