MLB Player News

Manager David Bell said after Thursday's game against the Phillies that Candelario might just be dealing with a hyperextension of his right elbow, and the third baseman will be evaluated ahead of Friday's game against the Mets, according to Bally Sports Cincinnati.

Candelario felt a stinger during a swing in his final at-bat Thursday. He hit a double on the next pitch but was replaced on defense as the team didn't want him aggravating the injury by throwing. Bell was optimistic the issue would be a minor one for Candelario.

Gray (hamstring) is still expected to make a rehab start before rejoining the Cardinals' rotation, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Gray threw a 54-pitch simulated game Wednesday and expressed a desire Thursday for his next appearance to be a start with the big club. However, St. Louis is sticking with its plan to give the veteran right-hander a rehab start first, as Zack Thompson remains on schedule to face the Phillies on Tuesday. Assuming all goes well in Gray's rehab start, he is slated to join the Cards' rotation sometime next weekend in Arizona.

Abrams went 2-for-5 with a solo home run against the Pirates in a loss Thursday.

Abrams was the only National to log multiple hits in the contest, and he hit the team's only homer -- a solo shot in the fifth inning. The shortstop has gotten off to a great start this season, slashing .333/.407/.667 with two homers, five RBI, five runs and three steals through six games. His speed remains his biggest asset from a fantasy perspective, but he slugged 18 long balls last year and has enough pop in his bat to exceed that number this season.

Joe went 1-for-3 with a two-run home run, an additional run and two walks in Thursday's 7-4 win over Washington.

Joe didn't play Wednesday with the Nationals starting a right-hander, but he was back in the lineup one day later despite Pittsburgh facing another righty (Josiah Gray). That decision paid dividends for the Pirates when Joe launched a two-run homer in the fifth inning to give the team a 7-1 advantage. Joe also drew two free passes in the contest and has more walks (five) than strikeouts (four) this season. He's had a strong start to the campaign, slashing .346/.469/.615 with five extra-base hits, nine runs and seven RBI through 32 plate appearances.

Gray (0-2) took the loss against Pittsburgh on Thursday, allowing six runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out three batters over 4.1 innings.

Gray gave up seven runs over four innings in a season-opening loss to the Reds last Thursday, and he was only slightly better in his second start, which also ended in defeat. The right-hander at least kept the ball in the park after allowing two homers in his first outing, but he put far too many batters on the basepaths and didn't have his strikeout stuff working to help him get out of trouble. Gray had a modest breakout campaign last year with a career-best 3.91 ERA and his first trip to the All-Star Game, but the underlying metrics weren't strong, and his performance through two games this season justifies his placement on the waiver wire in most standard fantasy leagues.

Bednar earned a save against the Nationals on Thursday, striking out two batters in a perfect inning.

Bednar got a slightly late start to the season due to a lat injury, and he faltered in his first save opportunity Sunday, though he ended with the win in that outing. The right-hander had no problem with Washington in earning a save Thursday, throwing 14 of 19 pitches for strikes and finishing the contest by fanning Lane Thomas and Joey Meneses. Bednar cemented himself as one of the league's elite closers last year with 39 saves (tied for second in MLB), and though he's just 1-for-2 in save opportunities to begin this campaign, he's looked good overall, allowing just one run on one hit while posting a 5:0 K:BB over three innings.

Perez (1-0) earned the win over Washington on Thursday, pitching 6.2 innings and allowing two runs on six hits and two walks while striking out six batters.

Perez was efficient in the outing, needing a modest 85 pitches to get through 6.2 frames. He induced just eight swinging strikes but was still able to notch six punchouts, and he picked up both his first win and his first quality start as a Pirate. Perez was largely ineffective last year with the Rangers, recording a 4.45 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 5.9 K/9 over 141.2 innings. He's started off 2024 on a better foot, however, allowing just three runs through 11 frames despite an uninspiring 8:5 K:BB.

Arenado went 3-for-5 with an RBI double and a run scored in Thursday's 8-5 win over the Marlins.

Arenado has quietly put together a six-game hitting streak after opening the year 0-for-7 in the first two contests. The third baseman wasn't as quiet in the Cardinals' home opener, knocking his second double through eight games. He's still searching for a home run, but he's hitting .265 with four RBI and three runs scored while occupying a spot in the heart of the order and a starting role at third base, as usual.

Herrera went 2-for-5 with a solo home run, an RBI single and additional run scored in Thursday's 8-5 win over the Marlins.

Herrera opened the scoring in the second inning with his homer, and his other hit sparked the Cardinals' five-run rally in the seventh inning. The catcher is filling in while Willson Contreras (hand) is unavailable. This was Herrera's second multi-hit effort in a row, and he's now 4-for-12 with four RBI and two runs scored over four contests this season. He's also yet to draw a walk while striking out five times, so there's still room for improvement with plate discipline.

Gallegos (1-0) retired the only batter he faced to earn the win Thursday over the Marlins.

Gallegos got the last out in the top of the seventh inning, and the Cardinals rallied from a two-run deficit to take an 8-5 lead by the end of the frame. While he's allowed five baserunners (three hits, two walks) over four innings, Gallegos has also struck out six batters while collecting a save, a hold and a win through four appearances. Manager Oliver Marmol still looks to be using a flexible approach to late-inning assignments, though Ryan Helsley is the Cardinals' top closing option. Gallegos will be in the mix for save opportunities, along with Andrew Kittredge and JoJo Romero, when Helsley is unavailable.