MLB Player News

Tawa started in left field and went 1-for-3 with a walk, a double and an RBI in Friday's 6-3 win over the Blue Jays.

Tawa's run-scoring double in the eighth inning snapped an 0-for-16 skid and produced just his second RBI in 13 games. A season-opening slump (4-for-35, .114) has cost him playing time and makes Tawa a logical candidate to be removed from the roster if Lourdes Gurriel (knee) is activated as expected this weekend. Jorge Barrosa can cover left field while Gurriel adjusts to game action as a DH in the majors.

Smith underwent surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow Thursday, Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports reports.

The bone chips were the cause of the inflammation that Smith began experiencing during spring training. A timeline for his return was not given, but he's currently on the 60-day injured list and can't be reinstated until May 29.

Burger went 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored in Friday's 5-0 win over the Mariners.

Burger's hitting streak is up to six games, a span in which he has gone 9-for-24 (.375) with three home runs and 10 RBI. The first baseman is hitting .275 with an .811 OPS, five homers, 17 RBI, 10 runs scored and four doubles across 20 contests this season. Burger's never hit higher than .250 in a full season, so his average may not last throughout the year, but he's in a good spot for run production as the Rangers' primary cleanup hitter.

Santana allowed one hit and one walk while striking out one in the ninth inning in Friday's win over the Rays.

The Pirates were up by two runs at the start of the eighth inning but tacked on two runs in the home half of the frame. That meant Santana didn't work in a save situation, though he's now pitched the ninth inning or 10th inning in six consecutive appearances -- five of which were to end the game. Santana looks to be the Pirates' preferred closing option for the time being, though Gregory Soto will likely mix in occasionally.

Langford went 3-for-5 with one RBI and one run scored in Friday's 5-0 win over the Mariners.

Langford has gone 6-for-17 over four contests since he returned from a right quad strain. The outfielder is starting to turn around his relatively slow start at the plate. He's batting .214 with a .590 OPS while adding one home run, four RBI, seven runs scored, two doubles, two triples and two stolen bases over 17 games. Langford is regularly hitting second or third in the order, which should give him plenty of chances to produce runs.

Jung went 3-for-5 with three doubles and one RBI in Friday's 5-0 win over the Mariners.

Jung was back to seventh in the batting order Friday, but that didn't cool off his bat. He has hit at least one double in five of his last six games, adding five RBI in that span. The third baseman has four multi-hit efforts over his last nine games. Jung is now hitting .290 on the year with a .795 OPS, one home run, six RBI, six runs scored, seven doubles and no stolen bases over 17 contests.

Soto didn't allow a baserunner across one inning to earn a hold Friday against the Rays.

Soto entered the game in the eighth inning with the Pirates up by two runs. He's remained very sharp all season, allowing only one earned run across 10.2 innings while maintaining a 15:5 K:BB. However, Soto has now pitched in the seventh or eighth inning in five consecutive appearances, suggesting Dennis Santana is the primary option for saves at this point.

Nimmo went 1-for-4 with a solo home run and a walk in Friday's 5-0 win over the Mariners.

He took the third pitch of the game out to right field, and that was ultimately all the run support Jacob deGrom and company would need. Nimmo's bat has cooled down a little bit this week -- he's 3-for-20 (.150) with two RBI and seven strikeouts over his last five games. The drop in hitting was to be expected after the outfielder's hot start, which has helped him stay at a .313 batting average with a .934 OPS, four homers, 11 RBI, 13 runs scored and one stolen base over 20 contests.

DeGrom allowed four hits and two walks while striking out three over four scoreless innings in a no-decision versus the Mariners on Friday.

While he pitched well, the Mariners were able to run deGrom's pitch count up early, as he exited with 88 pitches (57 strikes) in his four frames. This was his shortest outing of the season and also included a season low for strikeouts, but it was his first scoreless start of the year. The veteran right-hander has maintained a 2.29 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 25:6 K:BB through 19.2 innings this season. DeGrom is projected to make his next start at home versus the Pirates.

Gilbert (1-3) took the loss Friday versus the Rangers, allowing two runs on seven hits, a walk and a hit batsman while striking out seven over 5.1 innings.

Gilbert had a decent game, settling in well after allowing a leadoff home run to Brandon Nimmo in the first inning. He fell short of a third straight quality start, but Gilbert tied his season high for strikeouts, which he's achieved in three of five starts so far. He's at a 4.03 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 32:5 K:BB across 29 innings. He's projected to make his next start at home versus the Athletics.