MLB Player News

Greinke (elbow) is expected to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Friday, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

Greinke has missed two turns in the rotation with a right flexor strain, but it's possible he only misses one more. If it turns out that he only needs a single rehab start, he could return as soon as next Friday in Oakland.

Lynn (knee) is expected to start Tuesday against the Tigers, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

Previous reports indicated Lynn could return Monday, but there doesn't appear to be any setback behind the minor change of plans. He struggled in his latest rehab start for Triple-A Charlotte on Wednesday, giving up seven runs on nine hits in three innings of work, but the White Sox nevertheless seem to think he's ready to make his season debut.

Mize (elbow) will undergo Tommy John surgery, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports.

The right-hander doesn't actually have a torn UCL, but the procedure is still necessary since the ligament has been stretched to the point that it's lost elasticity. Mize landed on the injured list after only two starts this season, and he made one rehab start in mid-May before his elbow issues worsened. The 24-year-old will miss the rest of the season and will also be sidelined for at least the first half of 2023.

Martin will pitch behind opener Reynaldo Lopez against the Rangers on Friday, James Fegan of The Athletic reports.

The decision at least slightly improves Martin's fantasy appeal, as he'll skip the Rangers' best bats the first time through the order and won't have to pitch five innings to be eligible for a win. That's not to say he has all that much appeal even after that small boost, however, as the unheralded rookie and 2018 14th-round pick owns a modest 4.35 ERA and 17.4 percent strikeout rate through two major-league starts after posting a 4.71 ERA and 19.5 percent strikeout rate in four Triple-A outings.

The Red Sox will consider utilizing Sale (ribs) out of the bullpen to help expedite his return to the major-league roster, Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic reports.

Returning as a reliever would cut down Sale's return timeline, as he wouldn't need to be fully built up to a starter's workload before being activated. The left-hander has yet to face live hitters but could do so next week, and how that session goes should go a long way toward determining the next steps in his rehab program. Sale's bullpen sessions to this point have been limited to about 25 pitches, so he'll need a significant period to continue ramping up if Boston opts to immediate re-insert him into the starting rotation.

Kaprielian did not factor into the decision Thursday, allowing two runs on five hits and zero walks over five innings against Cleveland. He struck out three.

Kaprielian gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Jose Ramirez and Josh Naylor to lead off the fourth inning, but those were the right-hander's only blemishes on the night. Thursday's performance marked the fourth time this season he's allowed two or fewer runs. Across eight starts and 37.2 innings, the third-year pitcher sports a 5.73 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with a 25:13 K:BB. His next start is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday's contest in Boston.

Javier isn't listed as a starter for any of the Astros' three games with the Marlins this weekend and could be available out of the bullpen, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Entering the week, Javier lined up to start Sunday's series finale versus Miami, but the Astros will take advantage of Thursday's off day and use it to reorder the rotation. As a result, Justin Verlander, who started in Tuesday's win over the Marlins, will return to the mound Sunday on four days' rest for just the second time this season. Javier is now tentatively lined up to make his next start during next week's road series versus the Rangers.

Whitlock is dealing with hip tightness, but he's not expected to miss any time because of the injury, Christopher Smith of The Springfield Republican reports.

Boston manager Alex Cora noticed Whitlock favoring one leg during a start June 1, and the right-hander was roughed up by the Angels in his subsequent start. The skipper indicated the condition is "nothing serious," while the pitcher said it's not bothering him when he pitches. "But obviously we have to take care of him," Cora said. "Maybe we can make adjustments as far as like his conditioning and all that. Instead of running outside, let's do it on the treadmill." Cora added that Whitlock will be ready for his next start, which is slated for Sunday in Seattle.

Eovaldi (hip) will make his next start, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports. He's tentatively slated to start Tuesday at home against Oakland.

Eovaldi experienced hip tightness during Wednesday's outing and was pulled after five innings. Boston manager Alex Cora expressed little concern following the game and acknowledged the condition may have played a role in his reduced velocity. "He's doing OK," Cora said Thursday. "Obviously it wasn't perfect yesterday. Plaw (Kevin Plawecki) noticed it right away with the velo. So he had to actually quote-unquote pitch. It wasn't the usual 98, 99. So he used his secondary pitches and we expect him to make his next start." The Red Sox have a day off Monday, which builds an extra day of rest into Eovaldi's schedule.

Lyles (3-5) took the loss against Kansas City on Thursday, allowing six runs on eight hits and three walks while striking out one over five innings.

Lyles got through two scoreless innings to start the contest before the Royals put up four runs in the third. The right-hander bounced back with a scoreless fourth frame but served up a Carlos Santana two-run homer in the fifth. Lyles tied a season-worst mark by giving up six earned runs in the outing, pushing his ERA to 4.97 on the campaign. He's struck out only seven batters over his past 14.1 innings, further weakening his case for a spot on fantasy squads.