MLB Player News

Hays was removed from Saturday's game against the Cubs due to back spasms.

Hays was lifted at the start of the sixth inning after going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He was replaced in left field by Spencer Steer, who moved over from first base, while Sal Stewart entered the game to play first.

McDonald will start Sunday's game against the Dodgers in Los Angeles, Justice delos Santos of The San Jose Mercury Newsreports.

After being called up from Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday, McDonald made his 2025 Giants debut later that night and pitched two innings out of the bullpen against the Diamondbacks, allowing two earned runs on three hits and a walk. He had been working out of the Triple-A rotation prior to his promotion, so he should be able to handle a traditional starter's workload Sunday, if the Giants desire. Tristan Beck, Carson Seymour and Spencer Bivens are candidates to cover multiple innings out of the bullpen if needed.

Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that he expects Abreu (calf) to return from the injured list Sunday, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

Abreu has been sidelined with a strained calf for more than a month, but it appears he is nearing the end of his recovery. The 26-year-old outfielder is slashing .253/.325/.486 on the season and will almost certainly reclaim his role as Boston's primary right fielder once activated.

Imaging revealed minor inflammation in Woo's right pectoral Saturday, Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times reports.

It remains unknown whether Woo will be able to make his next start Thursday versus Colorado, but the M's will keep an eye on him over the next several days before making a decision. The team doesn't anticipate him spending time on the injured list, however, which makes it far more likely that he appears on the mound at some point before the end of the year.

Imaging revealed a hairline fracture in Smith's right hand Saturday, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic reports.

Manager Dave Roberts added that it's doubtful Smith will be able to play again during the regular season, and he's unsure whether the backstop will be ready for the postseason. If Smith is ultimately sidelined the rest of the way, the 30-year-old will finish the year with a .296/.404/.497 slash line alongside 17 homers, 61 RBI and 64 runs scored over 110 games. Ben Rortvedt has been receiving the bulk of playing time at catcher with Smith out and will likely continue to do so for the final week of the regular season.

Pereda isn't in the lineup for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Guardians.

Pereda will stay put in the dugout to begin Saturday's nightcap after going 0-for-3 with a strikeout in Game 1. Mickey Gasper will replace him as Minnesota's backstop and bat eighth.

Naylor isn't in the lineup for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against Minnesota.

Naylor will catch his breath during the nightcap after going 2-for-3 with a walk and two solo home runs during a win in the early game. Austin Hedges will start behind the dish and bat ninth in Naylor's stead.

The Angels recalled Bachman from Triple-A Salt Lake on Saturday.

The 25-year-old righty will rejoin the Angels' bullpen as a replacement for Robert Stephenson, who landed on the injured list Saturday with an elbow injury. Bachman has dominated Triple-A batters to the tune of a 0.71 ERA through 25.1 innings, but he carries a 4.96 ERA through 16.1 frames with the Halos.

The Angels placed Stephenson on the 15-day injured list Saturday with right elbow inflammation.

Stephenson's move to the IL will ensure he remains sidelined for the rest of the year after putting up a 2.70 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 10 innings in the majors. Sam Bachman was recalled from Triple-A Salt Lake to fill the hole in the Halos' bullpen.

The Twins recalled Abel from Triple-A St. Paul on Saturday.

With Pablo Lopez (forearm) on the injured list and set to miss the rest of the season, Abel will come up from the minors to claim the open roster spot. The 24-year-old right-hander has accumulated a 7.76 ERA and 1.76 WHIP in the big leagues between Philadelphia and Minnesota, though he's been dominant at St. Paul to the tune of a 1.85 ERA and 0.95 WHIP over 24.1 frames. It's unclear what role the Twins have planned for Abel now that he's in the bigs, but if he takes Lopez's place in the rotation, he'd be in line to start Thursday against the Rangers.