MLB Player News

Francis (forearm) is one of the options the Blue Jays are considering as the rotation replacement for Alek Manoah (elbow), Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Francis struck out five while yielding one unearned run over 3.2 innings with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday in what was likely his final rehab appearance. The righty has been sidelined since late April with forearm tendinitis. Francis holds a 12.96 ERA in two starts and 2.84 ERA in three relief appearances with the Jays this season. Toronto is also considering a bullpen game for Manoah's next turn, which comes up early next week.

Orioles GM Mike Elias announced Friday that Means will undergo surgery to repair the UCL in his left elbow and will miss the rest of the season, Jake Rill of MLB.com reports.

The left-hander headed for a second opinion after being diagnosed with a forearm strain last week, and he'll end up having a third straight injury-shortened campaign. It remains to be seen if Means will require Tommy John surgery -- which he also underwent in April 2022 -- or a lesser procedure, but his absence is likely to push into 2025 regardless. It's a rough day for the Orioles rotation, as Tyler Wells (elbow) will also require UCL surgery.

The Blue Jays placed Manoah on the 15-day injured list Friday, retroactive to May 30, with a right elbow sprain, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Manoah has damage to his UCL and will receive a second opinion from Dr. Keith Meister next Thursday, per Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca. Season-ending surgery looks like a distinct possibility, but that decision should be made after next week's exam. Manoah has posted a 3.70 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 26:8 K:BB over 24.1 innings covering five starts with the Blue Jays this season.

Oakland recalled Basso from Triple-A Las Vegas on Friday.

The 26-year-old southpaw will return to Oakland's roster alongside righty Dany Jimenez as Lucas Erceg gets placed on the 15-day injured list and Tyler Ferguson gets optioned down. Basso has appeared in three games with the Athletics' Triple-A affiliate this year, recording a 14:8 K:BB and 13 earned runs across 12.1 innings.

The Rays optioned Alexander to Triple-A Durham on Friday, Ryan Bass of Bally Sports Sun reports.

It was just two weeks ago that Alexander flirted with a perfect game in Toronto, but that outing sticks out like a sore thumb on his game log. The lefty allowed four runs over 4.2 frames versus the Athletics on Thursday to push his ERA on the season up to 6.19. With Zach Eflin (back) poised to rejoin the Rays' rotation soon, Alexander has lost his spot.

Manoah will receive a second opinion on his injured right elbow, but the expectation is that he's going to be sidelined for an extended period of time, Scott Mitchell of TSN.ca reports.

Manoah was forced from his last outing Wednesday against the White Sox in the second inning due to discomfort in his pitching elbow. He underwent an MRI on Thursday, and it would appear the results of that exam were not favorable. Manoah has not yet been placed on the injured list, but that looks to be inevitable. Bowden Francis (forearm) is slated to return soon and is an option to take Manoah's rotation spot.

Mahle (elbow) threw a bullpen session off a game mound May 18, Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reports.

According to Grant, Mahle took the mound for biomechanical evaluation, so it's not entirely clear if he's at a point in his rehab from May 2023 Tommy John surgery where he's regularly throwing bullpen sessions, or if the Rangers simply wanted to get a quick gauge of his progress. In any case, Mahle is unlikely to be cleared for game action until after the All-Star break, and he's expected to require an extended minor-league rehab assignment before he's activated from the 60-day injured list.

Rodriguez (back) struck out one and allowed two hits and two walks over 1.2 scoreless innings in his latest rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Buffalo.

Making his second rehab appearance for Buffalo, Rodriguez was lifted after just 16 pitches in what was apparently a pre-planned arrangement, per MLB.com. Rodriguez is scheduled to start again for Buffalo on Friday and is expected to work multiple innings, but he'll still likely require at least one more rehab outing beyond that before the Blue Jays bring him back from the 15-day injured list. Prior to landing on the IL on April 30 with thoracic spine inflammation, Rodriguez had been working as a tandem starter with Bowden Francis (forearm), who is also on the IL but is expected to be activated this weekend. Alek Manoah has since taken over the No. 5 spot in the rotation, but after Manoah exited Wednesday's start with an elbow injury that required an MRI, he could be in danger of landing on the IL. If that ends up being the case, the Rodriguez/Francis tandem pairing could soon be called upon again.

Francis (forearm) struck out five over 3.2 innings in a rehab outing with Triple-A Syracuse on Tuesday. He gave up one unearned run on one hit and one walk.

Francis made what was likely the fourth and final appearance of his rehab assignment and should be ready to return from the 15-day injured list this weekend. Shortly before he was shelved with right forearm extensor tendinitis in late April, Francis had been working out of the bullpen as a tandem starter with Yariel Rodriguez (back), but with Rodriguez joining Francis on the IL soon thereafter, Alek Manoah got a chance to reclaim the No. 5 spot in the rotation. Manoah exited his latest start Wednesday with right elbow discomfort, and if he ends up requiring an IL stint of his own, Francis could re-emerge as a rotation option in his return to the Blue Jays.

Medina (knee) returned to the Athletics following his latest rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Tuesday and could be activated during this weekend's series with Atlanta, MLB.com reports.

The right-hander has plunked four batters and pitched to plenty of contact on his rehab assignment, allowing 14 hits over eight innings, but Medina topped out at 100.2 mph and averaged 97 mph with his fastball in his Tuesday start. He then proceeded to throw a bullpen session prior to Thursday's extra-innings loss to the Rays, setting him up for activation at some point this weekend. Whether Medina will immediately slot into an injury-riddled Athletics rotation remains to be seen.