MLB Baseball 8 Hours

Last updated: April 8, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

MLB Player Health & Roster Moves

The injury bug continued to bite across the league, forcing several key roster adjustments and casting doubt on key starters' immediate futures. In Cincinnati, reserve catcher Jose Trevino landed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday due to a thoracic spine strain, limiting the club’s depth behind the plate. Meanwhile, the American League West saw the Astros lose two players within minutes of each other as center fielder Jake Meyers exited with back tightness and right-hander Cristian Javier departed due to shoulder tightness, compounding Houston's early-season woes. On the mound, Royals ace Cole Ragans stated his expectation to make his next start despite exiting Wednesday's 10-2 defeat to the Guardians early due to a thumb issue, offering a small measure of relief to Kansas City's rotation.

The injury front brought more definitive, negative news for two other clubs. The Blue Jays confirmed that All-Star catcher Alejandro Kirk underwent surgery on his fractured left thumb and is projected to miss approximately six weeks, a substantial blow to Toronto's lineup depth. Even more severe is the prognosis for the Cubs' Cade Horton, as manager Craig Counsell announced the pitcher will require season-ending surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. Separately, the Mariners shuffled their outfielders, placing Victor Robles on the 10-day IL with a right pec strain and recalling Connor Joe from Triple-A Tacoma to fill the void.

Contract News & Discipline

In a major move securing one of the game's premier young talents, the Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a nine-year extension with rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin, locking up the top prospect in baseball for a reported $140 million less than a week after his major league debut Sources: Griffin, Pirates agree on 9 years, $140M. This long-term commitment signals the Pirates' faith in the 19-year-old to anchor their infield for the better part of the next decade Pirates hopeful of long-term deal with SS Griffin. Contrastingly, discipline was meted out following Tuesday's incident in Anaheim, where Braves right-hander Reynaldo Lopez and Angels outfielder Jorge Soler were each issued seven-game suspensions for their involvement in the benches-clearing brawl that saw both players throw punches Soler, Lopez trade haymakers, ejected in brawl.

Pitching Struggles & Tributes

Elsewhere on the personnel front, the Chicago White Sox demoted their struggling Opening Day starter, right-hander Shane Smith, sending him down to the minor leagues in an attempt to recalibrate his performance White Sox demote struggling Smith to Triple-A. Meanwhile, the Texas Rangers received positive news regarding Jacob de Grom, as a recent MRI on his right knee revealed no structural issues, though his timeline for returning to the mound remains uncertain. On a somber note, the baseball world mourned the passing of former Dodgers speedster Davey Lopes, a four-time All-Star who captured the 1981 World Series title, who died Wednesday at age 80 following a battle with Parkinson's disease. In a bizarre minor league showing, one Toronto affiliate managed to plate eight runs in the second inning of their Double-A contest without recording a single base hit, relying entirely on walks and errors before finally tallying their first hit later in the game.