MLB Player News

Houck (face) is scheduled to begin a minor-league rehab assignment Saturday for Triple-A Worcester, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports.

Houck made it through another bullpen session Tuesday without issue and has now been cleared to pitch in live games. The Red Sox haven't announced publicly whether the 27-year-old right-hander will return from the 15-day injured list as a reliever or starter, and that decision will impact the length of his minor-league rehab stint. Houck has been sidelined since mid-June because of a facial fracture.

Astros manager Dusty Baker confirmed Wednesday that Javier will start Thursday's series opener at Yankee Stadium, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports.

Javier has been getting an extra day of rest between his recent string of starts and the Astros can continue with that model as they prepare to welcome back Jose Urquidy (shoulder) and trade-deadline acquisition Justin Verlander. Hunter Brown will work Friday's game in New York and then Urquidy and Verlander should slot in Saturday and Sunday.

Marsh struck out one and allowed no hits and one walk while tossing a scoreless sixth inning out of the bullpen in Tuesday's 7-6 extra-inning win over the Mets.

Marsh had been lined up to start Wednesday's contest, but the Royals surprisingly summoned him from the bullpen Tuesday after starter Zack Greinke was pulled following the fifth inning. As a result of Marsh's usage in relief, the Royals will call up Cole Ragans from Triple-A Omaha to make a spot start Wednesday. Marsh is now lined up to make his next start at some point during this weekend's series in Philadelphia.

Rodriguez is listed as the Tigers' probable starting pitcher for Wednesday's game against the Pirates at PNC Park.

Rodriguez will be returning to the mound on seven days' rest, after the Tigers elected to push him back in the rotation in anticipation of him being moved ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline. According to ESPN.com, general manager Scott Harris said that Rodriguez invoked his no-trade clause to remain in Detroit, after several reports indicated that the Tigers had struck a deal with the Dodgers on Tuesday that would have sent the southpaw to Los Angeles. Rodriguez, who is in the midst of the best season of his career with a 2.95 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 91:21 K:BB across 88.1 innings, has the ability to opt out of his five-year, $77 million contract this offseason. If Rodriguez closes the 2023 campaign on a high note, there's a strong possibility that he elects to become a free agent in search of another big payday this winter.

Lopez (6-6) picked up the win in Tuesday's 3-2 victory over the Cardinals, allowing one run on four hits over six innings. He struck out five without walking a batter.

The right-hander delivered his second straight quality start and 13th of the season, blanking St. Louis through five frames and allowing only one baserunner before giving up three singles in the sixth. Lopez has a 3.22 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 55:10 K:BB through 44.2 innings over his last seven outings, and he'll look to extend his quality start streak when he next takes the mound, which is likely to come at home this weekend against Arizona.

Sandoval (6-8) took the loss Tuesday as the Angels fell 5-1 to Atlanta, giving up two runs on three hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out three.

The lefty wasn't exactly sharp, throwing only 53 of 90 pitches for strikes, but Sandoval was mostly able to escape trouble and limit the damage. However, he was outdueled by Spencer Strider. Sandoval has been tagged for two runs or less in four straight starts since the beginning of July, posting a 2.42 ERA and 1.12 WHIP over that stretch despite a lackluster 19:13 K:BB through 22.1 innings. He'll look for a better result in his next outing, likely to come at home early next week against the Giants.

Ryu (0-1) took the loss Tuesday, giving up four runs on nine hits and a walk over five-plus innings as the Blue Jays were routed 13-3 by the Orioles. He struck out three.

Making his 2023 debut after completing his recovery from Tommy John surgery, Ryu lasted 80 pitches (54 strikes) but wasn't fooling too many batters -- he managed only eight swinging strikes and got hit hard, with Gunnar Henderson's solo shot to lead off the sixth inning chasing him from the game. The veteran southpaw will round out a six-man rotation for Toronto over the next couple weeks, but someone will likely get shifted to the bullpen once the team's schedule eases up. Ryu's next start is likely to come early next week in Cleveland.

Bradish (7-6) picked up the win Tuesday, giving up three runs on four hits and a walk over seven innings in a 13-3 rout of the Blue Jays. He struck out seven.

The Orioles didn't take full control of the game until the later innings, but after serving up a couple early homers to Danny Jansen and Brandon Belt, Bradish settled down and blanked Toronto over his final four frames. The right-hander has six quality starts in his last seven outings, a stretch in which he's posted a 2.54 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 42:10 K:BB through 46 innings. Bradish will look to keep rolling in his next start, likely to come at home this weekend against the Mets.

Sale (shoulder) allowed one hit, walked two and struck out three over two innings for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday, Lauren Campbell and Sean McAdam of MassLive.com report.

Sale threw 40 pitches (26 for strikes) in his first game action since June 1. "He was all over the place, with (a few) walks," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. "But he feels good about his mechanics, feels good about his arm. Now it's a matter of harnessing the stuff in the strike zone." The left-hander's fastball reached 96 mph, and he was encouraged by some aspects of his performance. "Obviously, had a couple walks. But, for the most part I was mainly around the zone," Sale said. He'll work on whatever issues led to the high number of balls and two walks ahead of his next rehab start for the WooSox on Sunday.

Waldichuk (2-7) allowed four runs on a hit, three walks and a hit batsman while striking out five over 3.2 innings to take the loss Tuesday versus the Dodgers.

Waldichuk got through the order once without trouble, but the Dodgers rallied in the fourth inning. He's failed to complete five innings in any appearance since May 19, whether working as a starter or a reliever. The southpaw is now at a 6.52 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 89:54 K:BB through 88.1 innings over 25 appearances (14 starts). Waldichuk is tentatively projected for a difficult home outing versus the Rangers next week.