MLB Player News

The Red Sox will meet Wednesday to discuss which role Houck (face) will fill upon his return, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Manager Alex Cora stated that his preference would be to get Houck back sooner in a relief role but also acknowledged the club is in need of rotation help. What role the Red Sox decide on for Houck will determine how he's used on a rehab assignment. Houck has been sidelined since undergoing a procedure in late June to repair facial fractures.

The Red Sox will discuss Wednesday which role Whitlock (elbow) fills upon his return, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

Manager Alex Cora said he would prefer to have Whitlock back "as soon as possible," which would point to a relief role. However, the skipper also pointed out that the team is in need of rotation help. The decision could boil down to what, if any, kind of pitching help the Red Sox acquire at the trade deadline. Whitlock has been out since early July with a bone bruise in his right elbow.

Clevinger (biceps) will be activated from the 15-day injured list to start Saturday's game against the Guardians, Daryl Van Schouwen of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.

Clevinger cleared the final hurdle in his rehab program with a four-inning simulated game Monday and has recovered without any issues. He'll skip a minor-league rehab assignment and rejoin the Chicago rotation right away despite missing more than six weeks of action with right biceps inflammation.

Sale (shoulder) will begin a rehab assignment Tuesday if he gets through Thursday's live batting practice session with no issues, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The live BP session will come after Sale completed another bullpen session over the weekend. The Red Sox have discussed the possibility of bringing the left-hander back early and have him build back up at the big-league level, so it's possible he could make just the one rehab start. Sale has been out since early June with a stress reaction in his left scapula.

Ryan (9-7) took the loss Wednesday, allowing four runs on seven hits and two walks over 3.2 innings against Seattle. He struck out seven.

It was a rough day for Ryan, but it could've been even worse, as he managed to still rack up seven strikeouts in only 3.2 innings. Ryan's struggled to a 7.58 ERA in four starts (19 innings) since the All-Star break, though he's struck out 34 in that span. The 27-year-old Ryan's ERA is now up to 4.06 with a 1.09 WHIP and 148:24 K:BB across 21 starts (122 innings) this season. He'll look to get back on track in his next outing, currently lined up for next week in St. Louis.

Miller (7-3) earned the win Wednesday, allowing six runs on eight hits over 5.2 innings against the Twins. He struck out seven.

It wasn't Miller's best outing on paper, but he got just enough run support in the 7-6 win while racking up his highest strikeout total since he punched out 10 in his major-league debut in May. The 24-year-old Miller had allowed just one run in his previous two starts (10.1 innings) out of the All-Star break. His ERA now sits at 3.96 with a 1.00 WHIP and 71:15 K:BB across 14 starts (75 innings) this season. He's lined up for a home start next week against the Red Sox.

The Mariners transferred Gonzales (forearm) from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL on Wednesday.

Gonzales was initially placed on the 15-day IL on June 3 and hasn't even begun a rehab assignment yet, so he was already expected to miss more than 60 days before the Mariners made the transaction Wednesday. The move allowed the Mariners to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for reliever Trent Thornton, whom Seattle acquired via trade from Toronto.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said after Wednesday's 7-1 loss to the Marlins that Eflin (knee) will undergo an MRI, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Eflin was dealt his sixth loss of the season Tuesday after serving up five runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out three before departing following the fourth inning. The Rays attributed his early exit to left knee discomfort, and Cash said that Eflin's upcoming MRI will provide a better sense on the source of the pain. Eflin can be considered day-to-day for the time being and tentatively lines up to make his next start early next week agains the Yankees, though a trip to the injured list remains a possibility at this stage.

Ryu (elbow) will throw a bullpen session Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

The Blue Jays have also officially confirmed that Ryu will not start this weekend against the Angels. When exactly he will make his 2023 debut with the big club isn't known yet, but it could come as soon as early next week. Ryu -- who is coming back from Tommy John surgery -- pitched well on his rehab assignment, although his velocity was down a tick.

Lorenzen and the Tigers won't face the Angels on Wednesday after the game was postponed due to inclement weather in Detroit.

The two teams will make up the postponed game as part of a straight doubleheader Thursday. Expect Lorenzen to start one of those games, while Matt Manning likely takes the hill for the other.