MLB Player News

Sale (2-1) earned the win Friday versus Texas, surrendering three earned runs on five hits and a walk while striking out seven batters across seven innings.

Sale got off to a poor start Friday by allowing a leadoff home run to Marcus Semien, but he was able to pull it together quickly and keep the Rangers relatively quiet while Atlanta's offense gave him a nice lead to work with. The 35-year-old southpaw has now reached seven innings in back-to-back starts, though his ERA remains at 4.38 through 24.2 innings. He is lined up to make his next start Wednesday against the Marlins.

Smith entered Friday's game as a pinch hitter and finished the game in right field. He went 0-for-2 with an RBI and a run scored in a 17-1 win over San Francisco.

The Diamondbacks recalled Smith from Triple-A Reno on Friday after designating Jace Peterson for assignment. Smith, a first-round pick in 2017, spent parts of the previous four seasons in the majors. During that time, prospects Corbin Carroll and Alek Thomas relegated him to part-time work. Smith will serve as a left-handed bat off the bench while providing occasional breaks for the team's regular outfielders.

Grichuk went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored in Friday's 17-1 win over the Giants.

The righty-hitting Grichuk was in the lineup against a left-handed starter, and the outfielder participated in the fun with a two-run double in the fifth inning. He singled an inning earlier to extend a hit streak to five games. When the Diamondbacks built a big lead in the later innings, he was removed for a pinch-hitter and replaced in right field by Pavin Smith, who was recalled from Triple-A Reno on Friday. As a lefty batter, Smith is not expected to challenge Grichuk's current role. Grichuk has a .265/.278/.471 slash line with one home run, four doubles, six RBI and four runs over 36 plate appearances.

Bader went 4-for-5 with a double, a stolen base, an RBI and a run scored in Friday's win over the Dodgers.

Bader drove in New York's second run with a single in the second inning before swiping a bag in the sixth. The Mets center fielder has collected a hit in 11 of his past 13 games, batting .361 (17-for-47) with nine runs scored, six RBI and four steals over the span. Overall, Bader is slashing .333/.367/.421 over 60 plate appearances and is a fixture in the starting lineup, batting eighth or ninth.

Lindor went 2-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored in Friday's win over the Dodgers.

Lindor cracked a 390-foot two-run homer off Daniel Hudson in the seventh inning to put the Mets ahead for good -- his first extra-base hit of the year while hitting left-handed. After opening the season with a dreadful 1-for-31 stretch, the Mets shortstop has started to look better at the plate lately. Lindor is batting .255 (12-for-47) with two homers, 10 runs scored and three RBI over his last 11 games.

Grandal (foot) has started two games at catcher during his current rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis, MLB.com reports.

Grandal has been dealing with a foot injury since early March and began a rehab assignment April 16, serving as the designated hitter in one additional contest. He has one hit across eight at-bats, though the Pirates are likely more concerned with his recovery than his production.

Yamamoto did not factor into the decision Friday against the Mets, allowing four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk over six innings. He struck out nine.

The outing was a mixed bag for Yamamoto. On the one hand, he managed to strike out a season-best nine batters. On the other, he allowed a season-worst seven hits. After five starts, Yamamoto sports a 4.50 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 30:5 K:BB over 22 innings. His next start is slated to come against the Nationals on the road.

Manaea did not factor into the decision Friday against the Dodgers, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over five innings. He struck out three.

After allowing six earned runs to the Royals in his last start, Manaea pitched well against the dangerous Dodgers lineup. The Mets lefty managed to stifle the MVP trio of Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman, as they collectively went 1-for-8 with one walk and two strikeouts. Manaea faces a much less daunting task in his next start, scheduled to come against the Giants on the road.

Borucki (triceps) felt soreness after playing catch last week but hopes to resume throwing in the next few days, MLB.com reports.

Borucki was placed on the injured list April 7 and was not shut down for long. However, he remains without a timeline to return, and it's unclear whether he may need a rehab assignment before being activated from the injured list.

Alvarez is getting an MRI on his left thumb after leaving Friday's game against the Dodgers, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. "I'm pretty concerned. I'm not going to lie," manager Carlos Mendoza said.

Alvarez injured his thumb in the second inning as he planted his left hand into the ground, after stumbling on his turn at second base. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com notes that Alvarez's left thumb "has taken a beating lately," and it sounds like Mendoza is resigned to being without his starting backstop for a stretch given how much pain Alvarez was in. Omar Narvaez is the only other catcher currently on the Mets' 40-man roster, although Tomas Nido is batting .345 (10-for-29) with Triple-A Syracuse.