MLB Player News

Quezada (lat) began a rehab assignment with the Cardinals' rookie-level Florida Complex League earlier this month. He's struck out six in four scoreless innings across three outings.

Quezada opened the season on the 7-day injured list at Triple-A Memphis with a right lat injury. Memphis activated him from the IL on Tuesday and assigned him to Double-A Springfield, so Quezada has seemingly been deemed healthy following his three-game rehab stint.

Hoffman (shoulder) is scheduled to make a rehab start Friday for High-A Dayton.

Hoffman will be pitching for the first time since July 7, when he tossed 5.1 innings (82 pitches) in his fourth rehab outing for Triple-A Louisville. At this point, Hoffman appears to be fully ramped up for starting duty, but the Reds don't seem to have a spot available for him in the big-league rotation. Rookie Vladimir Gutierrez has emerged as a reliable No. 5 starter since Hoffman landed on the shelf in late May with a right shoulder impingement.

Curtiss (neck) made a rehab appearance for High-A Beloit on Tuesday, striking out two over a scoreless inning.

Curtiss was placed on the 10-day injured list July 4 with a stiff neck, but the reliever looks like he'll be ready to go shortly after the All-Star break. After being acquired from the Rays in the offseason, Curtiss has been a key piece out of the Miami bullpen with a 2.67 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and a 34:8 K:BB in 33.2 innings.

Weathers was diagnosed with a small fracture to a bone in the back of his right ankle Thursday, Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports.

Weathers had the most serious potential injuries ruled out earlier in the week, though this appears to be more good news for his return. He is reportedly walking around fine and his potential return timeline will be reliant upon his ability to manage the pain while pitching. Weathers is still likely headed for the injured list, but it's possible he could return before the end of July.

Puk hasn't allowed an earned run and has posted an 11:3 K:BB over the 10.1 innings covering his last six appearances with Triple-A Las Vegas,

The one asterisk attached to that sample is noteworthy -- Puk actually yielded five runs July 3 against Sacramento, but none were earned. His other five appearances during that span have been completely scoreless, and with just a trio of free passes, the big left-hander at least seems to have gotten a temporary grip on his control problems. However, given he still carries a 7.31 ERA and 1.85 WHIP across 28.1 innings with the Aviators, it appears likely the A's will need to see a more extended stretch of effective pitching before considering a promotion.

Anderson (elbow) will throw live batting practice in Port Charlotte on Friday, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

The encouraging news comes in the wake of Anderson putting together a string of setback-free bullpen sessions. Anderson's progression toward live hitters is the logical next step toward what is expected to be a return to action in early August.

Kelley (elbow) made his first rehab appearance Saturday for the White Sox's rookie-level Arizona Complex League affiliate, recording two outs while surrendering three runs on two hits and three walks.

Kelley was back in action for the first time since May 22 after he had been shut down for a month and a half with right elbow inflammation. The 2020 second-round pick looked rusty over the weekend, so he'll likely require another tune-up outing or two in the ACL before he rejoins Low-A Kannapolis.

Hudson (elbow) announced Monday that he has resumed facing hitters at the Cardinals' extended spring training facility in Florida, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.

Despite undergoing surgery in late September of last season, Hudson continues to hold out hope that he'll be able to pitch for the big club in 2021. The fact that he's been cleared to face hitters is an important milestone in the recovery process, but he'll still likely need at least a month and a half to fully ramp up. Any setback suffered along the way would likely close the door on Hudson pitching at any point this season.

The Yankees announced Thursday that Loaisiga has tested positive for COVID-19, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

The right-hander was placed on the COVID-19 injured list earlier in the day, and it's now been announced that he tested positive for the virus, along with Nestor Cortes and Wandy Peralta. Loaisiga actually tested positive before the All-Star break and was unavailable for the final games of the first half in Houston last weekend. He'll need to clear the health and safety protocols before rejoining the team, which could happen sometime next week if he has no further issues.

Peralta tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, James Wagner of The New York Times reports.

Manager Brian Cashman revealed Thursday that Peralta was one of at least three Yankees who have tested positive for the virus. The southpaw will be away from the team for at least 10 days, but his return timetable depends on how quickly he's able to clear the league's health and safety protocols following his 10-day absence.