MLB Player News

Fluharty (knee) made relief appearances in Sunday's 5-2 win over the Athletics and Tuesday's 5-1 win over the Rockies, recording three outs and allowing no runs on one hit between the two outings.

Fluharty made his season debut out of the bullpen in Saturday's 11-inning win over the Athletics but was lifted early after taking a comebacker on the inside of his right knee. Fortunately for Fluharty, X-rays on the knee returned negative, and he was made available in relief one day later.

Van Eyk could be the pitcher called up to replace Cody Ponce (knee) in the big-league rotation, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Lazaro Estrada was the pitcher promoted in the immediate wake of Ponce's injury, but he's unlikely to be used as anything more than a long reliever. Van Eyk is on turn at Triple-A Buffalo, and he looked good in his season debut Tuesday, allowing one run over four innings with a 5:1 K:BB. The 27-year-old right-hander isn't yet on the 40-man roster, so an additional move would need to be made to open up a spot, but with Ponce expected to miss more than two months he could be shifted to the 60-day IL to make room.

Johnston will start in right field and bat leadoff in Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

The 28-year-old will stick in the starting nine for a third straight game and will move to the top of the lineup while normal table setter Jake McCarthy receives his first day off of the season. With an .818 OPS through his first four games with Colorado, Johnston appears to have at least temporarily taken control of a regular spot in the lineup against right-handed pitching at the expense of Edouard Julien, who will hit the bench for the third time in four contests.

Sandoval (elbow) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday at Double-A Portland on Sunday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.

Sandoval was held out of the entirety of the spring training schedule as he continues to work his way back from June 2024 internal brace surgery. The Red Sox don't have an opening in the rotation for Sandoval at the moment, and the lefty can't be optioned to the minors once he's activated from the 15-day injured list, so the team could slow-play Sandoval on his rehab assignment until they decide how to deploy him.

McCarthy is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

McCarthy will get a breather Wednesday after he had started in the outfield and batted leadoff in each of the Rockies' first five games, going a collective 2-for-18 with an RBI and three stolen bases over that stretch. The left-handed-hitting McCarthy could be left out of the lineup against southpaws, but he looks like he'll be a regular presence atop the batting order versus right-handed pitching.

Perez may replace Jose Suarez when Atlanta next needs a fifth starter Sunday against the Diamondbacks, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

While Suarez struggled in his start Tuesday and lasted just 3.2 innings, Perez saved the rest of the bullpen by tossing 4.1 scoreless innings of relief on only 47 pitches, allowing just two hits with a 3:0 K:BB in his season debut. Manager Walt Weiss has yet to tip his hand on which of them will get the nod Sunday, but Perez's performance likely makes him the favorite.

Cubs manager Craig Counsell said Wednesday that Suzuki (knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Knoxville on Friday, Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network reports.

Counsell expects the rehab assignment to last 3-to-7 days, setting Suzuki up to make his season debut next week, either on the road against the Rays or at home versus the Pirates. Suzuki is working his way back from a strained PCL in his right knee, an injury he suffered in mid-March while playing for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.

Julien is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Blue Jays.

Julien started at designated hitter in the Rockies' first two games of the season, but he's now been left out of the lineup three times in the last four contests, with each of those absences coming against right-handed pitchers. Rather than leaning on Julien as the regular DH, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer seems content to rotate a number of players at that spot.

Pushard (knee) will be shut down for 4-to-5 days before resuming a throwing program, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Pushard landed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right knee patellar tendinitis. The Rule 5 selection will be eligible to return April 14 but could be given more time than that to recuperate.

Tena is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game against the Phillies.

The left-handed-hitting Tena had been included in the lineup for the first two games of the series while the Nationals faced off against right-handers, but he'll hit the bench Wednesday as southpaw Cristopher Sanchez toes the rubber for Philadelphia. Daylen Lile will get a day off from playing the outfield and will replace Tena as the Nationals' designated hitter.