MLB Player News

Estrada allowed one hit in a scoreless inning to notch a hold against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Estrada handled the seventh inning and needed just eight pitches to retire the side despite giving up a one-out single. The right-hander hadn't picked up a hold since July 26 prior to Tuesday, and he's had a somewhat rough August with a 6.23 ERA and 1.85 WHIP over 10 appearances, though he's also posted a 17:5 K:BB across just 8.2 frames during that span.

Machado went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a 7-5 win against the Cardinals on Tuesday.

Machado ended a nine-pitch at-bat with a solo home run in the second inning to put the Padres on the board. It was the slugger's second long ball in as many games and his sixth home run through 23 contests in August. Machado is at 22 homers on the season, so he'll need to stay hot down the stretch to get to 30 home runs for the third straight campaign.

Lodolo might miss the remainder of the regular season due to his sprained finger, Charlie Goldsmith of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports. "It's not concerning for the long term, but it's a rare injury that could keep him out for the year," manager David Bell said of Lodolo. "That's the bottom line."

Lodolo further said that the sprain has been bothering him for most of the summer, dating back to when he developed a blister on his pitching finger.

Hayes' back injury is still being evaluated and there remains no timetable for his return, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

The third baseman has been on the 10-day injured list on two occasions this season with back problems and the Pirates are still trying to get a better handle on the injury. Hayes is expected to return at some point during September, but his timeline lacks specificity. The 27-year-old is sporting a lowly .233/.283/.290 batting line this season.

Robberse (elbow) gave up one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three over three innings in a rehab start for Single-A Palm Beach on Tuesday.

According to MLB Pipeline, Robberse started dealing with elbow tightness in June and officially began his rehab assignment Aug. 13. The Dutch righty logged a 4.65 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 71 strikeouts in 71.2 innings across 13 appearances for Triple-A Memphis before landing on the 7-day injured list June 18.

Ashcraft (forearm) threw a live batting practice session earlier this week and is expected to be activated from the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Indianapolis later this week, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Ashcraft last pitched for Indianapolis in early July, so he will have missed nearly two months of action by the time he returns. The 24-year-old might have pushed for a major-league debut this season if he hadn't missed so much time, but he and the Pirates are likely now eyeing 2025.

Realmuto is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Astros.

Realmuto will get a breather for Wednesday's afternoon contest after he caught all eight innings of Tuesday's 5-0 win while going 2-for-4 with a double. Garrett Stubbs will fill in for Realmuto behind the plate.

Scott went 1-for-4 with a stolen base in Tuesday's 7-5 loss to the Padres.

Scott has gone 7-for-21 (.333) with a home run and three steals over his last six contests. The rookie outfielder is batting .226 during his current stint in the majors, but that's a significant improvement on his .157 average for the season. He's up to five steals, two homers, eight RBI, 10 runs scored and seven doubles through 130 plate appearances. Scott will likely continue to handle a starting role in center field until Michael Siani (oblique) returns from his rehab assignment.

Jefferies (elbow) threw a live batting practice session earlier this week and is expected to begin a rehab assignment soon, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.

Jefferies has been sidelined since early July with right elbow inflammation but is finally ready to test things out in a game setting. Given the length of his absence, he figures to require a handful of rehab appearances before being considered for the Pirates' active roster.

King (3-3) allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over one inning to take the loss Tuesday versus the Padres. He did not record a strikeout.

King got the last out of the sixth inning in relief of Miles Mikolas, but he then stumbled in the seventh. Since the All-Star break, King has a 5.11 ERA and 5:3 K:BB over 12.1 innings while taking two losses and one blown save. While he is regressing, this has still been his best major-league season -- the southpaw has a 3.10 ERA, 1.24 WHIP and 32:8 K:BB across 39.1 innings while adding seven holds this year.