MLB Player News

Whitlock (hip) has resumed playing catch, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Whitlock has been on the injured list for a week, and the Red Sox are hoping he'll be able to rejoin the rotation after missing the minimum of 15 days. The right-hander is eligible to be reinstated as early as June 24.

Eovaldi (back) is progressing more slowly than expected and is unlikely to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reports.

The Red Sox were initially hoping Eovaldi would be back after spending the minimum on the IL, but the right-hander hasn't made as much progress in his recovery as the team had anticipated. A better timetable for his return should come into focus after he's cleared to begin a throwing program.

McCullers (forearm) reached 91 mph with his fastball Friday and began throwing curveballs off flat ground earlier this week, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

These were each big steps for McCullers, as he was at 87 mph with his fastball two weeks ago and had yet to throw his curveball during his rehab. It seems like he will continue with his throwing program in a controlled environment, but now that he is throwing all of his pitches and his velocity is ticking above 90 mph on his fastball, a rehab assignment may not be too far away.

Severino will pitch Sunday in Toronto, Meredith Marakovits of YES Network reports.

Assuming Severino still feels OK physically, he will make a start this week despite being a late scratch Thursday with an illness. He last pitched June 10 and has a 1.67 ERA, 0.77 WHIP and 40:6 K:BB in 32.1 innings over his last five starts. Gerrit Cole will be pushed back to start Monday in Tampa Bay.

Schmidt allowed one hit and one walk while striking out five across three scoreless innings in Thursday's 2-1 win over the Rays. He didn't factor into the decision.

Schmidt received a spot start Thursday after Luis Severino was briefly placed on the COVID-19 injured list. Schmidt had not thrown more than 3.1 innings in any outing this season, so he was limited in length. However, he was very effective and racked up eight swinging strikes on 50 pitches while allowing a single as his only hit. Schmidt had already been pitching well out of the bullpen this season, and after the stellar showing in the starting role, he now maintains a 2.82 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 20:11 K:BB across 22.1 frames. Severino was activated from the IL following Thursday's game, so Schmidt will head back to the bullpen with Severino in line to take the hill when his next turn in the rotation comes up next week.

McKenzie (4-5) allowed one earned run on seven hits and one walk while striking out six across six innings to earn the win Thursday against the Rockies.

McKenzie allowed a single and double to the first two batters he faced, but he escaped the jam without allowing a run. The only damage against him came in the fifth inning, when he allowed a leadoff triple. Otherwise, McKenzie had an impressive outing -- particularly given that he was pitching in Coors Field -- highlighted by 16 swinging strikes on 93 total pitches. He has now allowed two earned runs or fewer while working six or more innings in four of his last five turns through the rotation.

Gausman (5-6) allowed seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and one walk while striking out three across 2.1 innings to take the loss Thursday against the Orioles.

Gausman kept the ball in the yard but allowed five of the first six batters he faced in the third inning to reach base, derailing his appearance. It was the second time in three starts that he's failed to work at least four innings, and he's surrendered nine earned runs across 12 frames in that span. Despite that recent stretch, Gausman still owns a 3.21 ERA and 1.26 WHIP across 13 starts this season.

Wells (4-4) allowed one earned run on five hits and one walk while striking out three across six innings to earn the win Thursday against Toronto.

Wells allowed a solo home run to Teoscar Hernandez but otherwise held the Blue Jays in check. As has been the case, he was reliant upon inducing soft contact and boasts a strikeout rate of just 15.1 percent on the campaign. Despite that, Wells has turned in three quality starts in his last four outings and has a 3.62 ERA across 59.2 innings for the season.

Canning is expected to have a checkup on his injured back soon, Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com reports.

Canning is currently shut down from throwing with an uncertain timeline for resuming a throwing program. The right-hander has said that he aims to return this season, but he experienced a setback when attempting to play catch May 16. Canning was subsequently advised to take a conservative, non-surgical approach to treatment, but he could ultimately need surgery if his back doesn't properly heal.

Detmers will keep his spot in the Angels' rotation and make his next start, likely against Kansas City next week, Sam Blum of The Athletic reports.

Detmers has failed to complete five innings in each of his past three starts, though he has given up just four runs across 12.1 innings over that stretch. Walks have been the biggest problem for the left-hander of late -- during the three-game period, he has posted a troubling 5.8 BB/9. The Angels don't have a ton of options to step into his rotation spot, and they have a doubleheader coming up Saturday, so it isn't a surprise that Detmers will make his next start as scheduled. However, he may need to start pitching deeper into games and reducing his walks in order to maintain his rotation security.