MLB Player News

Pruitt allowed an earned run on three hits, two walks and a hit batsman over 5.1 innings during a loss to the Red Sox on Tuesday. He also recorded two strikeouts.

Pruitt was forced into an extended stint due to Jacob Faria's early exit from the game with an oblique injury, and he delivered a clutch performance that afforded the Rays bullpen some rest. The right-hander threw 73 pitches overall during his outing, which was his longest of the season. Pruitt has given up at least one earned run in five consecutive appearances, however, so his ERA remains an elevated 4.91. Even so, his impressive showing Tuesday likely makes him the leading candidate to start Sunday against the Orioles with Faria likely bound for the disabled list.

Pomeranz threw a simulated game Tuesday and believes he's found the cause of his poor results over the last two starts, Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald reports. The left-hander, who will start Saturday against the Braves, lasted just four innings in each of his last two starts while walking eight batters.

Pomeranz believes there has been excessive rotation in his upper torso as he goes through his throwing motion. "Getting real rotational," said Pomeranz. "It's something exactly what I did last year, it's something that I've struggled with." The Red Sox pushed him back a few days in order to work on his mechanics, and Pomeranz is hopeful he's found the root cause of his troubles. He'll carry a 5.07 ERA and an opponent batting average of .302 into his start Saturday.

Stephan was promoted to Double-A Trenton on Tuesday, Matt Kardos of MLB.com reports.

Stephan spent all of six weeks at High-A Tampa before earning the promotion with downright dominant numbers this season. The 2017 third-round pick had a 1.98 ERA and 0.78 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and nine walks over 41 innings in the Florida State League.

Hendriks (groin, hip) threw his third bullpen session Tuesday and is expected to face hitters again in extended spring training Friday, Jane Lee of MLB.com reports.

Hendriks is inching closer to game action, and Friday's session will mark his second overall against hitters. The veteran reliever has been on the disabled list since April 14, but he appears to finally be in the latter stages of his recovery process.

Smith (shoulder) received a second opinion Monday and is now seeking a third opinion on his injured shoulder, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

The specifics of the injury remain a bit murky, but the fact Smith is again pursuing an additional opinion doesn't seem to bode well for his current situation. The 28-year-old should still be considered out indefinitely.

Kimbrel worked around two hits and a walk in a scoreless inning of work to earn his 14th save of the season Tuesday against the Rays.

Kimbrel loaded the bases to put the tying run on second with two outs before retiring Mallex Smith to end the game. It was an uncharacteristic outing for the flamethrower, who had allowed just three baserunners in his previous 6.2 innings. Kimbrel still owns a 2.21 ERA to go along with a 0.84 WHIP and is an elite fantasy closer despite the occasional hiccup.

Farmer pitched two innings of relief in Tuesday's loss to the Twins, allowing three earned runs on four hits. He struck out four.

Farmer exhibited his swing-and-miss stuff with the four strikeouts, though he also showed once again that he's often prone to giving up hits and runs in bunches. The 27-year-old has 27 strikeouts in 22.2 innings this season, but he's also allowed runs in three straight appearances to bump his ERA up to 5.56, which has him mostly off the fantasy radar at the moment.

May (elbow) will make another rehab start for Triple-A Rochester on Tuesday, Brandon Warne of ZoneCoverage.com reports.

May is expected to throw around five innings or 75 pitches in his second rehab start, and if all goes well he'll ramp things up in his next rehab outing, which is scheduled for Sunday. It's unclear how many additional rehab starts May will need beyond Sunday, if any, but the right-hander appears to be getting closer to returning from Tommy John surgery that he underwent in March of 2017. It's also unclear what role May will assume once he's back with the Twins.

Povse is 1-6 with an 8.84 ERA and 1.88 WHIP across 36.2 innings over eight starts for Triple-A Tacoma.

The towering right-hander has hit a wall at the Triple-A level following a fairly brisk progression up the minor-league ladder prior to last season. After arriving via trade with the Braves in 2017, Povse put together a solid stint at Double-A Arkansas before bumping up to Tacoma to finish off the season. He was hit hard over 13 appearances (five starts), posting a 7.39 ERA and 1.70 WHIP over 31.2 innings. It's been more of the same thus far this season, with the fact Povse has already yielded a career-high six home runs certainly playing a significant part in his struggles. The 24-year-old right-hander is also struggling with his control more than he had at any other professional stop.

Covey will start Wednesday against the Orioles, Tom Musick of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Covey was recently recalled from Triple-A Charlotte after the White Sox demoted Carson Fulmer. Covey, who was a Rule 5 selection in 2017, will be looking for his first big-league win. He was 0-8 with a 7.58 ERA in 19 games (13 starts) for Chicago last season.