MLB Player News

Minnesota placed Stewart on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with right elbow soreness, Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

There is no timetable for Stewart's return to the Twins' bullpen, but for now it doesn't sound like an overly serious diagnosis. He's been brilliant so far this season, boasting a 0.70 ERA with 35 strikeouts in 25.2 innings of relief.

Knehr will start Tuesday against Pittsburgh, Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.

Yu Darvish was scratched from his scheduled start due to illness, so Knehr will temporarily fill in as San Diego's starter. The 26-year-old righty has made six major-league starts and holds a 5.24 ERA and 1.40 WHIP through 46.1 innings throughout his MLB career.

Antone (elbow) started a throwing program at the Reds' spring facility in Arizona earlier this month and resumed pitching off a mound last week, C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic reports.

According to Rosecrans, if Antone remains free of setbacks while building up over the course of multiple bullpen sessions, he'll be cleared to face hitters in live batting practice beginning July 8. After that, Antone will be targeting July 19 as the starting date for his rehab assignment, and he'll most likely stay in the minors for close to the full length of the 30-day window as he aims to regain both velocity and command coming off his August 2021 Tommy John surgery. Antone had been expected to be fully healthy for spring training, but he suffered a flexor strain in the same elbow over the offseason to further delay his return to the Cincinnati bullpen. He now appears poised to make his 2023 debut at some point in August.

Law (elbow) began a rehab assignment with High-A Dayton on Sunday and struck out a batter over a perfect inning.

Because Law has been on the shelf since May 19 with a right flexor mass sprain, he'll likely require additional tune-ups in the minors before the Reds are ready to welcome him back from the 15-day injured list. Prior to being deactivated, Law bagged three wins, two holds and one save over his 20 appearances while pitching to a 2.57 ERA and 1.48 WHIP across 21 innings.

Seattle activated Gott (back) from the 15-day injured list Tuesday.

Recovered from a three-week battle with lower back spasms, Gott will return to the Mariners' bullpen Tuesday night against the Nationals. Chris Flexen was designated for assignment in a corresponding roster move.

Fleming (elbow) resumed playing catch last week, MLB.com reports.

When Fleming initially landed on the 15-day injured list June 2 with left elbow soreness, the Rays had feared that the southpaw could be a candidate for season-ending surgery. Fortunately for Fleming, a follow-up MRI revealed only cartilage damage and inflammation, as his left elbow was deemed to be structurally sound. He'll ultimately be sidelined until at least late July after he was moved to the 60-day IL, but since he's already throwing again, Fleming looks as though he'll have a chance at being ready for activation when first eligible.

Cleavinger, who underwent surgery May 17 to repair a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee, is expected to be fully healthy in advance of spring training, MLB.com reports.

After injuring his knee in a May 7 relief appearance, Cleavinger was diagnosed with a torn ACL a day later, but he wasn't revealed to have suffered any meniscus damage at that time. He ultimately required a surgical fix for both knee issues, but his recovery timeline shouldn't be affected in any dramatic way. If back to 100 percent next spring training as anticipated, Cleavinger will be vying for a high-leverage role in the Tampa Bay bullpen.

Speas was promoted Tuesday to Triple-A Round Rock, Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News reports.

Speas earned the level bump after delivering a 0.64 ERA with 47 strikeouts across 28.1 innings this season at Double-A Frisco. He hadn't allowed a run there since May 21. The 25-year-old did not pitch professionally in 2022, instead opting to take a job as a high school baseball coach, but he reported to the minor-league side of Rangers camp this spring and is now just one step away from reaching the majors.

Kittredge (elbow) threw a live batting practice session Friday, MLB.com reports.

The activity marked the first time that Kittredge had faced hitters since undergoing Tommy John surgery last June. The 2021 All-Star reliever will likely spend the next few weeks ramping up in controlled settings before likely heading out on an extended minor-league rehab assignment at some point shortly after the All-Star break. Kittredge remains on track to return from the 60-day injured list before the season comes to a close.

Faucher (elbow) began a rehab assignment Monday with the Rays' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate, covering one inning while allowing an unearned run on two hits and one walk.

Faucher has been on the 15-day injured list since June 7 with right elbow inflammation, but now that he's out on a rehab assignment, he should be on the cusp of an activation. The Rays may want to see the reliever make another appearance or two at a higher-level minor-league affiliate before giving him the green light to rejoin the big-league bullpen.