Perez (elbow) struck out three batters and allowed two earned runs on four hits and no walks over 2.2 innings in his rehab start Sunday with Triple-A Charlotte.

The veteran southpaw took part in his first game action since April 18, after he was diagnosed with a left flexor tendon strain and shut down for an extended period before he resumed throwing in late June. Perez made enough progress in his throwing program to kick off his rehab assignment over the weekend, and he shouldered a healthy workload Sunday, tossing 47 pitches (32 strikes). He's likely to require at least three more rehab starts before he makes his return to the White Sox rotation in late August or early September.

The Orioles activated Povich (hip) from the 15-day injured list Monday.

Povich will start Monday's game in Philadelphia after being sidelined mid-June with hip inflammation. The left-hander got his pitch count up to 86 in his final rehab outing with Triple-A Norfolk this past Tuesday, so he should be able to handle a relatively normal workload against the Phillies.

The Twins placed Woods Richardson on the 15-day injured list Monday due to an illness.

Woods Richardson had a scheduled start over the weekend pushed back due to a stomach bug, and he wasn't able to recover from the illness quickly enough to avoid a stint on the IL. The right-hander is eligible to return Aug. 16 and should be ready for activation at that time or shortly after. In the meantime, Jose Urena is likely to continue occupying Woods Richardson's spot in the Twins rotation.

Bergert is scheduled to start Tuesday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The Royals are breaking two of their trade-deadline acquisitions into the rotation for the three-game set in Boston, as lefty Bailey Falter will start Monday's series opener before Bergert makes his team debut Tuesday. The 25-year-old Bergert reached the majors for the first time with the Padres earlier this season and logged a 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP and 34:18 K:BB in 35.2 innings over 11 appearances (seven starts). He could be in line for a brief stint in the Kansas City rotation, as Bergert will be at risk of moving to the bullpen or heading to Triple-A Omaha when Michael Lorenzen (oblique) likely makes his return from the 15-day injured list around the middle of August.

Falter is slated to start Monday's game against the Red Sox at Fenway Park.

The left-hander will step into the rotation for what will be his Royals debut after Kansas City acquired him from Pittsburgh on Thursday in exchange for left-hander Evan Sisk and first baseman Callan Moss. Falter's 15.3 percent strikeout rate on the season is second-lowest among qualified starters in the majors, but he's induced weak contact at a high enough clip to net a 3.73 ERA and 1.18 WHIP over 113.1 innings. His fantasy outlook is unlikely to change dramatically for the worse or better as he heads from Pittsburgh to Kansas City.

Houck (elbow) confirmed Sunday that he will undergo Tommy John surgery around mid-week and said that he's hopeful to resume pitching by the end of the 2026 season, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. "I know the minimum [recovery time from surgery] is probably around the 12-month mark, 12 to the 14-month mark. With that being said, if everything goes right, 12 months from now, plan on being back out there, running out to the mound at Fenway," Houck said. "But you also got to do it the smart way, the correct way...But I'm gonna do everything in my power to get back out there at this time next year and be essentially a trade deadline piece, come back and help in 2026."

According to Smith, Houck noted that he and his surgeon, Dr. Keith Meister, haven't yet discussed whether a late-2026 return is realistic, so the right-hander's tune could change depending on how his surgery goes. Even if Houck meets his goal, he probably won't be available for the big club until September of next season in a best-case scenario, and would likely be working out of the bullpen. Before landing on the shelf May 14 with a right flexor pronator strain, Houck struggled over his nine starts with Boston, logging an 8.09 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 32:17 K:BB in 43.2 innings. He was cleared to begin a rehab assignment June 18 but was shut down shortly before the All-Star break after a follow-up MRI revealed "significantly worse" damage to his elbow that ultimately prompted Houck's decision to get surgery.

Urquidy (elbow) struck out one over a perfect inning in his first rehab appearance with Single-A Lakeland on Sunday.

Urquidy was making his first game appearance since he had Tommy John surgery in June 2024. The right-hander tossed 10 pitches over his scoreless frame and will presumably continue to be built up as a starting pitcher. The Tigers don't appear to have an opening in the big-league rotation for Urquidy, so he could wind up being used in long relief with the big club.

Houser is slated to start Monday's game against the Angels in Anaheim.

Houser will be making his Rays debut this week after he was acquired from the White Sox on Thursday in exchange for infielder Curtis Mead and right-handers Duncan Davitt and Ben Peoples. He'll essentially be taking over the rotation spot that previously belonged to right-hander Zack Littell, whom the Rays shipped to the Reds on Wednesday. Houser was a surprise standout in the White Sox rotation upon joining the big club in late May, logging a 2.10 ERA, 1.22 WHIP and 47:22 K:BB in 68.2 innings over his 11 starts prior to being traded.

Astros manager Joe Espada said Sunday that McCullers (finger) has resumed throwing off a mound and is scheduled for "another bullpen or two" before he starts facing live hitters, Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

McCullers was placed on the injured list July 22 after developing a blister on his pitching hand and will wind up missing more than the minimum 15 days. Based on Espada's comments, McCullers could be ready to face hitters by next week, though it's unclear if the right-hander would be cleared to immediately return from the IL after that or if he would first have to go out on a minor-league rehab assignment. With a 6.90 ERA and 1.74 WHIP over 44.1 innings in his 11 starts with Houston this season, McCullers could be at risk of moving to the bullpen upon his activation, as the Astros could get starters Spencer Arrighetti (thumb), Christian Javier (elbow), Luis Garcia (elbow) and Brandon Walter (elbow) back from the IL before him or around the same time.

Walter (elbow) resumed playing catch Tuesday, and Astros manager Joe Espada relayed Sunday that he could throw off a mound in "the next few days," Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Walter shouldn't be in line for an extended stay on the injured list given that he was able to start throwing again five days after being shelved with elbow inflammation. He still appears likely to be out for longer than the minimum 15 days, however. Through nine starts with Houston this season, the southpaw owns a 3.35 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 52:4 K:BB in 53.2 innings, but in spite of his impressive numbers, he may be on the outside looking in for a rotation spot upon his return. Spencer Arrighetti (thumb), Cristian Javier (elbow) and Luis Garcia (elbow) are all in the midst of rehab assignments and could beat Walter back from the IL.