MLB Player News

Bieber (shoulder) will be activated from the 60-day injured list to make a start later this week so long as he doesn't suffer any setbacks following Tuesday's bullpen session, Zack Meisel of The Athletic reports.

The right-hander built up to 57 pitches in his lates rehab outing with Double-A Akron on Sunday, and so long as he's able to complete Tuesday's bullpen without any issues, his next start is expected to come for the big club. While Cleveland has not speculated on a specific game for Bieber to be activated, either Friday or Saturday against the White Sox would seem to make the most sense from a rest standpoint. The reigning American League Cy Young winner is expected to be capped at around 75 pitches if he's indeed able to return over the weekend.

Arihara cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Round Rock on Tuesday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic reports.

Arihara was DFA'd on Sunday after posting a 6.64 ERA, 1.43 WHIP and 24:13 K:BB across 10 starts with the Rangers. He didn't find any suitors on waivers, so he'll remain with Texas as minor-league depth for the time being. The right-hander signed a two-year, $6.2 million deal in the offseason, so the Rangers will certainly be looking for signs that he can turn things around heading into 2022.

Whitlock (pectoral) was placed on the 10-day injured list Tuesday, Chris Cotillo of The Springfield Republican reports.

Per Bill Koch of The Providence Journal, manager Alex Cora maintained that the pectoral injury isn't thought to be serious, but that the Red Sox "don't feel he's going to be ready in the upcoming days." The move to the IL can be backdated to Monday, so Whitlock will become eligible to be reinstated Sept. 30 against Baltimore. If he progresses as he hopes, the right-hander stands a strong chance to rejoin the Boston bullpen for the last four games of the regular season. Ryan Brasier was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take his spot on the 28-man roster.

The Rangers list Dunning as their starting pitcher for Tuesday's game against the Yankees.

Dunning will be picking up his first start since Aug. 20, after he spent about two and a half weeks on the COVID-19 injured list before returning in a relief role once he was activated Sept. 10. Because Dunning didn't get fully stretched out for starting duty during the idle period, the Rangers have been having him build up his pitch count over his two appearances out of the bullpen. In his most recent outing Sept. 15, Dunning covered two innings (43 pitches), so he likely won't be asked to work deep into Tuesday's start. Glenn Otto could be an option to piggyback Dunning, if the Rangers elect to go that route.

Rodon (arm) is expected to make his next start Sept. 29 against the Reds, Maddie Lee of NBC Sports Chicago reports.

Rodon is having an excellent season, striking out 35.1 percent of opposing batters en route to a 2.47 ERA and 0.97 WHIP across 23 starts. He's being handled very cautiously down the stretch as the White Sox try to keep him healthy for the playoffs, getting eight and nine days of rest prior to his previous two starts. He exited his start Monday against the Tigers after just three innings due to left arm soreness, and it looks as though the White Sox will give him a similar length of time off before his next trip to the mound. That means he'll make at most one more start before the end of the regular season.

McKenzie (5-7) took the loss in the first game of Monday's doubleheader against the Royals, surrendering seven runs on nine hits -- including three home runs -- and a walk over 4.1 innings. He struck out four.

The right-hander couldn't keep the ball in the park and couldn't keep the bases clear before he did, serving up two-run shots in the second, third and fifth innings before getting the hook. McKenzie saw his streak of seven straight quality starts end with a thud, but even with Monday's brutal outing, the 24-year-old sports a 2.86 ERA, 0.70 WHIP and 52:6 K:BB through 50.1 innings since the beginning of August.

Anderson (7-9) earned the win Monday against the Athletics after tossing seven innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and a walk while fanning seven.

Anderson matched his season-best output in strikeouts while also allowing just one run for the second straight start, and he seems to be gearing up for a strong end of the regular season. He has allowed three or fewer runs in eight of his nine appearances since the beginning of August, posting a 3.20 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in that span.

Singer (5-10) picked up the win in the first game of Monday's doubleheader sweep of Cleveland, allowing one run on six hits and a walk over seven innings. He struck out seven.

The right-hander went the distance in his return from the COVID-19 list while recording his fourth quality start in his last six outings. Singer has a 2.97 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 37:12 K:BB through 36.1 innings over that stretch, striking out at least five batters in all six trips to the mound, and only a 1.5 HR/9 prevented him from putting up even better ratios. The 2018 first-round pick appears to be settling in after a bumpy beginning to his big-league career, making him an intriguing sleeper for 2022.

Valdez (11-5) earned the win Monday against the Angels after tossing seven scoreless innings, allowing six hits and three walks while fanning six.

Valdez was coming off two straight outings in which he allowed four earned runs in each, but he bounced back admirably here and delivered his fifth quality start over eight appearances since the beginning of August. The southpaw owns a 3.16 ERA across 51.1 innings in that span.

Baz (1-0) allowed two runs on two hits while striking out five over five innings as he got the win over the Blue Jays on Monday in his MLB debut.

Baz allowed just two hits to the high-powered Blue Jays offense. However, both of them left the yard for home runs. Teoscar Hernandez connected on a fastball in the second and then Lourdes Gurriel turned on a slider in the fifth. The 22-year-old appeared to fit the part as one of baseball's top pitching prospects, showcasing excellent command with a great arsenal of pitches. Baz has a real shot to become a fantasy ace in the coming years, but for now, managers should temper their expectations with the Astros as the team he's projected to face his next time out.