MLB Player News

Valdez did not factor into the decision Tuesday, allowing six hits and no walks over 7.2 scoreless innings in a 2-1 loss to Toronto. He struck out five.

After issuing six walks over 4.2. innings against the Yankees on Opening Day, Valdez returned to form Tuesday against Toronto, throwing 61 of his 85 pitches for strikes while limiting hard contact. However, despite shutting the Jays out for 7.2 innings, Valdez ultimately wound up with a no-decision after Josh Hader allowed a two-run homer to Davis Schneider in the ninth. The 30-year-old Valdez will be looking for his first win of the campaign in his next start, currently scheduled for Monday against the Rangers.

Mize and the Tigers will not face the Mets on Tuesday after the game was postponed due to inclement weather, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

Tuesday's game will be made up Thursday afternoon, which was originally a scheduled off day for both teams. Mize's first start of the season will likely be pushed back to Wednesday, moving Tarik Skubal's next outing to Thursday.

Waldichuk (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.

Wednesday will be Waldichuk's first time throwing off a mound since undergoing surgery in October to address a sprained UCL and damaged flexor tendon in his left elbow. He's slated to throw 25 pitches during his first bullpen session and will certainly require more sessions in order to build up to a typical starter's workload.

Varland (0-1) took the loss Tuesday in Milwaukee after he allowed three runs on six hits and two walks over four innings. He struck out four.

Varland generated 11 swinging strikes on 89 pitches but was unable to find much consistency in his season debut. The right-hander pitched well down the stretch as a reliever last season and earn a rotation spot during spring training, partially thanks to Anthony DeSclafani requiring season-ending elbow surgery. Varland lines up for a tough matchup his next time out, as he's tentatively projected to face the Dodgers early next week.

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.