MLB Player News

Houck (face) will make his next rehab appearance with Triple-A Worcester on Thursday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Houck has been on the injured list since June 18 after requiring surgery to address a fracture on the right side of his face, but the right-hander is closing on a return to the Red Sox. He made his first rehab appearance with Worcester on Saturday, covering 1.2 innings and allowing three hits and three walks while tossing 46 pitches. The Red Sox are preparing to bring Houck back from the IL as a starter, so he'll presumably require two more outings in the minors to get fully stretched out.

The Yankees placed Rodon on the 15-day injured list Monday after he was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain following an MRI.

Rodon had hoped to avoid a stint on the IL after he exited his start in Sunday's loss to the Astros in the third inning with what the Yankees had labeled as a left hamstring tightness, but follow-up tests determined he was dealing with a muscular tear. The veteran southpaw is headed to the IL for the second time this season, after he began the campaign on the shelf while recovering from forearm and back injuries before making his Yankees debut July 7. A timeline for Rodon's return hasn't yet been established, but his upcoming absence likely solidifies the struggling Luis Severino's spot in the rotation after Yankees manager Aaron Boone had previously been non-committal about Severino's role moving forward.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Whitlock (elbow) is expected to be reinstated from the 15-day injured list Sunday, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Before being activated, Whitlock will make just one three-inning rehab appearance, which will come Wednesday at Triple-A Worcester. Cora reiterated Monday that Whitlock will be returning to the Red Sox in a relief role, though the organization isn't necessarily pulling the plug on moving the right-hander back to the rotation in 2024. While the move to the bullpen likely lessens his overall fantasy appeal so long as closer Kenley Jansen is available for save situations, Whitlock could still have some value as a ratio stabilizer in a multi-inning relief role. Over 112.2 career innings as a reliever between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Whitlock compiled a 2.24 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 22.9 K-BB%.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Sale (shoulder) will likely be activated from the 60-day injured list to start Friday's game against the Tigers at Fenway Park, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Sale built up to just 53 pitches over his two rehab starts with Triple-A Worcester, but the Red Sox won't have the veteran southpaw waste any more bullets in the minors after he was electric in his most recent outing Sunday, when he struck out seven and walked none over 4.1 scoreless frames. Since he's not yet fully stretched out for a traditional starting role, Sale could be capped at around 70-to-80 pitches Friday and may be deployed in tandem with another pitcher, but he could still have a long enough leash to hit the five innings he needs to qualify for a win. Sale's upcoming start will be his first with the Red Sox since June 1 after a two-plus-month recovery from a stress reaction in his left scupla.

McKenzie (elbow) hasn't experienced any setbacks since he resumed playing catch July 28, MLB.com reports.

According to the report, McKenzie was able to play catch on five consecutive days without issue, a good sign as he continues his recovery from a right UCL sprain. He remains hopeful to pitch again for the big club in 2023, but until he reaches the point in his rehab where he's facing live hitters, the Guardians likely won't offer up a concrete target date for his return from the 60-day injured list. Based on where he currently stands in his rehab program, McKenzie is likely at least a month away from rejoining the Cleveland rotation in a best-case scenario.

Bieber (elbow) was cleared to begin a throwing program Wednesday, MLB.com reports.

Bieber has reportedly been pain-free after picking up the ball for the first time since the All-Star break, but he's likely been limited to playing light catch thus far. The right-hander will gradually increase the distance of his long-toss throwing before graduating to bullpen sessions and then facing live hitters. Considering he still has multiple hurdles to clear in his recovery from right elbow inflammation and was placed on the 60-day injured list, Bieber won't be ready to rejoin the Guardians until around the middle of September in a best-case scenario.

France (8-3) was the pitcher of record in Sunday's 9-7 win over the Yankees after giving up one unearned run on three hits and three walks while striking out four over 3.1 innings out of the bullpen.

After serving as a starter in his first 15 appearances with Houston, France moved to the bullpen Sunday to clear a spot in the rotation for right-hander Jose Urquidy, who was activated from the 60-day injured list to make his first start since April 30. Urquidy was on a limited pitch count and labored through 3.1 innings before being pulled from the contest, paving the way for France to effectively piggyback him. France was able to come away with his fourth consecutive win and his sixth win in seven outings while lowering his ERA to 2.75 in the process. The rookie right-hander isn't expected to be in line for a permanent stay in the bullpen, but manager Dusty Baker has yet to reveal when France may make his next start.

Ragans is scheduled to start Monday's series opener against the Red Sox at Fenway Park, Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe reports.

Kansas City ranks 27th in the majors this season with a 5.19 ERA from its starting pitchers, so Ragans will unsurprisingly stick around in the rotation after he submitted a gem of an outing his last time out Wednesday against the Mets. In that start -- his second of the season after he tossed five innings of one-run ball against the Rays on July 15 -- Ragans struck out eight over six shutout frames and scattered seven hits and one walk. He'll tentatively line up for two starts this week, with his second turn likely to come Saturday versus the Cardinals at Kauffman Stadium.

Quantrill (shoulder) faced hitters in a simulated game at Double-A Akron on Friday, MLB.com reports.

Quantrill returned to Cleveland following the live session, and assuming team doctors are satisfied with the condition on his shoulder, he could report back to Akron or another affiliate during the upcoming week for a rehab assignment. On the shelf since July 6 with the inflamed right shoulder, Quantrill may require more than one rehab outing to get fully stretched out before the Guardians add him back to their rotation.

Wentz is slated to start Monday's game against the Twins at Comerica Park, Evan Woodbery of MLive.com reports.

The young lefty will get at least one more turn through the rotation after he shined in a bulk-relief role his last time out July 29 in what was his first appearance in the big leagues in a month. In that appearance against the Marlins, Wentz struck out six over 4.2 scoreless innings while allowing four hits and one walk. The Tigers seem content to have Wentz pitch as a traditional starter Monday rather than out of the bullpen, an arrangement that could raise his innings floor but may work against him in qualifying for a win.