MLB Player News

Rucker's rehab assignment as he comes back from a right hand injury was transferred from Single-A Clearwater to Double-A Reading on Tuesday.

Rucker made his first rehab appearance Friday with Clearwater, tossing a scoreless inning. The outing was Rucker's first in-game action since March 1, and he'll continue his recovery at Double-A Reading. Rucker will likely require a handful of rehab outings before being reinstated.

Ortiz (ankle/shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment at Double-A Reading, the Phillies announced Tuesday.

Ortiz was removed from his minor-league rehab assignment in late April after experiencing inflammation in his right shoulder. He was initially placed on the IL with a sprained left ankle, which is what he was rehabbing before the setback. It's unclear how long of an assignment he'll require, but it's an encouraging sign for the 28-year-old, who's been sidelined since March 30.

Herget was optioned to Triple-A Nashville on Tuesday.

Herget will make room on the active roster for Carlos F. Rodriguez, who'll start Tuesday's game against the Blue Jays. Herget owns a 2.08 ERA with a save across 8.2 innings with the Brewers this season.

Mets manager Carlos Mendoz said Tuesday that Diaz (shoulder) will be activated from the 15-day injured list Thursday, Will Sammon of The Athletic reports.

Diaz is done with his rehab assignment after making two scoreless appearances with High-A Brooklyn. However, the Mets will wait a couple more days before returning the reliever to the active roster. Mendoza didn't divulge plans for Diaz's immediate role, but he should serve as the club's closer sooner rather than later. Diaz has been out since late May with a right shoulder impingement.

Almonte (shoulder) threw about 30 pitches during a bullpen session Monday, Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune reports.

Almonte completed his first bullpen session since being cleared for mound work Friday. He's been rehabbing at the Cubs' facility in Arizona, where he'll remain before being shipped out on a rehab assignment. Almonte hasn't pitched since May 7 and is battling a strained throwing shoulder.

Alzolay (forearm) played catch up to 60 feet Tuesday, Maddie Lee of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Alzolay played catch for the first time since being shut down May 22, extending out to 60 feet during the session. After being shifted to the 60-day IL on June 2, Alzolay will be eligible for a return in mid-July, though he'll likely need a significant minor-league rehab stint before being activated.

Rodriguez (2-1) retired the only batter he faced to earn the extra-inning win over the Astros on Monday.

The Astros found success against Erik Miller to begin the 10th inning, but Rodriguez got a groundout from Jeremy Pena to end the half-inning with the Giants down 3-1. They rallied on offense, earning a walk-off win to give Rodriguez his second victory this season. Rodriguez has allowed multiple runs in two of his last six outings, but he's gone five appearances without walking a batter. On the year, the rookie reliever has a 3.05 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 25:7 K:BB over 20.2 innings, which is more than adequate for what amounts to a low-leverage role most of the time.

Martinez is expected to operate as a primary pitcher out of the bullpen behind opener Brett Suter in Tuesday's game against the Guardians, Greg Kuffner of SI.com reports.

Martinez looks poised to fill the open spot in the rotation that was created when Graham Ashcraft was optioned to Triple-A Louisville on Thursday. Though he's previously made five starts this season, Martinez has been roughed up by opposing hitters to the tune of a .348/.378/.527 slash line across 25.2 innings. Martinez has been far more effective when working in relief (.141/.158/.239 opponent's slash line in 26.2 innings), so the Reds will keep him in the bullpen Tuesday with the hope of coaxing better results from him. The right-hander should be capable of offering plenty of length behind Suter, as he hasn't pitched since Friday, when he needed just 11 pitches to retire the side during an appearance against the Cubs.

Manager Bud Black said that Gilbreath (elbow/shoulder) is "progressing" after the southpaw resumed throwing June 3 at Coors Field, MLB.com reports.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery March 14, 2023, Gilbreath received clearance to head out on a minor-league rehab assignment in late April, but he made just one appearance before being shut down after experiencing shoulder discomfort. He's finally starting to get ramped back up again after a nearly six-week shutdown period, but Gilbreath could still be another week or more away from heading back out on a rehab assignment. During his last healthy season in the majors in 2022, Gilbreath compiled a 4.19 ERA and 1.47 WHIP over 43 innings out of the Colorado bullpen.

Bird (elbow) struck out two and allowed a solo home run in his first rehab appearance with the Rockies' rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate on Monday.

Bird has been shelved since mid-May with right elbow inflammation but is on the comeback trail. He'll likely move up to a higher affiliate eventually to continue his rehab assignment but should be ready to return from the 15-day injured list and take back a spot in the Colorado bullpen sooner rather than later.