MLB Player News

Bieber (elbow) tossed six scoreless innings Thursday, allowing five hits and a walk while striking out five batters in a rehab outing with Triple-A Buffalo, Mitch Bannon of The Athletic reports.

Bieber was making his second start with Buffalo, and he was far more successful this time around, notching 46 strikes over 62 total pitches after surrendering eight runs over his prior two rehab outings. The right-hander was able to average 91.4 mph on his fastball, peaking at 93 mph on the day. Bieber may need just one more rehab start before making his 2026 debut with the Blue Jays.

Wacha (4-5) allowed four runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out two batters over seven innings in a loss against Texas on Thursday.

Wacha looked like he could be in for a short outing after giving up three runs on five hits over the first three innings. The veteran righty was able to settle down thereafter and surrendered only one more run, but the Royals' offense was never able to catch up. Wacha notched just seven whiffs on 102 pitches and tied a season low with two punchouts, but he at least managed to spare a thin KC bullpen by covering seven frames. He has once again provided a reliable arm for the Royals, posting a 3.58 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 69:27 K:BB through 88 innings across 14 starts.

Rocker allowed two runs on five hits and two walks while striking out three batters over 4.2 innings in a no-decision against Kansas City on Thursday.

Rocker was great through three innings, holding the Royals scoreless on one hit. However, the right-hander faded in the fourth, yielding two runs on three hits and a walk. Rocker returned for the fifth and retired the first two batters he faced before giving up a Bobby Witt single and subsequently being pulled. Though it was far from a disastrous outing, Thursday marked the first time since May 8 that Rocker was unable to complete five frames. He holds a 3.56 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 52:28 K:BB over 65.2 innings spanning 13 appearances (12 starts).

Manager Will Venable said Thursday that the team is considering promoting Smith to start Saturday's game against the Dodgers, Bruce Levine of 670TheScore.com reports.

The White Sox don't currently have a probable pitcher listed for Saturday's contest, but Smith could get the nod after posting a 3.76 ERA and 1.32 WHIP while striking out 79 batters in 52.2 innings at Triple-A Charlotte. The 22-year-old southpaw has found consistent success on the mound throughout his minor-league career, though that consistency would certainly be put to the test while making his MLB debut against one of the league's most dynamic offenses. Venable noted there is also a chance the team keeps Smith in the minors for a while longer and relies on its bullpen to get through Saturday.

Schultz (knee) threw a bullpen session Wednesday, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.

Manager Will Venable said that Schultz will throw at least one more bullpen session before the White Sox potentially plot out a rehab assignment for the rookie left-hander, who has been on the shelf since May 26 due to right knee patellar tendinitis. Prior to landing on the injured list, Schultz went 2-4 with a 5.82 ERA, 1.34 WHIP and 33:22 K:BB across 38.2 innings.

Kremer (quadriceps) threw another live batting practice session Thursday at the Orioles' spring training complex and could soon be cleared to begin a rehab assignment, Matt Weyrich of The Baltimore Sun reports.

Kremer threw 35 pitches -- which included two "ups" -- and also went through pitchers' fielding practice drills. The veteran hurler has been shelved since late April with a right quad strain but looks to be tracking toward a return in early July, assuming he continues at his current progression.

Matthews (2-4) took the loss Thursday against the Tigers, allowing seven runs on nine hits and a walk over six innings. He struck out four.

It's the second time in three starts that Matthews has given up seven earned runs. The 26-year-old right-hander was hurt by the long ball Wednesday -- he gave up a season-high three homers in an eventual 11-0 loss to Detroit. After firing seven scoreless frames in his season debut in mid-May, Matthews' ERA now sits at 5.20 with a 1.18 WHIP and 30:9 K:BB through his first six starts (36.1 innings) this year. He'll look to bounce back in his next outing, tentatively scheduled to come on the road against the Rangers.

Montero (3-4) earned the win Thursday over the Twins, allowing four hits and a walk over 6.1 scoreless innings. He struck out four.

It was an impressive performance from Montero, who was provided with more than enough run support in an 11-0 Tigers win. It's the third time this year that Montero has held opponents scoreless for six or more innings, though it's just his second quality start in his last six outings -- the right-hander had posted a 5.13 ERA across 26.1 innings in five starts prior to Wednesday. Overall, Montero sports a 3.61 ERA with a 1.01 WHIP and 48:17 K:BB across 72.1 innings this season. He's tentatively lined up to face the Astros on the road his next time out.

Lugo's (head) CT scan came back negative.

Lugo was involved in a scary incident during Wednesday's outing versus the Rangers when he was struck in the forehead by a line drive off the bat of Brandon Nimmo. He got to his feet quickly and seemed alert but was pulled from the game. Per Anne Rogers of MLB.com, Lugo has some swelling on his forehead and his left (non-throwing) elbow is sore from falling, but the pitcher feels OK, all things considered. It looks like Lugo has dodged a serious injury and could make his next scheduled start Monday versus the Nationals, but he'll continue to be monitored in the coming days.

Verlander (hip) struck out three and allowed four earned runs on five hits and two walks across 5.2 innings in a rehab start Wednesday with Triple-A Toledo.

After tossing five shutout innings and 64 pitches in his first rehab outing with Toledo on June 2, Verlander wasn't quite as sharp in the second start of his rehab assignment. Though he was able to stretch out to 86 pitches and averaged 92.9 mph with his four-seamer during the outing, Verlander struggled to execute, particularly with his slider. He allowed four home runs in the start, three which came off sliders and traveled at least 400 feet. Despite the shaky performance, Verlander could still be cleared to return from the 60-day injured list during next week's series in Houston to make his first start with the Tigers since March 30. He's expected to throw a bullpen session in front of the Tigers' brass over the weekend before a decision is made on his next step.