MLB Player News

Astros manager Joe Espada said Verlander (shoulder) will throw a bullpen session Thursday before pitching in a minor-league game a few days later, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

The veteran right-hander threw 52 pitches during a three-inning simulated game Monday, and it appears the next step in his rehab program will be pitching in a minor-league game. Verlander previously said he wants to build his pitch count to around 85 before joining the Astros, and he'll likely require at least two rehab starts before being activated.

Gipson-Long (groin) completed a three-inning simulated game Tuesday in Lakeland, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

Gipson-Long was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday due to a groin injury he had been battling since the first week of spring training. The right-hander went 1-0 with a 2.70 ERA in 20 innings for the Tigers across four starts last season.

The Astros placed France on the paternity list Tuesday, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

France will be allowed to miss up to three days as he welcomes a new addition to his family. Dylan Coleman was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land in a corresponding move.

Williams (elbow) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session sometime during the Guardians' April 1-3 series in Seattle, Paul Hoynes of The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports.

Williams is making his way back from right elbow inflammation, an injury he suffered in mid-March during a weighted-ball workout. The right-hander should be ready for a rehab assignment soon, although one has not been scheduled yet and it's not clear how many rehab starts he might need before rejoining the Guardians' rotation.

Muller replaced starter Joe Boyle with two outs in the third inning of Monday's loss to the Red Sox and allowed an earned run on one hit and two walks over 5.1 innings. He struck out six.

Muller's previous starting experience has already come into play twice over the first five games, as manager Mark Kotsay has taken advantage of the southpaw's ability to work multiple innings to preserve his bullpen in lopsided shutout losses. Muller's impressive work over that pair of appearances -- he's pitched to a 1.13 ERA and 0.50 WHIP while allowing only two hits in eight innings -- could pay dividends for him down the line in the form of a rotation audition if starters such as Alex Wood or Boyle continue to struggle.

Monegro is on the injured list with High-A Greenville as he builds back up after reporting to camp with weakness in his right shoulder, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports.

Callis did not provide a timeline for Monegro to return to game action. A projectable 6-foot-4 righty with a feel for spinning the baseball, Monegro had an ERA under 2.50 at all three levels he pitched at last season, but he has a wiry frame and hasn't proven he can handle a significant workload yet.

Lange is on the 60-day injured list with High-A Hudson due to a shoulder injury, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports.

Lange made three starts at High-A to finish last season after opening the year with 18 starts at Single-A. He has flashed impressive pure stuff in the past, but the 22-year-old righty has never had a walk rate below 13.5 percent and likely projects as a reliever if he ever makes the big leagues.

Selvidge will begin the season with Double-A Somerset, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports.

Selvidge, a 21-year-old lefty with a projectable 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame, was excellent at Single-A and High-A last season, but he only made nine starts at High-A, so this assignment was a nice vote of confidence by the Yankees. While Selvidge's 93-mph fastball is a middling pitch, his cutter and slider are very strong secondary offerings and he had a 6.5 percent walk rate last season.

Corniell will open the season on the injured list at Double-A Frisco with elbow inflammation, Jim Callis of MLB.com reports.

This is an ominous injury designation for the 20-year-old righty. Corniell has outstanding control for his age (7.3 BB% in 58.1 innings at High-A) and a quality four-pitch mix headlined by a 94-mph fastball and plus 84-mph sweeper. The fact he was assigned to Double-A before turning 21 illustrates how advanced Corniell is, but this elbow injury could be his first big setback. Per Callis, Corniell is expected back in early June.

Gil didn't factor into the decision Monday against Arizona, going 4.2 innings and yielding one run on one hit and three walks. He struck out six.

Gil showed his worth as the Yankees' fifth starter and Gerrit Cole (elbow) fill-in, holding the D-Backs to one hit in his first MLB appearance since 2022. The righty got himself into trouble in the third, allowing a hit and a walk before advancing both the runners on a wild pitch, opening up the opportunity for Ketel Marte to cash in on a sac fly. Still, Gil looks to be a quality option for the Yankees moving forward and will look to keep the ball rolling in his next projected start Sunday against Toronto -- who got no-hit by Houston's Ronel Blanco on Monday.