MLB Player News

Ruiz is not in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Athletics, Andrew Golden of The Washington Post reports.

Ruiz will miss his third game in a row due to an illness. In his absence, Riley Adams will draw the start at catcher after the Nationals optioned Drew Millas to Triple-A Rochester following Wednesday's game.

Manager Craig Counsell revealed on "The Parkins & Spiegal Show" that the Cubs had called up Thompson from Triple-A Iowa on Friday, per 670 The Score.

With Jose Cuas being sent down Thursday, the Cubs are bringing in Thompson to shore up their bullpen depth. Thompson has not allowed a run in his last three outings with Iowa, striking out six batters while allowing one hit and two walks in five innings over that span.

Through four appearances (6.2 innings), Smyly has a 4.05 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and seven strikeouts.

Outside of his first appearance of the season, Smyly has retired more than three batters in all of his outings, and he should continue to work in a long-relief role for the Cubs. While a 4.05 ERA isn't amazing, it is an improvement on the 5.00 ERA he posted in 2023. The veteran southpaw has also lowered his WHIP from 1.43 last season. It's still early, but Smyly's results have been encouraging so far.

Thomas (hamstring) said Friday that he has started facing live pitching and expects to start running bases next week, Alex Weiner of ArizonaSports.com reports.

Thomas landed on the team's 10-day IL on April 1 after sustaining a left hamstring strain. He hasn't done any fielding yet, but he has faced live pitches and is making progress in his rehab. Last season with the Diamondbacks, Thomas slashed .230/.273/.374 with nine home runs and 39 RBI over 402 plate appearances.

Through four appearances (3.2 innings), Neris has a 7.36 ERA and 1.91 WHIP to go along with five strikeouts.

Neris has continued to miss bats at a high rate as he's done his entire career, though he's struggled to limit baserunners, and that's led to his high WHIP and ERA so far. It's of course a small sample, and the veteran righty posted a 1.71 ERA and 1.05 WHIP last season with the Astros, so better days are likely ahead. Neris should continue to work in a setup role in front of closer Adbert Alzolay.

Antone underwent surgery Friday to repair the UCL and flexor tendon in his right elbow, Gordon Wittenmyer of The Cincinnati Enquirer reports.

Manager David Bell said Antone's procedure went extremely well, though the right-hander is still expected to miss the entire year. He has made just nine appearances across the past three seasons and will now aim to return in 2025.

Bard (knee) will undergo right flexor tendon surgery and miss the rest of the 2024 season, Thomas Harding of MLB.com reports.

Bard started the season on the 15-day injured list while rehabbing from a cleanup procedure on his left knee in mid-February. The surgery on his right elbow will put Bard on the shelf for the rest of the season, and it could be his last year with the Rockies as the 38-year-old is a free agent in 2025. Justin Lawrence is currently the primary option for saves in a very volatile Colorado bullpen.

Pederson is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Cardinals.

The Diamondbacks are facing a left-handed starter Friday in Steven Matz, so Pederson will head to the bench. Blaze Alexander will serve as the designated hitter as Kevin Newman receives a start at shortstop.

Bauers is not in the lineup for Friday's game against the Orioles.

Bauers will hit the bench Friday with right-hander Tyler Wells on the mound for Baltimore. Rhys Hoskins will handle first base while Gary Sanchez receives a start at designated hitter.

Dunn is out of the lineup for Friday's game against the Orioles.

Dunn is 1-for-10 with four strikeouts over his past two contests and finds himself on the bench for a second straight game. Joey Ortiz is starting at the hot corner against Baltimore right-hander Tyler Wells.