MLB Player News

Turnbull didn't factor into the decision in Saturday's 6-5 extra-inning win over the Cardinals, coughing up five runs on seven hits and a walk over 4.2 innings. He struck out six.

The right-hander continues to have a bumpy return from Tommy John surgery. Saturday's six strikeouts did tie Turnbull's season high, but he also served up multiple homers for the first time in seven starts, and he left the game on the hook for his fifth loss before the Tigers tied it up in the seventh inning. Turnbull will carry a 7.26 ERA and 24:15 K:BB through 31 innings into his next outing, which could come at home next weekend against the Mariners.

Clevinger (2-3) took the loss Saturday, allowing four runs on six hits and one walk over six innings against Cincinnati. He struck out seven.

Outside of a three-run home run by TJ Friedl in the fifth, Clevinger exited Saturday's start relatively unscathed, striking out seven and handing out only one free pass. He was unable to keep control of the basepaths, giving up a pair of steals to Jonathan India in separate innings. Clevinger has cooled off after a strong start to the season, giving up 15 runs and six homers over his last four starts while taking the loss three times. Though Clevinger posted a 12.07 K/9 in 2019, he has yet to return to his previous form after suffering a torn meniscus in 2020. However, Clevinger remains a player worth monitoring moving forward in case he finds his groove.

McCullers (forearm) threw a bullpen session in Seattle on Saturday, reportedly hitting 90 mph twice, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

McCullers has been out since February, as he's been nursing an injured right forearm, so Saturday's session is certainly encouraging. The 29-year-old will continue to slowly ramp up his activity over the next few weeks, including an inevitable rehab assignment, which will likely be multiple starts. That said, once healthy, McCullers will help fill the void left in the Astros' rotation by Luis Garcia's season-ending elbow injury.

Severino (lat) felt good after throwing a simulated game Friday and will soon make a rehab appearance for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

Manager Aaron Boone said at the start of May that Severino was two or three weeks from returning from the lat strain which has kept him out all season. While a planned rehab start became a simulated game instead, it doesn't appear as though he's significantly behind that schedule. Exactly how many rehab outings he needs will determine whether or not he's able to hit Boone's stated timeline.

Faedo will be called up from Triple-A Toledo to start Sunday's game against the Cardinals, Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press reports.

The Tigers need to turn to a spot starter after a rainout forced a doubleheader Wednesday against the Mets. Detroit gets three off days in the 11 days following Faedo's start on Sunday, so Faedo might not get the chance to stick around. The 27-year-old's 5.53 ERA in 12 starts as a rookie last year doesn't inspire confidence, though he owns a 2.50 ERA in five Triple-A starts this season.

Whitley's last start for Triple-A Sugar Land was skipped due to minor right shoulder discomfort, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports.

Whitley has the most name value of Houston's starters at Triple-A, but after a strong first two starts of the campaign, the 6-foot-7 righty has struggled to the tune of a 9.00 ERA and 1.54 WHIP in 13 innings over his three most recent outings. J.P. France and Brandon Bielak were chosen for the open rotation spots at the big-league level as Whitley deals with the shoulder issue.

Paxton (hamstring) will be activated from the 15-day injured list and is expected to be reinserted into Boston's rotation sometime during next weekend's series with the Cardinals at Fenway Park, Ian Browne of MLB.com reports.

He won't be used in the two-game series in Atlanta, but will start one of the following games. Manager Alex Cora didn't rule out the possibility of the Red Sox utilizing a six-man rotation, but Boston has off days Monday and Thursday, so a six-man unit would stretch the length between outings for their starters in the short term. Paxton has a 3.68 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 17:10 K:BB in 14.2 innings over his last three rehab starts, his most recent of which came Friday with Triple-A Worcester.

Blackburn's (finger) scheduled rehab start with Triple-A Las Vegas on Saturday has been pushed back due to the impending birth of his child, the team's official site reports.

Blackburn had thrown all his pitches during a bullpen session Wednesday that apparently went well enough to garner him clearance to restart his rehab assignment, but his paternity leave will delay matters by a few more days. Manager Mark Kotsay noted the club will have a better feel for Blackburn's return timeline after his child's birth, and it's possible he makes two or more additional starts with the Aviators before being deemed ready for activation.

Sale (3-2) earned the win Friday, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk over six innings during a 5-3 victory over the Phillies. He struck out 10.

Sale has allowed five or more runs in three of his seven outings this season, but he also has three quality starts and two games with double-digit strikeouts. The left-hander's 6.37 ERA remains inflated due to the seven runs he allowed in his first appearance of the year, but he's surrendered just four runs over his past 12.1 innings and earned the win in back-to-back starts. Sale will look to stay sharp next time out, which is tentatively scheduled for a three-game weekend set versus the Cardinals.

Ober (2-0) earned the win Friday, allowing three hits and one walk over seven scoreless innings during a 2-0 victory over the Guardians. He struck out six.

Ober drew a second straight start with Kenta Maeda (triceps) and Tyler Mahle (elbow) on the injured list, and he continues to make the most of his limited opportunities. Friday's outing marked Ober's first quality start of the season, and he's allowed just two runs over three appearances (18.1 innings). Ober's 0.98 ERA and 0.87 WHIP are likely unsustainable, and his 16:6 K:BB isn't eye-popping, but he continues to get results and should remain in the rotation as long as Maeda and Mahle are unavailable.