MLB Player News

The Pirates placed Ashcraft (personal) on the bereavement/family medical emergency list Saturday.

Ashcraft had been scheduled to make his next start Monday versus St. Louis, but he'll miss that outing since he'll have to be inactive for at least three days while on the bereavement list. Pittsburgh called up reliever Cam Sanders from Triple-A Indianapolis to temporarily fill Ashcraft's spot on the 26-man roster. It's unclear who will slide into Ashcraft's rotation spot for what will likely be a spot start Monday.

Torres isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Reds.

Torres will get a breather Saturday following a stretch of 12 straight starts, during which he slashed .250/.389/.273 with three RBI and five runs scored. His absence will move Javier Baez to the keystone and allow Matt Vierling to start in center field.

Senga will start the second game of Sunday's doubleheader versus Colorado, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.

Senga was originally scheduled to start Saturday, but the game was postponed due to rain. Fantasy managers in weekly leagues who have Senga in their lineup won't lose a start, however, as the right-hander is slated to pitch in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday. Nolan McLean will make his regularly scheduled start in the matinee.

Garcia (elbow) isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Angels.

Garcia was expected to return to the starting nine Saturday after sitting out Friday's contest with elbow cramps, but he will instead sit out a second consecutive game. Nick Loftin will pick up an extra start at the hot corner as a result and bat eighth.

Smith is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's matchup against the Cubs, Jack Harris of the California Post reports.

Smith belted a three-run homer Friday, but he'll begin the middle contest of the three-game series on the bench. That will give Dalton Rushing, who is having a big season as Smith's backup, another chance to start. Smith figures to be back in the lineup Sunday for the series finale.

The Astros optioned Gordon to Triple-A Sugar Land on Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Gordon has struggled since arriving in the majors April 14, giving up 12 earned runs in just 9.1 innings across four appearances. He'll now head back to the minors to right the ship, and Bennett Sousa (oblique) will come off the injured list to fill the open bullpen spot.

Bowlan (groin) is set to begin a minor-league rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley on Saturday.

Bowlan landed on the 15-day IL on April 13 due to a right groin strain. He's been throwing bullpen sessions and will now take another step in his rehab by seeing game action. Bowlan is eligible to return from the injured list Tuesday, and it's feasible that he'll be ready to return to Philadelphia's bullpen at that time.

The Astros reinstated Sousa (oblique) from the injured list Saturday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

After spending the first month of the season on the injured list working his way back from an oblique strain, Sousa will now rejoin the Astros' bullpen. He'll likely settle into a high-leverage role and could even be in the mix for saves while Josh Hader (biceps) is sidelined. Colton Gordon was optioned to Triple-A in a corresponding move.

The Phillies optioned McFarlane to Double-A Reading on Saturday.

McFarlane was called up to Philadelphia on Friday but didn't get into that day's contest against Atlanta. He's headed back to Reading one day later, as the Phillies needed to clear a spot on the active roster for Zack Wheeler (shoulder), who was reinstated from the injured list. McFarlane has been pitching well in the minors and could get another chance to make his big-league debut later this season.

The Phillies returned Wheeler (shoulder) from his rehab assignment and activated him from the 15-day injured list Saturday.

Wheeler spent the early portion of the campaign in the minors rehabbing from surgery to address venous thoracic outlet syndrome. He was shaky during the five-game rehab stint, posting a 5.85 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over 20 innings, though that came with an impressive 23:5 K:BB. Wheeler is set to make his first MLB start of 2026 -- and first big-league appearance since Aug. 15 of last year -- Saturday in Atlanta.