MLB Player News

Luzardo (1-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Cubs, allowing nine runs (eight earned) on 12 hits and one walk while striking out four over 5.1 innings.

Luzardo was hit hard throughout the outing, as Chicago consistently squared him up and never let him settle in fully. The left-hander's performance Wednesday continued a troubling early-season trend, as he has now allowed five or more earned runs in three of his first four starts, ballooning his ERA to 7.94 through 22.2 innings. While there's still plenty of time for Luzardo to turn things around, it's been a concerning start after Philadelphia committed to him long term with a five-year, $135 million extension this spring.

Mahle (0-3) took the loss Wednesday against the Reds, allowing eight runs on eight hits and five walks while striking out six over four innings.

The right-hander was in trouble from the jump, serving up back-to-back homers in the first inning, including a three-run shot to Sal Stewart. Stewart took him deep again an inning later for another three-run blast, and Elly De La Cruz added Cincinnati's fourth homer of the night in the fourth to cap the damage. The outing surprisingly could have been even worse, as Mahle managed to strand runners in scoring position in multiple innings despite all the traffic. It's now the second time in his first four starts that he's allowed at least eight hits and five runs, and his season line has ballooned to a 7.23 ERA, 1.93 WHIP and 21:12 K:BB across 18.2 innings. It will be a tall task to rebound from Wednesday's performance as a difficult matchup against the Dodgers awaits Mahle next week.

Jones (elbow) threw a live batting practice Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Pitching coach Bill Murphy reported that Jones looked "amazing," though the team didn't release specific details about the session. Jones is expected to throw a few more live bullpen sessions before beginning a rehab assignment, and he continues to line up for a return in late May.

Lowder (2-1) earned the win Wednesday against the Giants, allowing three runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four over 6.2 innings.

Lowder ran into trouble in the second inning, allowing three straight baserunners, capped by a two-run double from Daniel Susac but settled in well after that, tossing four straight scoreless frames. The 24-year-old found himself running into traffic again in the seventh, when he exited with runners at the corners, and one inherited runner later came around to score. Despite the late blemish, Lowder delivered another strong outing and has now posted quality starts in two of his last three appearances. Through 23 innings, the right-hander owns a 3.52 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a 15:7 K:BB, with a road matchup against Tampa Bay on deck.

Paddack (0-3) took the loss Wednesday against Atlanta, allowing two runs on five hits and no walks in 4.2 innings. He struck out four.

Paddack held Atlanta in check for the most part, but he wasn't particularly efficient with his pitch count. The right-hander couldn't get through the fifth inning, finishing with 92 pitches and failing to pitch at least five innings for the third time in four starts to begin the year. Paddack appears to have a soft matchup against the Cardinals in his next scheduled start, but he still won't be a recommended fantasy option in most cases while carrying a 5.59 ERA and 1.45 WHIP across his first 19.1 innings.

Elder (2-1) notched the win Wednesday against the Marlins, allowing four hits and two walks in 5.2 scoreless innings. He struck out seven.

Given how well he was pitching, it was pretty surprising to see Elder get pulled from the outing at just 79 pitches. The right-hander threw 53 strikes on the evening, submitting his third scoreless start already this year. Elder hasn't yet touched the 90-pitch mark this season -- Atlanta could have some form of workload restrictions in place -- but he has a microscopic 0.77 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 23:7 K:BB over 23.1 innings thus far, making him close to a must-roster fantasy player ahead of a favorable matchup against Washington.

Irvin (1-2) took the loss Wednesday against the Pirates, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks in five innings. He struck out five.

It was a bit of a hard-luck loss for Irvin, who yielded just four singles but did struggle with his control. The right-hander tossed five innings for the third time in four starts to begin the year, though he's yet to give up fewer than two runs in any of them. Irvin has a lackluster 6.16 ERA, 1.47 WHIP and 21:11 K:BB over his first 19 innings, so he'll remain difficult to trust in fantasy lineups against Atlanta next week.

Perez will start Friday's game against the Phillies, Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports.

Perez elected free agency Tuesday, returned to Atlanta on a minor-league pact Wednesday, and he's now set to rejoin the big-league rotation Friday. The 35-year-old lefty owns a 3.14 ERA and 0.91 WHIP through 14.1 innings on the season, and he'll match up against a Philadelphia offense that's posted just a .229 batting average (22nd in MLB) across its first 18 games.

May (2-2) picked up the win in Wednesday's 5-3 victory over the Guardians, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out four.

The right-hander was far from dominant, managing a paltry two swinging strikes among his 91 pitches (59 total strikes), but May limited the damage in his second straight quality start and second straight win. It's a remarkable turnaround from his first two outings of 2026 -- in which he surrendered a combined 13 runs -- but his margin for error seems very thin without missing more bats. May will take a 6.98 ERA, 1.60 WHIP and 15:4 K:BB through 19.1 innings into his next start, which lines up to come on the road early next week in Miami.

Snell (shoulder) tossed a live bullpen session Wednesday, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

Snell ended up tossing 31 pitches over two simulated innings and faced Alex Call, Santiago Espinal and Tommy Edman (ankle), per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. Snell continues to rehab from left shoulder fatigue that caused him to open the regular season on the 15-day injured list. Wednesday was his second bullpen session of his recovery program, and he'll likely need several more before being cleared to embark on a minor-league rehab assignment. Snell is not expected to make his season debut until at least late May.