MLB Player News

The Blue Jays confirmed Scherzer (forearm) as their starting pitcher for Sunday's game against the Twins in Toronto, Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Toronto received some rare good news for its injury-ravaged rotation, as Scherzer looks like he won't end up missing a turn after he had been contending with right forearm tendinitis leading up to his most recent start in Monday's loss to the Dodgers. Though Scherzer was removed when the injury flared up after he pitched just two innings, he's apparently responded well to treatment over the last couple of days. Barring a setback coming out of his between-starts bullpen session Friday, Scherzer should be able to handle a relatively standard workload Sunday.

Avila is available to pitch out of the Royals' bullpen beginning Wednesday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Avila struggled in a spot start Saturday versus the Brewers, yielding five runs on eight hits and three walks in three innings. There's no longer a need for him in the rotation, but with the Royals' bullpen a bit short-handed, Avila will help out in relief for now rather than rejoin the rotation at Triple-A Omaha.

The Rays placed Rasmussen (personal) on the paternity list Wednesday.

Rasmussen had been slated to start Tuesday's game against the Cubs, but he ended up being scratched hours before first pitch after his wife went into labor sooner than anticipated. Tampa Bay didn't have a player available to replace Rasmussen on the roster Tuesday and opted to wait until Wednesday to deactivate him, with Jesse Scholtens now being recalled from Triple-A Durham in a corresponding move. Rasmussen will rejoin the Rays no later than Saturday, and he'll likely be in line to make a start at some point during the team's weekend home series versus the Yankees.

DeGrom said Wednesday that his injured right knee is feeling better, and he expects to be ready to start when his next turn through the rotation comes up this weekend against the Dodgers, Jeff Wilson of AllDLLS.com reports.

DeGrom experienced discomfort in his right knee during his most recent outing Monday against the Mariners, prompting the Rangers to send him in for a precautionary MRI. The MRI revealed no structural damage, and with deGrom's knee having already shown improvement, the right-hander appears to be on track to avoid a stint on the injured list. The Rangers will likely wait and see how deGrom fares during a bullpen session later this week before locking him in for his next start, which will likely come Sunday.

Povich will start Sunday's game against the Giants, Andy Kostka of TheBaltimoreBanner.com reports.

After Brandon Young made a spot start in place of the injured Zach Eflin (elbow) on Monday, it will be Povich getting a turn this weekend. Povich made one extended relief appearance Sunday against the Pirates, allowing two runs on four hits and a 2:3 K:BB over 5.2 innings. The left-hander will have an opportunity to make additional starts if he pitches well.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Wednesday that Oviedo will be shut down for six week after being diagnosed with a right flexor strain, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Cora is optimistic Oviedo can avoid surgery, but the Red Sox will have to wait and see if the injury heals with extended rest. Oviedo will need plenty of time to get ramped back up after the six-week shutdown period, so he'll be in line for an extended absence, even if all goes well during the recovery process. The righty is already on the 15-day injured list and is a candidate to shift to the 60-day IL if/when Boston needs to free up a spot on its 40-man roster.

Rogers did not factor into the decision Tuesday against the White Sox, allowing two runs on six hits and striking out six over six innings. He did not issue a walk.

Rogers continued his strong start to the season Tuesday, turning in his third consecutive quality start. The 28-year-old's only damage came in the third inning when he allowed three straight hits, but he kept his composure afterward and stranded runners at the corners in both the fifth and sixth to limit further scoring. The left-hander now owns a 1.89 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 14:5 K:BB across 19 innings of work and will look to keep things rolling in his next scheduled outing against Arizona.

The White Sox selected Schweitzer's contract from Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday.

Schweitzer has made a full-time move to the bullpen this season, allowing one run with a 4:0 K:BB over his first five innings with Charlotte. The left-hander will be making his major-league debut when he gets into a game.

Schlittler didn't factor into the decision in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the A's, giving up three runs on five hits over five innings. He struck out seven without walking a batter.

The young right-hander only ran into real trouble in the third inning, as a pair of leadoff singles set up run-scoring doubles by Nick Kurtz and Tyler Soderstrom, but the Yankees got Schlittler off the hook for a loss with a late rally. Schlittler has a sizzling 22:0 K:BB through three starts and 16.2 innings to begin the year, fueling a 1.62 ERA and 0.48 WHIP. He'll look to keep rolling in his next outing, which lines up to come on the road this weekend in Tampa Bay.

Civale came away with a no-decision in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Yankees, allowing one run on two hits and four walks over five innings. He struck out six.

An Amed Rosario solo shot in the second inning accounted for the only damage off Civale, who tossed 52 of 88 pitches for strikes before exiting. The journeyman righty has been solid to begin the season for the A's, posting a 2.70 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 9:5 K:BB over 10 innings and two starts. He'll look for his first quality start of the year in his next trip to the mound, which is scheduled to come on the road this weekend against the Mets.