MLB Player News

Senzel is absent from the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Twins, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Senzel went 0-for-5 with a walk in the first two games of the series and will receive a day off for the finale. The Nationals will roll with Ildemaro Vargas at third base against Simeon Woods Richardson and the Twins.

Ruiz is out of the lineup for Wednesday's contest against the Twins, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

The Nationals and Twins are concluding their three-game series with an afternoon game Wednesday, so Washington will give backup catcher Riley Adams a start behind the dish. Ruiz is sporting a disappointing .434 OPS this season for Washington.

Tovar went 2-for-5 with two solo home runs in Tuesday's loss to the Athletics.

Tovar put together his first career multi-homer game with solo blasts in the fifth and seventh innings to bring his total up to seven for the season. He's been locked in at the plate for most of May, registering at least a hit in 12 of his last 13 games with six of those being multi-hit efforts. Tovar has entrenched himself in the No. 2 spot in the batting order against righties and has seen himself hitting leadoff against lefties. He's now second on the team with 53 hits and tied for second with 21 RBI. For the year, the 22-year-old is slashing .279/.313/.468 with 21 extra-base hits, 22 runs scored and an 8:60 BB:K in 204 plate appearances.

Murphy (oblique) played seven innings at catcher and went 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk and an additional run Tuesday in his first rehab game for Triple-A Gwinnett.

In his first game since suffering a Grade 1 left oblique strain in his season debut with Atlanta on March 29, Murphy had been scheduled to catch just four innings, but he ended up staying behind the dish longer than expected. The 29-year-old backstop didn't exhibit any rust with the bat or in the field Tuesday, as he threw out the only baserunner that attempt to steal off of him and provided the highlight of the night with a 449-foot blast off the batter's eye in center field in his first at-bat. According to David O'Brien of The Athletic, Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said that Murphy will be off Wednesday before starting behind the plate again for Gwinnett on Thursday. Snitker added that Murphy is also expected to get another start for Gwinnett as a designated hitter, so Atlanta is seemingly planning on having Murphy remain on assignment through at least Friday before bringing him back from the 10-day injured list.

Gonzalez went 2-for-5 with a run scored and an RBI in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Giants.

His second single of the night was clutch, as Gonzalez smacked a single up the middle on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the 10th to bring home Michael Taylor as the phantom runner. Gonzalez took a while to adjust to the pros after being selected seventh overall in the 2020 Draft, but the 24-year-old seems to be coming into his own -- after erupting for a 1.039 OPS in 30 games for Triple-A Indianapolis prior to his promotion, he's produced a .282/.310/.462 slash line in 11 contests for Pittsburgh with two homers, one steal, five runs and nine RBI.

Bednar (3-3) picked up the win Tuesday, striking out one in a perfect 10th inning during a 7-6 victory over the Giants.

After the Pirates rallied for four runs in the ninth, Bednar got the call for the top of the 10th and set down three straight pinch hitters in Mike Yastrzemski, LaMonte Wade and Patrick Bailey. The right-hander then got rewarded when Nick Gonzales walked it off by singling on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the frame. Bednar has turned things around following a bumpy first month of the season, and over 10 appearances in May he's posted a 2.89 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 7:3 K:BB through 9.1 innings while converting all five of his save chances and chipping in two wins.

Perez came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Giants, giving up four runs (two earned) on five hits and three walks over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.

The veteran southpaw threw only 56 of 98 pitches for strikes, but an Oneil Cruz error in the first inning helped soften the blow to Perez's ERA. He's completed six innings only once in his last seven starts, posting a 6.37 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 29:12 K:BB through 35.1 innings over that stretch, but Pittsburgh doesn't have many healthy alternatives for its rotation right now. Perez will try to turn things around in his next outing, which lines up to come at home this weekend against Atlanta.

Doval gave up two unearned runs on two hits and a walk in two-thirds of an inning Tuesday to blow his first save of the season in a 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Pirates. He struck out one.

The Giants rolled into the ninth inning with a 6-2 lead, but after Luke Jackson put two runners aboard with one out, Doval got the call and coaxed a potential double-play grounder from Andrew McCutchen, only for Marco Luciano to boot it and pave the way for a Pirates rally. Doval's control has taken a step backward this season, as he has a 15.7 percent walk rate compared to a 9.3 percent mark in 2023, but he still carries a 2.89 ERA to go with his 1.45 WHIP, 25:13 K:BB through 18.2 innings and eight saves.

Webb came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning loss to the Pirates, allowing two runs on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out six.

The right-hander delivered his third straight quality start and eighth of 2024 on 103 pitches (72 strikes), and Webb left the mound in line for his fifth win of the year only to watch Camilo Doval blow his first save of the season in the ninth inning. Webb will take a 3.03 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 53:18 K:BB through 65.1 innings into his next outing, which lines up to come on the road this weekend against the Mets.

The Marlins optioned Maldonado to Triple-A Jacksonville on Sunday.

In a weak and shallow Marlins farm system, Maldonado is one of the few fantasy-relevant prospects, albeit for deeper leagues. He had a 3.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, seven strikeouts and one save in 12 innings with the big club. Maldonado threw his mid-80s slider two-thirds of the time and his 93 mile-per-hour fastball just over 30 percent of the time while in the majors.