MLB Player News

The Pirates recalled Valdez from Triple-A Indianapolis on Thursday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Valdez earned his first promotion to the majors after slashing .253/.381/.506 with 10 homers, 29 RBI and 25 runs scored over 194 plate appearances at Indianapolis. He's worked primarily in right field throughout his minor-league career, making him a logical choice to fill in as Pittsburgh's right fielder while Ryan O'Hearn (quad) is on the injured list. That said, the Pirates recalled Jhostynxon Garcia from Triple-A on Tuesday for a similar purpose, so it's unclear how reps will be divided between the two prospects.

Marlins manager Clayton McCullough indicated Thursday that Phillips is under consideration to start Sunday's game against the Mets, Craig Mish of FanDuel Sports Network Florida reports.

Phillips has been a full-time reliever the last two seasons with the Marlins, but almost all of his experience prior to that both at the major- and minor-league level has been as a starting pitcher. He's also exceeded 40 pitches in each of his last two relief outings, so Phillips is relatively stretched out. If the Marlins do go with Phillips on Sunday, he likely wouldn't be able to go longer than four innings.

Gimenez is not in the lineup for Thursday's tilt versus the Yankees.

The Blue Jays are loading their lineup with righties against Yankees southpaw Carlos Rodon. With Gimenez beginning the game on the bench, Ernie Clement is sliding over to shortstop, and Lenyn Sosa will get the start at second base.

Sanchez (chest) is absent from the lineup for Thursday's game against the Yankees.

Sanchez was lifted from Wednesday's contest after getting the wind knocked out of him. The left-handed hitter likely wasn't going to start Thursday, anyway, with the Yankees sending southpaw Carlos Rodon to the bump, but it's unclear whether he'll be available off the bench. Myles Straw will cover right field for Toronto in Sanchez's stead.

Imaging on Grisham's left knee came back negative Thursday, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Grisham made an early exit from Wednesday's contest after suffering a knee injury in the second inning, though he seems to have escaped the incident without suffering any structural damage. He'll begin Thursday's game against Toronto on the bench while Spencer Jones starts in center field, but Grisham could be available to play in an emergency.

Wynns signed a minor-league contract with the Angels on Saturday and was assigned to Triple-A Salt Lake.

Wynns has gone 2-for-11 with a double through his first three games with Salt Lake. After the Athletics released Wynns earlier this month, the Angels elected to bring the 35-year-old aboard to bolster the organization's catching depth. Travis d'Arnaud (foot) is currently on the injured list and is without a clear timeline for a return, so Wynns should get the chance to play regularly at Salt Lake while Sebastian Rivero replaces d'Arnaud as the top backup to No. 1 catcher Logan O'Hoppe at the big-league level.

May (3-5) took the loss Thursday against the Pirates, allowing four runs on six hits and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out seven.

May held Pittsburgh to two runs through his first five innings but ran into trouble in the sixth, when four straight Pirates reached safely with one out, ultimately resulting in two more runs. Prior to Thursday, May had delivered quality starts in four straight outings. His ERA now sits at an even 5.00 with a 1.43 WHIP and 42:17 K:BB across 54 innings. The right-hander is currently lined up to face the Brewers on the road his next time out.

Ashcraft (3-2) earned the win Thursday over the Cardinals, allowing a run on four hits and two walks across seven innings. He struck out nine.

Ashcraft was impressive Thursday, holding St. Louis to a lone run on an Ivan Herrera homer while matching a season high with nine strikeouts. Ashcraft has pitched into the seventh inning in four consecutive starts, posting a 2.14 ERA in that span (28.1 innings). Overall, his ERA is down to 2.89 with a 1.03 WHIP and 65:16 K:BB across 10 starts (62.1 innings) this season. Ashcraft will look to keep rolling in his next outing, tentatively scheduled to come at home against the Cubs.

Wells isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Wells will begin Thursday's game in the dugout after striking out in four of the five at-bats he's had in this series. J.C. Escarra will handle catching duties and bat ninth in the series finale.

Grisham (knee) isn't in the lineup for Thursday's game against the Blue Jays.

Grisham will sit out after tweaking his knee during the second inning of Wednesday's contest. He's set to undergo imaging Thursday that will determine the severity of his injury, but he's optimistic about his chances of avoiding a trip to the IL, per Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. Spencer Jones will fill in as New York's center fielder Thursday.