MLB Player News

Verlander (hip) is scheduled to make a second rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Toledo, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

Verlander turned in a successful rehab outing with Toledo back on Tuesday, tossing 64 pitches and allowing four hits and no walks while striking out three batters across five scoreless innings. Despite the strong showing, the Tigers have determined that Verlander will require at least one more outing in the minors to get stretched out further. If all goes well Wednesday, Verlander could then be reinstated from the 60-day injured list to make a start during the Tigers' three-game series in Houston that begins June 15. The 43-year-old righty made just one appearance for the Tigers this season before landing on the injured list April 4 due to left hip inflammation.

Sandlin is expected to work as a bulk reliever in Sunday's game in Philadelphia while Tyler Gilbert serves as the White Sox's opening pitcher, Brooke Fletcher of Chicago Sports Network reports.

Since the Philadelphia lineup typically features three high-caliber left-handed hitters in Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Brandon Marsh, the White Sox will go with a lefty as their opener for the second straight day. Gilbert will likely cover the first inning or two before Sandlin takes over for what will be his first appearance out of the bullpen. After being called up from Triple-A Charlotte on May 26, Sandlin got the start in his first two big-league games and went 1-1 with an 8.10 ERA, 1.30 WHIP and 8:4 K:BB across 10 innings.

Kochanowicz (2-5) allowed seven runs (six earned) on six hits and a walk while striking out one over one-third of an inning to take the loss versus the Dodgers on Saturday.

Kochanowicz didn't make it all the way through the Dodgers' lineup before he was pulled. Things have taken a turn for the worse for the right-hander, who has now allowed 15 runs (14 earned) over 6.2 innings across his last three starts. He's at a 6.05 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 47:36 K:BB through 64 innings across 13 starts this season. Given his recent performance and his team situation, Kochanowicz is best avoided in most fantasy formats. He is tentatively projected for a home start versus the Rays in his next outing, assuming the Angels don't opt to pivot to another option. He allowed three runs on five hits and four walks over 2.1 innings versus the Rays on May 31.

Leiter (3-5) took the loss against Cleveland on Saturday, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks while striking out two batters over 4.2 innings.

Leiter entered Saturday with back-to-back victories, including a 10-strikeout performance over 5.2 scoreless innings his previous time out. The right-hander opened his outing against Cleveland with three more scoreless frames before Jose Ramirez tagged him for a solo homer in the fourth. Things got much worse for Leiter in the fifth, when the Guardians got to him for four runs on a walk and four hits, including another solo homer, before he was lifted with two outs. The five runs Leiter allowed tied a season-worst mark, and this was the third time he's given up multiple homers in an outing. Overall, he has registered an unremarkable 4.69 ERA and 1.37 WHIP along with a 76:31 K:BB over 71 innings spanning 13 starts.

Bibee (1-7) earned the win over Texas on Saturday, tossing eight scoreless innings during which he allowed three hits and issued two walks while striking out three batters.

Bibee had gone winless over 13 starts entering Saturday, though he had recorded six quality starts and had held the opponent to one or zero runs on six different occasions. He took matters into his own hands against the Rangers, tying a season high with eight innings and holding Texas to no runs or extra-base hits. Bibee probably could have completed the game himself -- he was pulled after throwing just 87 pitches -- but regardless, his performance was more than good enough to earn him his first victory of the campaign. The right-hander will look to build upon this performance moving forward, and he's lined up for a favorable matchup at home against Detroit for his next start.

Morris (0-1) took the loss against Houston on Saturday, allowing nine runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out four batters over four-plus innings.

Morris was called upon to start following injuries to Aaron Civale (shoulder) and Luis Severino (shoulder), but he didn't make a strong case for sticking in the rotation. The right-hander gave up six runs over his first two innings, with the biggest blow being a grand slam off the bat of Yordan Alvarez. That was one of three homers allowed overall by Morris, who needed 90 pitches to retire 12 batters. Neither Civale nor Severino is slated to return soon, but given Morris' performance Saturday, the Athletics -- who currently sit 3.5 games behind Seattle in the AL West -- may opt to turn to a different pitcher to fill the rotation slot.

McClanahan (6-3) took the loss Saturday against Miami, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out six.

McClanahan tossed at least five innings for an eighth consecutive start, but he did tie season worsts in both runs and hits allowed Saturday. The 29-year-old left-hander had given up one or no runs in six of his previous seven outings, so Saturday represented a rare letdown of sorts. McClanahan will bring a strong 2.85 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 59:21 K:BB over 60 innings into his next scheduled appearance on the road against the Angels.

Imai (3-3) allowed two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out eight batters over five innings in a win over the Athletics on Saturday.

Houston scored six runs in the first two innings, allowing Imai to go on cruise control. The right-hander gave up a pair of runs in the third frame but didn't allow the A's to get any closer. Imai racked up an impressive 17 swinging strikes and fell one short of his season-high mark with eight punchouts, though he was pulled after five innings and 92 pitches. That snapped a streak of two straight quality starts, but Imai nonetheless continued to turn things around after a rough beginning to his MLB career. He had an 8.31 ERA through his first five starts spanning 17.1 innings, but he's gone 2-1 with a 2.12 ERA across 17 frames over his subsequent three starts.

Ryan didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 3-2 loss to the Royals, allowing one run on six hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out five.

The right-hander delivered his eighth quality start of the season on 102 pitches (66 strikes), but Ryan left the mound with the score tied 1-1. Five of those quality starts have come in his last six outings, a stretch in which he's delivered a 2.39 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 44:6 K:BB through 37.2 innings. He'll look for his fifth win of the year in his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road next week in Detroit.

Montero (2-4) took the loss Saturday as the Tigers fell 4-0 to the Mariners, giving up four runs on six hits and and a walk over five innings. He struck out one.

Half the hits off the right-hander went for extra bases, including a solo homer by Dominic Canzone in the fourth inning. Montero has been tagged for four runs in three of his last five outings, a stretch in which he's stumbled to a 5.13 ERA, 1.14 WHIP and 15:8 K:BB in 26.1 innings. With Tarik Skubal (elbow), Justin Verlander (hip) and Casey Mize (thigh) all closing in on returns from the IL in the next couple weeks, Montero's time in the Detroit rotation could be coming to an end very soon.