MLB Player News

The Pirates optioned Moreta to Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday.

Moreta has pitched well in 18 appearances out of the Pirates' bullpen this season, collecting a 3.24 ERA and 19:7 K:BB over 16.2 frames. He'll be replaced on the roster and in the bullpen by Chase Shugart.

Arenado said Wednesday that he will be willing this offseason to expand his list of teams to which he would approve a trade to, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

Arenado told the Cardinals last winter that he would be willing to waive his no-trade clause to join the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Padres or Astros. However, he wound up blocking a potential deal to Houston and remained in St. Louis for the 2025 season. Being more open-minded to potential trade destinations helps the possibility of a deal going down, but Arenado's declining performance and the roughly $40 million he's still owed remain major roadblocks. Arenado remains a plus defender at third base, but he's slashed just .236/.289/.371 with 11 homers in 105 games this season and will turn 35 next April.

Reds manager Terry Francona said Thursday that he's discussed with Greene the possibility of pitching out of the bullpen during Sunday's game in Milwaukee, Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now Cincinnati reports.

Greene threw 96 pitches over six innings in Wednesday's extra-innings loss to the Pirates, so he would be pitching on three days' rest Sunday and would be making his first-ever relief appearance. Francona said that Greene is "open" to the idea, though it will ultimately come down to how the righty feels Sunday and also whether the Reds still have something to play for.

Bart (wrist) will start at catcher and bat sixth in Thursday's game against the Reds.

Bart had to be scratched from the lineup Tuesday and didn't play Wednesday because of a wrist issue, but he's feeling well enough to give it a go in Thursday's series finale. The 28-year-old Bart will enter action Thursday having homered in two straight contests.

Cruz (ankle) is not in the lineup for Thursday's game in Cincinnati.

Cruz departed Wednesday's game with left ankle discomfort, though he probably wasn't going to start Thursday, regardless, with southpaw Nick Lodolo on the bump for the Reds. He's considered day-to-day for the time being. Alexander Canario is in center field and batting seventh for the Pirates in Thursday's series finale.

Merrill went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in a loss to Milwaukee on Wednesday.

Merrill accounted for San Diego's only run with a 344-foot solo shot to left field in the sixth inning. The second-year outfielder has picked up his power of late, belting six home runs over his past 12 games. Merrill is batting .306 during that span with 11 runs scored and eight RBI, although he's also struck out at a 29.4 percent clip.

Sosa went 3-for-4 with three home runs and five RBI in Wednesday's 11-1 rout of the Marlins.

Making his return from a groin injury that had sidelined him since Sept. 12, the 29-year-old utility player came into the game with seven homers in 85 games on the season, but Sosa padded that total significantly with solo blasts in the fourth and seventh innings sandwiched around a three-run shot in the fifth. It's his first career multi-homer performance, and with Sosa getting the start at short in place of Trea Turner (hamstring), he remarkably became the first shortstop in Phillies history with a three-homer game. Turner could be activated from the IL on Friday, but Sosa figured to be busy over the final four games of the regular season as the team rests starters around the diamond ahead of the playoffs -- Sosa has seen action at every position except catcher, first base and right field in 2025.

Schwarber went 4-for-5 with two solo home runs in Wednesday's 11-1 win over the Marlins.

While he paces the National League in long balls with 56 and sits two homers back of Ryan Howard's club-record 58 with four games to go, Schwarber set a major-league record in Wednesday's rout with his third-inning shot off Ryan Weathers. An incredible 23 of Schwarber's blasts this season have come off left-handed pitching, breaking the MLB record for a left-handed hitter that had been held by Matt Olson (2021) and Hall of Famer Stan Musial (1949). Schwarber suddenly has a very realistic chance at setting a new Phillies record for home runs in a season, having gone yard six times in the last 10 contests.

Crismatt will be used as a bulk reliever in Thursday's game against the Dodgers, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports.

Crismatt was moved to the Diamondbacks' bullpen last week, but he'll get an opportunity to make a quasi-start Thursday in what is likely to be his final appearance of the season. The righty swingman has pitched well for Arizona, collecting a 2.61 ERA and 23:7 K:BB over 31 frames covering five starts and two relief outings.

Luzardo (15-7) picked up the win in Wednesday's 11-1 rout of the Marlins, allowing one unearned run on three hits over seven innings. He struck out 10 without walking a batter.

Facing the team that traded him back in December, Luzardo recorded his career-high 18th quality start of the season and seventh double-digit strikeout performance, fueling a career-high 216 in that category that has him tied for the NL lead with Paul Skenes and Logan Webb, although Webb is scheduled for one more start this weekend. With the Phillies having already clinched the NL East title and all but locked into a first-round bye in the playoffs, Luzardo will close out his regular season with a 3.92 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 216:57 K:BB over 183.2 innings.